Back at it with a shiny new Between The Cracks roundup, highlighting fresh and noteworthy releases across a smorgasbord of genres. This week, we’re featuring free jazz improvisation, experimental electroacoustic, progressive electronic, avant folk and more. Discover some new releases you’ll love—and get that clickin’ finger ready for the buy button! Enjoy the music, and more importantly, it’s Bandcamp Friday so put your ££££ directly into the pockets of artists and labels.

Albums

Bartosz Kruczyński – Dreams & Whispers

Dreams & Whispers, an aptly named creation, emerges from the mind of Warsaw’s Bartosz Kruczyński, who also moonlights under aliases like Earth Trax, Pejzaż, and The Phantom. The Dream half of the record grooves with understated rhythms that effortlessly whisk you away, while the Whisper side opts for a gentler touch, weaving delicate textures that beckon you to lean in and listen intently. Dreams & Whispers is a dual experience that will entice your spirit and soothe your soul, with Kruczyński’s multifaceted genius on full display.

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Evelyn Glennie, Owen Gardner, John Edwards, Bex Burch – Tangled Goodbye

Picture this: two percussion wizards with hands faster than a caffeinated cheetah, a bass player who makes his instrument sing like a thousand-voice choir, and a guitarist-cellist hybrid who’s so avant-garde, even Picasso would say, “Whoa, that’s out there.” This eclectic crew assembled for a spontaneous live session at Café OTO that defies the confines of normalcy. The quartet of Dame Evelyn Glennie, Bex Burch, John Edwards, and Owen Gardner inject every beat and note with enough creativity to make even the most sceptical listener’s jaw drop. Expect rhythmic battles, bass lines that groove hard, and sonic explorations that traverse uncharted musical galaxies.

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Eyes of the Amaryllis – The Show Must Go Under

Grab your headphones and immerse yourselves in the latest endeavour, “The Show Must Go Under,” which emerges from the creative minds of Eyes of the Amaryllis. Throwing accessibility and convention out the window, this trio plays a sonic game of cat and mouse with your expectations. Throughout six slow-burning tracks, they gleefully tinker with song structures, contort time signatures, and juggle rhythms like musical mad scientists. Each track evolves methodically, weaving intricate layers and unexpected twists that compel you to listen closely.

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Accra Quartet – Gbɛfalɔi (Travelers)

The earlier collaboration between Ghanaian trombonist Elikplim Kofi and American guitarist Nathaniel Braddock motivated the creation of the Accra Quartet and the release of the album “Gbɛfalɔi.” The quartet consists of Nii Addotey Brown Asalasu, Elikplim Amewode Kofi, Nathaniel Braddock, and Daniel Tettey Black. All four are part of a vital live music space in Accra, where contemporary music predominantly features a blend of afrobeat, electric gospel, and highlife. The Accra Quartet hailed from this nurturing environment, and their music bears this mark but with an avant-garde slant. Listeners will experience vivid portrayals of modern free-flowing jazz of Ghana that explores the boundary of African music in pieces “Abɔmmɔfo”, “Korle Gonno”, and the title cut. The playing, vocals, and energy are all top-notch. Enjoy the ride!

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Tupas – Atisbo

Atisbo is the debut album from the quartet Tupas. Based in Mexico City, it consists of four talented musicians in the contemporary Mexican jazz music scene. Meet the ensemble: Germán Bringas on tenor and soprano sax, Arturo Báez holding it down on upright bass, Gibrán Andrade multitasking on drums and vocals, and Jarrett Gilgore bringing the heat on alto saxophone. This album features four improvised live recordings of the quartet, which they performed live at Batería Estudio in 2021. It is truly a euphoric experience having Mexico City legends Bringas and Andrade alongside two dynamic players. How tightly this group grooves can be heard in the lead track “Al Polvo”. This one drops on 13th September via Astral Spirits.

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Max Graef – Natural Element 

“Natural Element” is the latest release from the mind of Berlin-based German producer Max Graef. Max has showcased his unique and varied take on music on each of his albums. This third offering expands on his influences and approach. ‘Natural Element’ evolved from the “natural” process of confronting the limitations that come from stagnation and conformism. With that in mind, each track embraces change and originality. “Sports (Is Good For You),” “Around The Globe”, “Gaza International Airport”, and the title cut are stellar exemplars of this musical magic.

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Gryphon Rue – 4n_ Objx

4n_Objx is the third album by Brooklyn composer and interdisciplinary artist Gryphon Rue. As the great-grandson of Alexander Calder, a prominent American sculptor, Rue is a true artist at the core. As an artist of sounds, Rue plays with them exactly like how a painter plays with colours and strokes in his paintings. Rue’s out-of-ordinary approach to conceptualising musical ideas and flawless materialisation of those ideas separates him from his peers, and this album is proof of that. “High Priestess”, “Split-level Mirage”, “Alluvials” and “Rake’s Progress” – tracks like these are bound to open up a whole new world of extraterrestrial soundscape for the listeners. 4n_Objx is a breath of fresh air with a twist that steers clear of the overdone and obvious.

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