With so much good music coming through thick and fast, it’s easy for albums to drop online and go overlooked. No lengthy write-ups as who reads those anyway? We keep it short and to the point because you’re here to listen to the music! Check out our weekly mini-guide below and if you like what you hear, click the links and support the artists
Albums
Arushi Jain – Under The Lilac Sky
Released on Stones Throw Records, ‘Under The Lilac Sky’ is the debut album from New Zealander Arushi Jain. Spanning six ambient synth ragas intended to be heard during the sunset hours, the music on the record is tranquil yet full of life. Talking about the LP, Jain notes: “You know that moment when the sun is bidding farewell to the sky, and the colours turn into beautiful hues of purple and pink and everything in between? That is the moment that this album will shine the most.” The album finds Jain focusing on reinterpreting traditional Indian classical music through the lens of electronic instrumentation. Listen below and relax.
Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes – Music for Saxofone and Bass Guitar More Songs
Having released their collaborative album Music for Saxofone and Bass Guitar back in 2018, Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes have teamed up once again. The result of this pairing is Music for Saxofone and Bass Guitar More Songs which collects nine additional tracks from the duo’s live performance archive. Super wonky, super quirky and super good. I cannot get enough of these two, and neither should you!
Australian Art Orchestra | Reuben Lewis | Tariro Mavondo | Peter Knight – Closed Beginnings
Three prolific artists at the forefront of Australian contemporary art music join forces on this essential four-movement collection. They explore isolation, revolution, and connection through music, where immersive and evocative electroacoustic soundscapes interplay with poetic strings, wandering trumpet notes, and transfixing spoken word. On repeat all week.
Madre Vaca – The Elements
Jacksonville-based jazz collective Madre Vaca return with their fourth album. On their new project, each player composed a long-form piece representing one of the elements. The result is four movements, each with varying structure and multiple solo sections creating an atmosphere that captivates you from start to finish.
Mia Pixley – Margaret in the Wild
Consider yourself introduced to Mia Pixley and her enchanting debut album ‘Margaret in the Wild’, which dropped last week. Featuring a warm cello, her lush tones, and thought-provoking lyrics, Mia creates a flawless blend of experimental blues and folk with classical styles. For fans of Valerie June, Rhiannon Giddens, Kishi Bashi.
Jeb Loy Nichols – Jeb Loy
Welsh-based U.S. singer Jeb Loy Nichols drops his thirteenth studio album, and it’s dripping with all kinds of fresh and soulful sounds. Released via Timmion, the 10-track album sees Nichols and Cold Diamond & Mink bring together rootsy modern r&b, southern soul, and folk music. Stop what you’re doing and play the album below!
Penya – Penya
Somehow, we seemed to have missed sharing this release when it dropped back in May, but it’s way too good not to share! Three years from their last full-length project, 2018’s Super Liminal, Penya returns with a self-titled effort. The genre-defying band enlists several friends, including Tamar Osborn, Maria Zofia Osuchowska, Msafiri Zawose, and more, as they continue experimenting with new styles and genres. It’s all here, from Afro electronic fusion to urban bass lines, global rhythms, and effortless collaborations – so hit play and groove out to the album below!
EP’s
Lemna – Mantis 05
We’ll admit that our ears are a bit late to this new EP from Lemma, but her latest release is an absolute beast. For Delsin’s Mantis series, she digs into five varied but cohesive drum studies loaded with cinematic tension and an ambiguous mood. Other than play, there’s not much else to say, listen, and be taken on a percussive journey that, simply put, is magic.
Grande Gufo – Grande Gufo
An essential two-tracker 7” of experimental avant-garde sounds from Ruth Goller, Dario Rossetti-Bonell, and Dave De Rose. Raw and gritty in its delivery, the three comrades free themselves of stylistic boundaries and create two unique, organic, and undoubtedly original works of art. Have a listen for yourself, and you’ll see exactly what we’re talking about!
Landon Caldwell & Flower Head Ensemble – Companion Environ
Landon Caldwell join forces with the Flower Head Ensemble for a two-track release of improvised music. Born of generative soundscapes created by Caldwell, the individual players were sent a bed of tones to lay new sounds over. ‘Companion Environ1’ is a unique exploration of beautifully paced ambient free jazz, which, as you’d expect from Caldwell, is exceptionally good.
Forthcoming on Stones Throw Records
The Steoples – Wide Through The Eyes Of No One
John Carroll Kirby – Cryptozoo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Kiefer – When There’s Love Around
