Looking to broaden your musical horizons and enrich your record collection? Our Between The Cracks feature might be what you need. We shine a light on lesser-known music genres and hidden gems from across the world right to your ears every Friday. This feature is designed to give you a window into the vast world of music, traversing boundaries and defying mainstream norms. Don’t hesitate to hit the BUY or SHARE button if the music moves you.
Albums
Lea Bertucci – Of Shadows And Substance
Of Shadow and Substance sees New York-based sound artist, composer and saxophonist Lea Bertucci pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Amid Bertucci’s experimental electronics and tape loops, you’ll hear the commonly-heard timbres of cello, harp and double bass as she continues to explore the further reaches of classical music. A fascinating discovery waits.
Skyphone – Oscilla
Danish experimental trio Skyphone returns with their mysterious and magical new album “Oscilla,” a genre-bending journey that blurs the lines between electronic rock, jazz, folk and ambient music. Recorded with meticulous detail, the album alludes to ancient Roman rituals through its oscillating acoustic and electronic textures. Tracks like “Æteren” showcase Skyphone’s talent for evolving soundscapes as soft rains transition into vibrant strings and synths. “Verneand” evokes an ancient, spiritual vibe with heavy guitars and drifting textures. The natural charm lies in Skyphone’s exploration of close-mic’d acoustic instruments like guitar, piano and mandolin, which lend the album an intimate, meditative quality. Standout track “Arbonought” reflects Skyphone’s surrealist fusion of the mechanical and natural. With stunning artwork and additional flourishes in production, “Oscilla” delivers an entrancing electro-acoustic experience. Fans of music that defies genres will be fully immersed in the album’s intricate sonic details and its lush, ethereal soundscapes.
Better Corners – Continuous Miracles, Vol.2
Better Corners, the avant-garde trio of drummer Valentina Magaletti, avant-rocker Sarah Register, and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Simms, takes listeners on a hypnotic genre-hopping journey with their latest release, Continuous Miracles, Vol. 2. Spanning six tracks and styles from experimental rock to ambient to dream pop, the album captivates from the warped Bananarama cover “Modulating De Niro” to the epic 16-minute machine dub mind-trip “Career Test.” The eerie industrial gamelan of “Cremated Pets” and the intimate, sublime piano closer “Continuous Miracles” showcase the band’s peculiar artistry. With their mastery of this sonic spectrum, Better Corners crafts a profoundly rewarding emotional experience that transcends music to become an artful, genre-bending trip. This is an enriching transcendental listen for those seeking innovative, thought-provoking soundscapes.
Off World – 3
Off World’s new album “3” is a fitting finale to the avant-garde electronic collective’s ambitious trilogy. Led by Sandro Perri, the group continues their singular exploration of improvisational, genre-bending soundscapes. Over five tracks, Off World constructs hypnotic sonic worlds that feel organic yet alien. The opener, “Orientation”, sets a gentle mood with drifting viola strings and warm textures. “Impulse Controller” features Nicole Rampersaud’s smoky trumpet intertwining sublimely with bubbling synths and dub rhythms. “Ludic Loop” is the immersive centrepiece, with Perri’s minimal piano anchoring a two-step groove embellished by fuzzy guitar and electronics flourishes. Closer “Empasse” swirls with heavily processed textures, a poignant farewell. While persisting with Off World’s signature surrealism, the increased acoustic instrumentation and improvisation inject touches of human elements. This synthesis highlights the emotional resonance within these futuristic soundscapes. Off World has ventured further out with each volume while retaining a vulnerable core. “3” is the crowning achievement, an engrossing, poetic voyage through lush interstellar landscapes.
Saint Abdullah & Eomac – Chasing Stateless
Saint Abdullah & Eomac’s latest masterpiece explores revolutionary possibilities within sound and sonic storytelling. Middle Eastern rhythm, rusty polyrhythms, distorted drums, haunting Iranian vocals and more intertwine in this seriously innovative collection. ‘Experts Defeating Experts’, ‘Pretense of Neutrality’, ‘Sag Masab’, ‘Sunday Painter’ and ‘Lonely is our Non-Existent House Yard’ are undeniable highlights among the many gems. Chasing Stateless shows off the trio’s impressive production language. We had high hopes for this one – easily exceeded.
Thysenterprise – Essential
Whenever he drops new music, Reinier Thijs, or Thysenterprise, is someone we always pay attention to. The talented music producer and multi-instrumentalist expertly combines the intricacies of jazz improvisation with the textural experimentation of hip-hop and electronic production on his new album. Across the album, he creates a seamless fusion of different musical styles, resulting in a truly innovative and essential listen, as the title suggests!
EP’s
June McDoom – With Strings
On this beautiful, crisp winter morning, the gentle and dreamy notes from my speakers, a gift from June McDoom, bring warmth to my chilly bones. Great work from McDoom as she strips down her sound and gifts us with four minimal folk tracks, with my fave being her lovely rendition of “Black is the Color”. It was a pleasure to begin my day with this beauty.
Singles
Awen Ensemble – She Moves Through The Fair / Over The Lake
Having fallen in love with their earlier singles, I’m once again enchanted with the Awen Ensemble and their stirring rendition of ‘She Moves Through The Fair’, accompanied by the equally gorgeous ‘Over The Lake’, out via New Soil.
