We’re back with another richly diverse selection of releases that takes you off the beaten path, diving deep into the unexplored, yet incredibly enchanting realms of music. This is not about picking the chart-toppers or mainstream hits. Rather, “Between The Cracks” is a nod to the ingenious works that often get overlooked, the gems that fall – so to speak – between the cracks. Read our mini-guide below, and if you like what you hear, click the links to support the artists. Happy listening folks!
Albums
Amaro Freitas – Y’Y
‘Y’Y’ is the latest genre-bending album from Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas, known for blending Brazilian traditional music with modern jazz. He goes beyond the existing boundary of Brazilian jazz and brings forth a “decolonized” interpretation of it. This thoughtful exploration of jazz is a homage to the forest, the Amazon in particular, and the rivers of northern Brazil. ‘Y’Y’ is a textbook example of a fateful collaboration between Freitas and numerous artists of the contemporary jazz scene, such as Jeff Parker, Shabaka Hutchings, and Brandee Younger. I love this album; it’s a certified classic.
Mo Kolours – Original Flow: Chapter Two
Joseph Deenmamode, aka Mo Kolours, has once again outdone himself with his latest album, ‘Original Flow: Chapter Two’. After moving to Japan, the prodigious artist takes a whole new route to growing as a musician. This album is him voicing his introspection on his place and identity. Nonetheless, this project is undoubtedly a continuation of Mo Kolours’ signature style of music. Experimentation, exploration, and improvisation are still the defining characteristics of this album. However, his newfound insights on empowerment, overcoming adversity, and mental liberation are what differentiates ‘Original Flow’ from his earlier works.
Jahari Massamba Unit – YHWH is LOVE
Jahari Massamba Unit is a collaboration between two eminent modern artists, Madlib and Karriem Riggins. ‘YHWH is LOVE’ is the second album from the duo. A flawless fusion of creativity and artistic freedom is the foundation of this duo, which is at full display in this album, as it was in their debut album, ‘Pardon My French,’ released in 2020. This has everything a modern jazz-funk album should have: improvisation, syncopation, and polyrhythm. What sets it apart from other releases is the incorporation of Afro-Brazilian percussion and extensive experimentation on sound, dynamics and production. Jahari Massamba Unit is all about moving forward and crafting masterful music one after another, and this album is a testament to that.
Al Fajer Group – Al Fajer (The Dawn) فرقة الفجر الفلسطينية
This enriching and soul-reaching Al Fajer Group album adds warmth to our Friday night. We’re confident their songs celebrating Palestinian unity and liberation will resonate with you as deeply as they do with us. “Al Fajer (The Dawn) فرقة الفجر الفلسطينية” signifies the band’s first foray into vinyl with original music that has never been released before. With an abundance of beautiful melodies and a deep expression of instruments, Al Fajer (The Dawn) Arabic: فرقة الفجر الفلسطينية is truly a musical treasure to behold.
Ganavya – like the sky, I’ve been too quiet
Ganavya’s latest album, ‘like the sky i’ve been too quiet’, confronts the notions of self-doubt and societal imposition. But at the same time, Ganavya’s Intricate and undulating traditional Carnatic singing style exudes a sense of liberation and growth in each of the songs of this record. Ganavya collaborated with several other musicians for this album, including Shabaka Hutchings, producers Floating Points and Leafcutter John, and bassist Tom Herbert. These musicians added depth and texture to each song with well-timed instrumentation, keeping her blissful voice at the centre. The whole album has a primordial aesthetic, captured perfectly by the flute work and low harmonised humming under Ganavya’s yearning vocal in the closing track, ‘I walk again, eyes towards the Sky’.
Austin Peralta – Endless Planets
For the first time, the fantastic Austin Peralta classic 2011 album for Brainfeeder Records is making its debut on vinyl. Sadly, this gifted musician and composer’s life was cut short, but his legacy continues to inspire.
Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe, & Patrick Shiroishi – Speak, Moment
‘Speak, Moment’ is a collection of five improvised pieces recorded in a single afternoon by the trio of guitarist Dave Harrington, drummer Max Jaffe, and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi. Harrington’s guitar work weaves sublime textures that are punctuated by Shiroishi’s saxophone melodies, and Jaffe’s exquisite yet effortless drumming glues everything together. Speak, Moment explores intuition and spontaneity, which are the core concepts of jazz philosophy and never misses, even for a fraction of a second, to showcase the full range of each member of the trio. For instance, in ‘Dance of the White Shadow and Golden Kite’, we have Shiroishi’s monstrous bebop-esque flurry of jazz lines over Jaffe’s temporal wizardry on drums and cascading sound of dreamy sound effects working in perfect harmony. Each track on this record documents these artists’ immaculate technical prowess without sacrificing their music’s emotional core.
EP’s
Richard Norris – Oracle Sound
Continuing with more dubwise vibrations, Richard Norris drops volume 2 of Oracle Sound. So, lace up your dancing shoes and let Norris guide you through the throbbing riddims and ethereal echoes of dub, all harmoniously intertwined in volume 2 of Oracle Sound. The master is back at the controls and ready to add a little extra rhythm to your day.
