This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors Arifur Rahman, Words By Shoaib, Neil G 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 may have flown under your radar. This week, we’re highlighting new albums from Betamax, Hector Plimmer, Moin, Joe Armon Jones 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
Betamax – Crumbs
On Crumbs, Betamax (aka Maxwell Hallett) trades his drum kit for a sampler and dives headfirst into raw, rhythm-driven experimentation. This seven-track EP is a genre-bending journey through cumbia, electronica, UK jazz, and dusty machine funk, all stitched together with nostalgic flair and bold, DIY energy. The opener, ‘Ice Cream Monday,’ sets the tone with playful, jagged loops. At the same time, ‘Cumbia Killer’ lives up to its name, an ecstatic, chaotic collision of Latin groove and electronic crunch. It’s the kind of track that feels like it might fall apart at any moment but holds its centre through sheer momentum. Built entirely on an audio sampling device, Crumbs feels like Betamax riffing with his teenage self, embracing imperfection, analogue textures, and frenetic collage. The cassette release (limited to just 30 copies) adds to the lo-fi charm and tactile appeal. Crumbs isn’t polished, but that’s its power. It’s a vibrant, inventive collection that rewards curious ears and open minds. – WBS
Gabriel Brady – Day-blind
Day-blind opens like a fever dream, dissolving into consciousness, immediately establishing Gabriel Brady as a compelling new voice in ambient music. This Virginia-born Harvard student draws inspiration from French New Wave cinema scores and the works of impressionist composers, crafting intimate soundscapes in his Cambridge dorm room. Brady’s approach combines organic instrumentation, including Greek bouzouki, piano, and violin, with modular synthesis and tape manipulation, resulting in a distinctly lo-fi aesthetic. The album navigates the tension between everyday melancholy and transcendent peace across seven carefully constructed vignettes. Womb mesmerises with its textural synth swells and dreamlike piano interludes, while Land and Sea showcases the bouzouki’s cinematic yearning, echoing Jean Constantin’s film work. Attune brilliantly defamiliarises acoustic sources through electronic processing, blurring the lines between organic and synthetic. Brady transforms mundane experience into something profound, channelling post-modern nostalgia through hazy delays and contemplative melodies. Day-blind announces an artist capable of finding the extraordinary within the ordinary, essential listening for ambient music devotees. – IA
Joe Armon-Jones – All The Quiet Part II
Joe Armon-Jones delivers a masterclass in genre fusion with All The Quiet Part II, proving his evolution from band member to visionary bandleader. The London-based keyboardist has carved out a distinctive niche within the UK’s thriving jazz renaissance, and this self-produced opus showcases his complete artistic control. Armon-Jones weaves together jazz, funk, dub, hip-hop, and soul into a cohesive sonic tapestry that feels both contemporary and timeless. The album’s expansive sound benefits from stellar collaborations, particularly Another Place featuring Greentea Peng and Wu-Lu, where ethereal vocals float over hypnotic rhythms and Armon-Jones’ signature keyboard textures. War Transmission stands as the album’s epic centrepiece, building from meditative beginnings into a powerful statement that demonstrates his compositional maturity. This second instalment of his ambitious two-part project confirms Armon-Jones as one of Britain’s most compelling musical voices, seamlessly bridging jazz tradition with urban innovation. – AR
Hector Plimmer – Infinity Mirrors
‘Infinity Mirrors’, the newest release of the talented musician Hector Plimmer, is not just any ordinary album. Through each song, Infinity Mirrors tells the tale of a beautiful transformation of Hector’s musical journey, eventually leading to the creation of a stunning album. Navigating through life’s trials and exploring collaborations with numerous musicians, Infinity Mirrors is packed to the brim with emotion and intensity manifested from pure creativity. Mashing together spiritual jazz, soul, electronics, and experimental music, Infinity Mirrors is Hector’s finest work to date. The album effortlessly offers listeners a glimpse into his musical persona and passion for the craft. – NG
EP’s
Sampology – Ripen Vol. 1
Sampology is an artist who creates music as a beacon of healing and hope, just what we all need to combat the madness of this topsy-turvy world with a dose of good vibes. His new EP delivers the good feels in spades. Woven with the threads of deep house, electronic, hip hop and samba, Ripen Vol. 1 feels tailor-made for warm days and balmy nights. The opener ‘Morning Sun’ sets the tone , delivering the soundtrack for daybreaks filled with optimism, built on a foundation of vocal chants and vibraphone rhythms that pay homage to the legendary Roy Ayers. On ‘Ripened’, things take on a meditative step as soulful orchestration gently drifts alongside the delicate spoken word of NMMWL, a South Sudanese-Australian poet, activist, and artist, who explores themes of identity and transformation. In another corner of the music world, ‘Marigolds for Movement’ stands tall, staying true to its name with a mix of conga beats, strings, horns, 303 basslines, and otherworldly synth chords, delivering a sunny, acid-infused vibe. Highly enjoyable and well worth your time. – CFS
Moin – Belly Up
With Belly Up, Moin continues to push the limits of experimental rock, delivering a jagged, fascinating EP that feels both loose and surgically precise. The six-track project builds on their previous work, You Never End, but carves a slightly more chaotic path, melding post-punk urgency with jazz flourishes and abstract textures. The opener, ‘See’, is a highlight, featuring Sophia Al-Maria’s whispered spoken word alongside Ben Vince’s winding saxophone. It’s dense, cinematic, and full of eerie tension. Later, ‘X.U.Y.’ stands out as a propulsive, restless groove; drums lock in tightly while the guitars scrape and slide around them, evoking a sense of collapse held just at bay. Moin thrives in ambiguity. These aren’t tracks you hum; they’re fragments you feel in your chest. The EP has been described as “delightfully confused,” and that seems apt: it doesn’t seek resolution, only presence. It’s a brief listen, just 19 minutes, but it lingers long after. Belly Up might not be easily categorised, but that’s exactly where its strange brilliance lies. – WBS
