Hey good poeple, welcome to your new Between The Cracks selection. Once again, the end of the week brings new and noteworthy underground releases that should be on your radar. So, without further ado, dive in for audio goodness from Or Kantor, Scientist, Radius Etc, Ambient Jazz Ensemble and more. As always, enjoy the music, and support artists and labels.
Albums
Or Kantor – Sarda Sarda
Sarda Sarda marks the debut album from Or Kantor. He is a renowned tattoo artist, and this album is his first step in releasing music. Or Kantor had a fateful meeting with Johnny Sharoni (Garden City Movement and A&R at Anova). Impressed by his demos, Sharoni signed Or Kantor for his debut album. Across twelve tracks, Or Kantor combines surf music with Mediterranean ballads, i.e. “Surfterranean,” for this fusion fest. Each track takes listeners to a unique reality. From psychedelic “Fata morgana Of A Black Jaguar” to moody and atmospheric “Primavera D’oro”, Or Kantor offers twelve different worlds to explore.
Scientist – Direct-to-Dub
Scientist, aka Hopeton Overton Brown, is one of the most prominent names in the dub music scene. Known as “Dub Chemist,” Scientist’s latest release is Direct-to-Dub, showcasing what five decades of experience can bring forth. Scientist is one of the forefathers who transformed the dub mix into a form of art. He rounded up a squad of stellar musicians for this six-track session for Night Dreamer. This includes vocalist Donovan Kingjay, Jah Shaka keyboardist Greg Assing, saxophonist Finn Peters, trombonist Salvoandrea Lucifora, and more. Tracks like “Tribute to King George”, “Missing You”, and “Cosmic Dust” show off Scientist’s seasoned engineering skills.
Radius Etc – Infinite Roots Vol.2
“Infinite Roots Vol.2” is the latest album by producer and performer Ramon Norwood, aka Radius or Radius Etc. With roots in Chicago, Radius has always been musically versatile. After the first volume, he returns after two decades of honing his skills. Making music is his own way of soothing his soul. He describes himself as a nomad, and both his life and musical style reflect his core values for freedom as a human and an artist. This nomadic philosophy and improvisational style are palpable in his tracks such as “Whatupjoe Whatupdoe”, “Free Jazz From A Black Box”, and “Space March DUB.” Crank up the volume and dance till dawn.
Nicole Mitchell and Ballaké Sissoko – Bamako*Chicago Sound System
Bamako*Chicago Sound System is a spellbinding collaboration between flautist Nicole Mitchell and Kora master Ballaké Sissoko. This cross-cultural summit beautifully intertwines Mitchell’s Afrofuturist vision with Sissoko’s innovative integration of guitar stylings into the ancient kora tradition. The haunting opener, “Bamako Chicago,” immediately transports the listener, with Mitchell’s ethereal flute dancing around Sissoko’s hypnotic kora lines. Mitchell and Sissoko are trailblazers in their respective genres, defying conventions while honouring their roots. Mitchell’s cosmic compositions draw from her tenure as AACM chair. At the same time, Sissoko’s pieces reflect his role as a musical ambassador for Mali’s capital Bamako. Yet their collaborative spirit shines through, forging an organic, familial bond with the stellar ensemble. Standouts include the groove-laden “Spicy Jambalaya,” propelled by Joshua Abrams’ bubbling bass lines and JoVia Armstrong’s polyrhythmic percussion. The epic “This Moment” is a tour-de-force, with Mitchell and Sissoko improvising rapturously over the simmering groove. Vocalists Fatim Kouyate and Mankwe Ndosi add soaring melismas, transporting the listener to a higher plane. Mitchell proclaims this album represents “a much-needed unity in this dystopian world we live in.” Indeed, Bamako*Chicago Sound System is a profound statement of musical synergy across cultures, genres and generations. An essential, boundary-defying masterpiece.
Keanu Nelson – Wilurarrakutu
Keanu Nelson’s “Wilurarrakutu” is a haunting, minimalist gem from the remote Australian outback. The young Aboriginal artist hails from Papunya, an artistically fertile community northwest of Alice Springs, where he paints in the renowned Western Desert style. On this debut album, Nelson’s plaintive vocals shift between his native Papunya Luritja and English as he sings poetic ruminations on family, home, and loss over sparse Casio keyboard lines and rudimentary drum machine beats. Collaborating with producer Yuta Matsumura, Nelson has crafted an aesthetic that feels both warmly familiar and utterly alien. The gospel-tinged harmonies and reggae-influenced rhythms circulating through Aboriginal communities via USB trading merge with the stark, insular tones of a solitary artist working in profound isolation. The effect is akin to Francis Bebey’s eclectic folk meeting Suicide’s confrontational minimalism, filtered through the lens of today’s self-released Soundcloud experimentalists. Standouts like the melancholic “Wati Kutju” and simmering “Watjilpa Wiyangu” showcase Nelson’s gift for haunting, hypnotic melodies that lodge in the subconscious. But it’s the pervasive sense of loneliness and yearning that lingers most powerfully. “Wilurarrakutu” is a strikingly original work from one of Earth’s most remote artistic voices—a poignant, deeply moving dispatch that demands to be heard.
EP’s
Ambient Jazz Ensemble – Spirit Dance
Ambient Jazz Ensemble is a project of British composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Colin Baldry. This genius composer boasts a highly accomplished career in writing and producing music for renowned labels like Motown, Geffen, Virgin & Capitol Records. In AJE, Baldry’s experience of 25 years of composing has blessed him with the ability to generate idea after idea. Adding that with his access to working with world-class orchestras, it is evident why his music is regarded as “cinematic storytelling.” Rotary Connection’s “I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun” is the star of this project, featuring Donna Gardier as vocalist—this iteration of the track attempts to celebrate the wonder of humanity.
