We’re back to present you with our latest Between The Cracks – our guide to the essential music you need to be listening to this weekend. This week’s servings offers an eclectic mix of balearic pop, electronic funk, tape-sped piano, among many other impressive styles. Take your time, sit back, relax your mind, and hopefully your musical taste buds will tingle as you discover your next new favourite to add to your ever growing collection. Enjoy.
Albums
TALsounds – Shift
“Shift,” a piece by TALsounds, is a splendid musical gem that comes alive beautifully when listened to and enjoyed as a single piece of music. The sound showcased in the nine tracks has a distinctive coherence and consistency that brings out her unique voice. However, the variety of styles and improvisation adds a delightful uniqueness to every individual track. This penchant for improvisation adds a touch of unpredictability and a dash of charming character to TALsounds’ identity.
Nick Schofield – Ambient Ensemble
Should you find yourself by yourself today, consider allowing the tape-sped piano rhythms and classic synth sounds of the Roland Juno-6 and Moog Prodigy played by Nick Schofield to keep you entertained. In this album, he enriches the mix by introducing grounding double bass, captivating fretless slides, cosy violin, gentle vocals, and friendly touches of clarinet. Not a duff tune in sight on this quality album for Backward Music.
Delasi – Audacity of Free Thought
The Audacity of Free Thought” is an eclectic triumph from Ghana’s Delasi, fusing electronic funk and indigenous influences with courageous lyricism. Delasi has long pushed sonic boundaries in Accra’s underground, and this 5-track EP marks a breakthrough into more daring territory. Energetic openers “Agbe Dzidzi” and “Amplifier” set an exploratory tone, while the optimistic “Perception” affirms self-belief. Throughout, Delasi manoeuvres confessional themes and repetitive phrases to craft an intimate protest album confronting industry trials and societal oppression. The title track fully captures his “audacity of free thought,” blending heady electronics with uplifting calls-to-arms. Similarly, “Learn From Adversity” highlights Delasi’s knack for experimentation with electronic jazz flavours and traditional Ghanaian accents. For listeners craving fresh auditory frontiers, Delasi’s layered narratives and genre-bending productions make “The Audacity of Free Thought” a worthy sonic investment. This is a statement release from a breakthrough talent.
Jaze Baqti – A Quest Called Love
One of our top discoveries back in 2015 was the elusive and prolific French producer Jaze Baqti. He has developed a truly unique sound, drawing influence from jazz, electronic, funk, experimental hip-hop, and soul. His passion and devotion to the vibrant world of hip-hop are brilliantly showcased in his latest magnum opus. With meticulous attention to detail, every beat, every sample, and every groove feels fresh and new. So, put those headphones on, hit the play button, and enjoy.
Dina Ögon – Orion
Any self-respecting fan of Balearic pop and dreamy psyche rock should have a copy of Dina Ögon’s sublime second album ‘Oas’; the Swedish quartet dropped that lovely piece of earworm early last year. Now they’re back with their third album; it will delight diehard fans and undoubtedly win them many new admirers. ‘Orion’ is one of those timeless albums you can listen to anytime, anywhere.
Reissues
Kuusumun Profeetta – Jatkuvasti Maailmaa Pelastamaan Kyllästynyt Supersankari
After making a remarkable entry with their debut album, Kuusumun Profeetta delved even more intensively into the craft of composing fresh music and penning innovative lyrics. Consequently, their second album is a monumental release in the Finnish music landscape in the early 2000s.
Svitlana Nianio – Lisova Kolekciya
Deploying her siren-like vocals and a Casio MT-200 to create otherworldly minimal folk compositions, with a pinch of mythology thrown in for good measure, Svitlana Nianio produced this timeless classic that is a real treat for the ears. Created back in 1995, then brought to the world in 2017, and given a fresh lease of life in 2023, all while maintaining a distinctive rhythm as we bask in its magic in 2024.
EP’s
Diggs Duke – Patiently, We Bloom
Diggs Dukes’ latest EP, Patiently, We Bloom, beautifully speaks to perseverance’s unyielding power and conveys an uplifting message of hope for a more harmonious future with our magnificent planet.
