This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors Words By Shoaib and Irfan Ayaan.
Each week at Twistedsoul, we showcase the finest new releases from across the globe. We scour Between The Cracks to bring you new albums that might have flown under your radar. This week, we’re highlighting new albums from Roomer, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, Amir Bresler and more. Lend an ear to the music, and if it strikes a chord, show some love to the artists and labels by supporting them.
Albums
Roomer – Leaving It All to Chance
The debut album “Leaving It All to Chance” by Berlin-based trio Roomer appears to surrender to destiny, yet its musical expression remains wholly active. Guitar-driven intensity animates the album, blending overwhelming noise with soft melodies into music that creates both delicate and aggressive sounds. Roomer creates music that exists between shoegaze, post-rock and art-pop while developing emotional intensity that pulls listeners deep into their sound. The album starts with “2003” as it combines hazy sonic textures with muted vocal elements, allowing listeners to experience Roomer’s artistic approach through his tender yet abstract musical themes. Throughout “Stolen Kisses” the album reaches a high point when its operatic tune joins powerful lyrics to slice through the feedback and reveal sensitive emotions. Shoegaze often drifts into the ether of indistinct soundscapes, and the recent single, ’Chance’, basks in its ethereal glow. The track, which serves as the eponymous piece, is a masterclass in marrying the haunting beauty of sound with the weighty introspection of lyrical exploration. Roomer avoids being spontaneous or strictly controlled yet showcases an intuitive direction that creates precision through meaningful spontaneity. The trio have made an audacious first offering that crosses heartbreak themes with sonic exploration and abstract elements. – WBS
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali – At the Feet of the Beloved
At the Feet of the Beloved, the latest offering from Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, is a transcendent journey into the heart of devotional music. The nephews of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan carry on their uncle’s legacy with grace and fervour, delivering a collection that is both deeply rooted in tradition and refreshingly contemporary. The album’s sound is a mesmerising blend of soaring vocals, hypnotic harmonium, and pulsating tabla rhythms. Rizwan and Muazzam’s voices intertwine with passionate intensity, creating a sonic tapestry that is at once joyous and achingly beautiful. The arrangements are refined yet retain the raw energy that is the hallmark of Qawwali music. Standout tracks include Meherban, which showcases the group’s ability to build tension and release with masterful precision, and Yaar Da Muhallah, a 12-minute epic that takes listeners on a spiritual odyssey. The production, helmed by Rashid Ahmed Din, perfectly balances clarity and warmth, allowing the music’s inherent power to shine. – IA
Amir Bresler – Tide & Time
Drummer Amir Bresler, pianist Nitai Hershkovits, and producer Rejoicer unite their talents to create the collaborative work Tide & Time. The trio creates musical pieces that honour the simplicity of Ahmad Jamal’s music alongside Galt MacDermot’s instrumentals. The album launches with ‘Song For Leon’, which starts a reflective atmosphere that flows throughout the entire recording. The second piece, ‘Line Down’, sounds so easy on the ear it may appear as if it wrote itself naturally. Bresler found value in the concept behind “less is more” as the drums became less audible throughout the music. The musicians demonstrate their talent and chemistry by playing intricate rhythms on ‘Wéwé’. The interplay on ‘Granny’s Chair’ demonstrates the exceptional connection between piano and drums as the band creates intricate musical relationships. This album’s still flying under the review radar, but if you love it, go on and spread the word! – CFS
Rahel Talts – New and Familiar
In her New and Familiar album, upcoming jazz pianist and composer Rahel Talts from Estonia offers a musical assortment featuring jazz, pop, and fusion elements. To kick things off, ‘Meie Elu’ delivers lyrics in Estonian, connecting with Talts’ cultural heritage. Talts employs an acoustic piano and an electric keyboard throughout the album to create charming melodies with catchy rhythmic patterns. Through songs like “Restless” and ‘Bella Center’, Talts demonstrates her skill in uniting classical jazz structures with modern musical elements while keeping the listening experience new but comforting. In the ‘Conversations’ series, Talts explores musical dialogues through four parts, which develop into a narrative sequence. Talts concludes the album concept by combining all essential elements in the title track, representing her innovative compositional methods. Through her album, Talts presents her mastery of technical skills and her gift of narrating musical stories that distinguish it from current jazz releases. With this electrifying album, she seems poised to become the new go-to for bold and adventurous jazz. – CFS
Dustin Wong – Gloria
Dustin Wong pays tribute to his late grandmother, Gloria Violet Lee Wong, through the musical work Gloria by drawing musical ideas from their shared journey along the West Coast regions in 2023. Experimental guitars and ambient textures emerge in a perfectly connected way to build a sound space which recreates the actual experiences and geographical locations of their travel. The album begins with “Morning Roses” to establish its mood using atmospheric sound loops and multi-layered melodies that recreate the tranquillity of morning light. Wong creates “Memories of Cordelia” by combining surf guitar and Hawaiian slide elements to produce avant-exotica atmospherics representing the coastal drive memory. Throughout the album, Wong presents his innovative guitar techniques while shifting his musical style through compositions that mix synths with samples. Wong integrates these musical elements perfectly in “Archangel Michael and the Pacific”, providing listeners with a meditative musical experience tied to oceanic vastness. Through Gloria, Wong reveals his mastery in translating personal memories into public sonic experiences, allowing listeners to experience a deep and wide-ranging journey. -WBS
Mytron & Zongamin – Congregate
In Congregate, Mytron and Zongamin unite to craft an eclectic blend of mind-altering disco and interdimensional dub. The artists implement leftfield outernationalistic elements by uniting tribal elements with field recordings while adding synthesized animal sounds that play over exotic hand percussion. The final auditory production creates an innovative musical landscape beyond ordinary musical categories. The duo’s innovative approach becomes evident through their songs “Arboretum” and “Conjunction With Reality”. The musical offering “Arboretum” guides listeners through an auditory forest landscape with its rhythmic hand percussion sounding alongside ethereal synth features that produce an entrancing musical rhythm. The experimental song “Conjunction With Reality” merges 8-bit sampling with vintage synth jamming that passes through spring reverbs and digital delay effects, transporting the music back to a retro 80s sound. The collaborative project started during lockdowns and centred its mission on promoting positive energy while the creators united across continents. Mytron and Zongamin combine their musical skills to produce a joyful musical collaboration beyond their individual contributions. Cross-cultural collaboration produces Congregate as proof of how powerful collaboration becomes when it unites cultures through music. -WBS
