We’re back with another Between The Cracks selection featuring essential releases from across the spectrum – this week, ambient art-pop, avant-garde electronics, experimental jazz, abstract sound collages and more. Hopefully, you’ll stumble upon some new favourites that’ll have your finger twitching over the buy button. Check out our picks below!
Albums
HiriHara – Khayin
Inspired by their Mediterranean roots, HiraHira’s new album marks a significant shift in their musical journey. Moving away from the previous styles of their work as XJ, HiriHara’s sonic tapestry weaves cinematic soundscapes, intricate percussion arrangements, and thunderous basslines, effortlessly traversing from evocative sound design to jungle-infused rhythms. Each track on the album weaves a complex patchwork of sound, reflecting the artist’s journey and evolution, making for a standout debut album.
Sissi Rada – Aporia
Lovely ambient art-pop vibes from the harpist, composer, singer and producer Sissi Makropoulou for her Sissi Rada project. Although Sissy Rada began as a duo, with the release of this album, Makropoulou is on her solo journey now. On Aporia, she has meticulously crafted a profound record using what was at her disposal – a Prophet synth, delicate tones, and harp. Her music is unassuming and unpretentious yet intricate and intimate. On this album, her compositions sound seemingly minimal but brim with emotion and colour.
Nightports w/Matthew Bourne- Dulcitone 1804
This album is something quite different from what we have seen so far from Nightports. “Dulcitone 1804” is the fourth collaborative album by Nightports, and this fourth installation features multi-instrumentalist Matthew Bourne, who played a 19th-century keyboard instrument dulcitone. The timbre of dulcitone is unusually evocative. On this album, Bourne has brought out the intrinsic ethereal sound that this instrument is capable of. Moreover, the electronic texture that Nightports has laid under, by morphing the sounds created by the featured artist, is a perfect petri dish for the dulcitone to grow into. This second collaboration between Nightports and Bourne is one of the year’s standout works in terms ofwriting and production.
The Green Kingdom – Horizons
Picture a serene meadow where sunlight flirts with dewdrops and whispers flow through the grass. That’s the world The Green Kingdom crafts in his album “Horizons.” Bath your senses in ambient, lush melodies, where each track unfurls like a gently rolling landscape, meticulously crafted to evoke introspection and a serene escape from the tumult of everyday life. Wander into “Horizons” and discover a sonic sanctuary where soft guitar picks meet subtle electronics, beckoning you to lose yourself in its verdant embrace. Released on the ever-excellent Slow Music Movement label.
Tim Koh and Sun An – Salt And Sugar Look The Same
Tim Koh and Sun An’s collaborative album “Salt And Sugar Look The Same” is a dreamlike, hallucinatory journey into American Primitivism. These 18 succinct compositions melt finger-picked guitars with warped electronics and samples, refracted through the unique lens of the Korean-American artists. Koh is a veteran L.A multi-instrumentalist and visual artist, while Sun An is a graphic designer and self-released musician, both steeped in the cultural complexities of their shared identity. Though the collaborators were separated between L.A and Berlin during the album’s yearlong gestation, their musical dialogue speaks volumes. The hazy, incense-scented tracks play like ephemeral vessels carrying the essence of faded memories. Highlights include the meditative “Incense Holder”, with its shimmering guitar refrains, and the hypnotic “Somewhere In Time”, where looped motifs unspool into transcendent reveries. On “Sandalwood In The Summer” and “Old Plates And Desirable Traits”, Koh and Sun An conjure the faded sepia tones of nostalgic reminiscence. It’s a deeply introspective, emotionally resonant collection that lingers like the last wisps of incense smoke.
Francesco Fonassi – Quasai
Quasai, the latest offering from Italian sound artist Francesco Fonassi, is a mesmerizing voyage into the realms of avant-garde electronics and hypnagogic ambience. Hailing from the vibrant Spettro community in Brescia, Fonassi invites listeners to immerse themselves in a constantly evolving sonic landscape. The album’s overall sound is a seamless blend of cubistic entanglements and hypnotic rhythms, casting an aural spell akin to a raging storm at sea. Synths ebb and flow like waves while disembodied voices echo in the distance, creating an atmosphere of otherworldly pareidolia. Standout tracks like “Twist or Waltz” and “Quasai” exemplify Fonassi’s mastery of crafting immersive, trance-inducing soundscapes. The former’s pulsating rhythms and ethereal textures transport the listener to a liminal space, while the latter’s extended duration allows for a deeper exploration of the album’s nautical themes. Ultimately, Quasai is a captivating sonic odyssey that demands to be experienced in its entirety. Fonassi’s avant-garde sensibilities and commitment to fostering a vibrant experimental community shine through, making this album a must-listen for fans of boundary-pushing electronic music.
