Isaac de Martin, making his debut as IKE, delivers a spellbinding blend of jazz, electronics, and world music that’s as fluid and enchanting as the Nile, seamlessly sidestepping any simple labels.

The Italian-born, classically-trained guitarist found inspiration during pandemic-era travels to Egypt, where he absorbed the country’s reverent relationship with music as life’s essential accompaniment. This cultural immersion birthed an album that mirrors Egypt’s central metaphor: water as life force.

Recorded at Berlin’s Big Snuff Studios using all-analog equipment, On Higher Dreams wraps contemporary synths in vintage warmth reminiscent of ’70s production. The result feels both timeless and thoroughly modern, cinematic soundscapes that breathe with organic spontaneity.

Nilo captures the river’s pulse with hypnotic precision, while Sidda journeys upstream to Ethiopian headwaters, weaving traditional melodies into IKE’s cosmopolitan vision. Risorgini pays homage to Italian film composer Giuliano Sorgini through experimental Afro-fusion textures. Another outstanding cut is Clay, a mesmerisingly distinctive piece of dub jazz magic.

This is contemplative music for restless souls, an invitation to surrender to life’s natural currents and discover transcendence in acceptance.