This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors, Words By Shoaib, Neil G, and Benny Thomas.
We’re back with a new Between The Cracks feature. As ever, you’ll find us lurking in the underground, looking to uncover music that falls between the cracks and that sparks wit with fierce originality. From Chip Wickham to Karen Willems, we have six releases that occupy spaces unoccupied by the mainstream and refuse to be neatly pigeonholed into any one genre box. Dive into our latest selection, and if something tickles your eardrums, follow the buy link to make it yours! Enjoy the music, and have a great weekend!
Albums
Chip Wickham – The Eternal Now
On The Eternal Now, Chip Wickham steps confidently into his most adventurous territory yet. The saxophonist and flautist’s fifth studio album is a lush meditation on presence and artistic freedom, blending spiritual jazz and modal hard bop with the soulful warmth that has long defined his voice. Co-produced with Matthew Halsall, the record benefits from a stellar cast, including drummer Luke Flowers and bassist Sneaky, whose grounding grooves give Wickham’s woodwinds room to soar. The opener ‘Drifting’ immediately signals Wickham’s intent; its expansive flute lines float above crisp rhythms, setting a tranquil yet propulsive mood. It’s a track that embodies the album’s theme of surrendering to the moment, pulling listeners into a timeless, reflective space. Later, ‘Falling Deep’ shifts the palette with richer brass tones and a more cinematic sweep, showcasing Wickham’s gift for building emotive tension while keeping everything rooted in groove. With its meditative spirit and elegant phrasing, The Eternal Now feels both expansive and intimate, a career peak for Wickham and a highlight in Gondwana’s catalogue. – WBS
Yoni Mayraz – Dogs Bark Babies Cry
With Dogs Bark Babies Cry, Yoni Mayraz steps boldly into new sonic terrain, crafting an album that feels both urgent and deeply human. Recorded live at the legendary Konk Studios, the follow-up to his acclaimed debut Dybbuk Tse! weaves together 90s hip-hop grit, Middle Eastern textures, and the vintage warmth of 70s jazz-funk trios. Joined by bassist Tom Driessler and drummer Zoe Pascal, plus a cast of inspired guests, Mayraz delivers a dense yet delicate statement on tension, commotion, and release. ‘Darwish Records’ opens the album with swagger. This groove-heavy cut immediately sets the tone, layered keys and tight rhythms locking into something hypnotic yet streetwise. Later, ‘Ice Cold’, featuring rapper Fly Anakin, flips the script with razor-sharp verses cutting through Mayraz’s smoky jazz backdrop, bridging contemporary hip-hop with the improvisational spark of live instrumentation. Throughout, Mayraz demonstrates that he’s unafraid to push boundaries, striking a balance between complexity and accessibility. Dogs Bark Babies Cry is a daring, soulful work that confirms Mayraz as one of the most vital and original voices in modern jazz. – WBS
Karen Willems – A Fool’s Guide to Reality
Belgian drummer/percussionist Karen Willems makes her stunning debut release for Permanent Draft with the new album A Fool’s Guide to Reality. The title befits the music, eccentric and playful, and as Willems explains, “It’s difficult in this world obsessed with productivity and results, and you really have to be crazy to release music these days. So ‘A Fool’s Guide to Reality’ is a fitting title.” Willems draws her inspiration from the hustle and bustle of daily life, diving headfirst into spontaneous compositions without a roadmap or even a hint of the music that might emerge or where she might wander. Small encounters, people, and nature are where Willems finds beauty and the sounds she needs. From the meditative ‘Waterdunen’ to the subtly dynamic ‘A Roll’ from the touching ‘A Ballad, Anywhere, Anytime’ to the outrageously wild ‘Sounds of the Bongo Loco’, Karen Willems is an artist who captivates and creates wonderfully free-flowing experimental music that you can really feel. Another excellent album from the Permanent Draft imprint. – CFS
Rasia K – Affectionately
Raisa K, the London-based songwriter and musician, gracefully steps into the spotlight with her debut album, ‘Affectionately’. This electronic indie pop offering, now available on vinyl, is finally making its way to eager wax collectors after being released digitally earlier this year. Crafted amidst the beautiful chaos of motherhood and urban living in North London, Raisa’s conversational yet poetic lyrics invite listeners into her thoughts without pretence. It’s easy to get lost in her storytelling, as she paints vivid pictures of trust, kindness, doubt, frustration, annoyance, regret, honesty, insecurity, loneliness or friendship; each of the album’s twelve songs lies somewhere in between a diary and a letter. What’s not to like? – NG
Kim Hiorthøy – Ghost Note
Kim Hiorthøy made a striking return earlier this year with ‘Ghost Note’, his first full album in over a decade, released by the Belgian label Blickwinkel. Hiorthøy has long been a quiet yet influential force in contemporary dance, film, and theatre. With ‘Ghost Note’, he brings his artistry to the forefront, crafting an album that blurs the lines between presence and absence, reality and memory. His use of digital technology is masterful; he creates instruments that are both tangible and ethereal. The percussion, for instance, evokes the sound of cheap scrap-metal drums—gritty, raw, and full of character. Yet, there’s a lingering question: are these sounds real, or are they figments of our imagination? This ambiguity is central to the album’s charm. This is a truly outstanding album from an exceptionally talented artist! – BT
Compilations
Various Artists – Pasé Bél Tan – Francophonies and creolities in Louisiana (Compilation + Book)
Cultural engineering platform FLEE comes correct once again with this rare document of songs and words from Louisiana’s Francophone and Creole heritage. Building on their ever-growing legacy, which has seen compilations spanning the vibrant traditional roots of the Benga movement to original archival recordings from Mount Athos and beyond, this compilation brings together a vinyl record and a bilingual book. Take some time to explore this epic 34-track offering, where you’ll discover both lost-to-time music and contemporary pieces. The album is more than just a musical snapshot; it’s an authentic sonic record and, at times, an incredibly moving listening experience. – CFS
