With so much good music coming through thick and fast, it’s easy for albums to drop online and go overlooked. Check out our latest mini-guide to the best albums you need to hear. Stream music from Paradis Artificiel, RAMZi, Bokoya, Test Card and Muriel Grosman. If you like what you hear, hit the links and support the artists.
Paradis Artificiel – Paradis Artificiel
Beautiful debut album from Montreal supergroup Paradis Artificiel. Having collaborated previously on various projects, the trio of Ourielle Auvé, Odile Myrtil and Victor Bongiovanni formed Paradis Artificiel in 2016 and late last year they unveiled their eponymous project. An atmospheric blend of ambient, alternative rock, and melancholy indie, the album effortlessly traverses genres with grace and style. Over the nine tracks the trio display a knack for crafting restrained grooves. This is absolutely perfect for listening to during the winter, with your choice of hot beverage at hand.
RAMZi – Multiquest Niveau 1: Camoufle
Canadian electronic artist and producer RAMZi aka, Phoebé Guillemot, delivered this little gem at the end of last year. On ‘Multiquest Niveau 1: Camouflé’ she presents her music as a series of ‘Quests’. Continuing her battle against the zombification of the world, the album moves through 11 quests, each one taking place on a different landscape, harmoniously connecting interspecies. Amongst a bed of electronics, lies a warmth of organic sounds which have you hooked from minute one. Moving from the stunning atmospherics interspersed with Goan sounds of ‘Muskin’ that’ll be stuck in your head for days, to the jazzy house of ‘La nuit l’été 1996’, you never quite know where RAMZi will take you throughout the album.
Bokoya – Introducing
Acquaint yourself with Bokoya and their debut album titled Introducing. Bokoya is made up of Leon Raum (drums), Darius Heid (synth-bass), Lukas Wilmsmeyer (guitar efx) and Ferdinand Schwarz (trumpet). Get ready to immerse yourself in their truly distinctive sound as the German jazz quartet deftly showcase a flair for creating of the moment improvised beat music. Throughout the LP’s thirty-minute journey, Bokoya lay down their seriously funky and head-nodding grooves as songs grow over time with layers of instrumentation entering and exiting each piece at any given time. Each track explores a slightly different side of Bokoya’s sound. Enjoy the album below and look out for more brilliance from the newcomers shortly!
Test Card – Music For The Towers
Two years on from his Rediffusion LP, Test Card returns to Sound In Silence for his third album, Music For The Towers. Made up of eight captivating tracks with a total duration of about 45 minutes, Music For The Towers is a lovely blend of gentle ambient, hazy electronica and minimal post-rock, built on delicate guitars, hypnotic bass, warm synthesizers, glitchy electronics and field recordings. Treading delicatley between genres Test Card has created an impressive and unique collection. This is a magical return and an absolute must listen!
Muriel Grosman – Reverence
Wonderful spiritual deep jazz from the Austrian alto, soprano, tenor saxophonist, singer and composer Muriel Grossmann. As with her previous three albums, she is joined by Radomir Milokovic on guitar, Gina Schwarz on bass, Uros Stamenkovic on drums with the addition of organ player Llorenc Barcelo. Although Africa is referenced in many ways through the compositions, the music you hear on ‘Reverence’ is not African; it is deeply spiritual jazz from the edge of Europe that gives thanks to Africa for its knowledge, its wisdom, its beauty. ‘Okan Ti Aye’, ‘Union’, ‘Tribu’, ‘Afrika Mahala’, and ‘Morning’ stand tall amongst a solid collection. Essential listening for any self-respecting jazz head.
