This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors Words By Shoaib, Neil G, Benny Thomas, and Irfan Ayaan.
It’s Friday, so it’s time for another edition of Between The Cracks, full of essential listening. As ever, we pick releases for those who prefer to march to the sound of a different drum, far removed from the predictable mainstream. Check out our latest picks, and if something strikes a chord with you, show your love by clicking the buy or share link. Enjoy the music and support artists and labels.
Albums
Patricia Brennan – Of The Near And Far
On Of The Near And Far, vibraphonist-composer Patricia Brennan transforms celestial geometry into sound, crafting one of the year’s most imaginative large-ensemble works. Drawing on astronomy, jazz, and contemporary chamber music, Brennan maps constellations onto the circle of fifths, discovering harmony within cosmic symmetry. The result is a deeply textured suite that feels both scientific and spiritual, a musical telescope aimed equally at the sky and the soul. The lead single, ‘Antlia’, unfolds like a slow cosmic expansion, with vibraphone pulses orbiting around string glimmers and subtle electronics, evoking the measured breath of the universe. ‘Aquarius’, meanwhile, flows with rhythmic luminosity, its shifting patterns suggesting both water and starlight, guided by John Hollenbeck’s liquid percussion and Sylvie Courvoisier’s crystalline piano. The uptempo grooves of ‘Andromeda’ make it an easy favourite. Elsewhere, ‘Citlalli’ is a real surprise on the album. The piece features improvisations by the ensemble members, based on graphic scores by Brennan of the same name, which have been reworked electronically by turntablist Arktureye. Supported by a stellar ensemble including Miles Okazaki and a whole string quartet, Brennan balances precision and wonder. Every tone feels deliberate, yet full of life’s unpredictability. Of the Near and Far is not just music inspired by the cosmos; it’s an act of translation, turning the patterns of the stars into harmony, order, and quiet awe. – WBS
Cochemea – Vol 3: Ancestros Futuros
Cochemea’s trilogy conclusion represents the most spiritually ambitious and sonically sophisticated entry in his exploration of ancestral memory and indigenous futurism. Recording with an eight-piece ensemble featuring New York percussionists and Daptone’s renowned rhythm section, the saxophonist/flautist of Yaqui and Apache heritage creates a potent synthesis of cosmic jazz, ritual rhythms, and meditative funk. The opening ‘Transmisión del Soñar” serves as a dimensional portal, establishing the album’s dream-guided methodology where melodies emerge from subconscious realms. The title track, ‘Ancestros Futuros’, embodies the album’s central concept: survival as a continuum connecting past and future generations. This is achieved through a composition that shifts from Venezuelan waltz to Mexican Huapango, demonstrating Cochemea’s deep knowledge of Latin American rhythmic traditions. Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded live to 8-track analog tape, the album captures the spontaneous magic of ensemble interplay while maintaining Cochemea’s visionary compositional architecture. Tracks like ‘Pyramid of The Sun’ and ‘Procession of Spirits’ showcase his saxophone work in intimate, expressive realms that bridge ancestral rhythmic traditions with forward-looking jazz harmonies. His distinct voice places him within a lineage of players like Yusef Lateef and Jim Pepper, honouring tradition while expanding possibilities. – IA
Ruby Rushton – Legacy!
It was summer 2015 that I became acquainted with the Tenderlonious-led quartet, Ruby Rushton. With Aidan Shepherd, Nick Walters, and, at the time, Yussef Dayes making up the quartet. Of course, Dayes has since gone solo and won the Best Album Ivor Novello Award last year. Anyway, all the players are names in their own right and have releases worth investigating. For years, Ruby Rushton built their reputation on a “one take” live approach, deliberately avoiding overdubs to capture the raw immediacy of performance. Their latest album, “Legacy!” breaks from this tradition in the most rewarding way possible. Co-written by Tenderlonious (Ed Cawthorne) and keyboardist Shepherd, the album embraces the studio as an instrument, layering horn and flute lines atop the original live takes to create a broader sonic spectrum than ever before heard on a Ruby Rushton album. Recorded over four joyous days in January 2025 at Kent’s Rimshot Studios, the album captures the quartet’s remarkable chemistry and brotherhood, with laughter and camaraderie evident throughout. Standout cuts include ‘Walk to Regio’, ‘La Niña’, the three-part ‘The Theme from Legacy!’ and ‘The Lighthouse’. They may have tweaked the recipe slightly, but the result is nothing short of impressive—a rich, warm sound that maintains the band’s improvisational energy while exploring new textural territories. After fourteen years, Ruby Rushton is still evolving and still having fun. – BT
SML – How You Been
A product of transforming raw and unfiltered improvisation sessions into a cohesive work of musical wonder, How You Been by SML turns live recordings into something carefully crafted and obviously produced with heart and passion. The gifted quintet of Anna Butterss, Jeremiah Chiu, Josh Johnson, Booker Stardrum, and Gregory Uhlmann delights and surprises all over again. As a follow-up to their debut album Small Medium Large, How You Been is an excellent second album for the band, which affirms their talented musicality as a unit. Songs such as ‘Plankton’ and ‘Moving Walkway’ effortlessly showcase the intricacy of the band’s individual strengths, merging different musical elements like Afrobeat and kosmiche to create an album that is as bold as it is intriguingly exciting to listen to on repeat. – NG
R&D – I’ll Send You A Sign
R&D’s debut I’ll Send You A Sign, feels like stepping into a conversation between two people who know each other deeply. Brooklyn harpist Rebecca El-Saleh (Kitba) and guitarist Dan Knishkowy (Adeline Hotel) recorded the album in just two days, capturing seven improvised duets that breathe with trust, tension, and quiet revelation. Producer Philip Weinrobe acted less like an overseer and more like a third participant, shaping the sound in real time without interrupting its spontaneity. The result is music that drifts between ambient haze, psych-folk weight, and classical delicacy, yet never feels confined. ‘Halos Around the Light’ showcases the duo’s gift for atmosphere, as warm guitar and harp blend into each other, occasionally tilting into surreal disorientation before resolving into calm. By contrast, ‘Shadow’s Shadow’ is raw and percussive, as both players physically pound their instruments, transforming serenity into stormy catharsis. I’ll Send You A Sign is less about composition than communion: two voices weaving a language of their own, inviting listeners to share in its discovery. – WBS
Misha Panfilov – To Blue From Grey in May
Hailing from the depths of Estonia, composer and producer Misha Panfilov delivers another impressive one-man journey through the psychedelic krautrock landscape. Everything you hear—from the mellotron, organs, upright piano, harmonium, electric bass, percussion, and synth—was crafted by Panfilov, showcasing his incredible talent in writing, producing, arranging, and mixing. Four lovely, wandering, repetitive soundscapes, melded with intricate juggling of layers and phrasing, along with excellent playing all around, are hallmarks of the incredibly talented Panfilov. – CFS
EP’s
Moriah Plaza – Própolis
Berlin-based quartet Moriah Plaza return with Própolis, a breezy and intoxicating four-track EP that distils their signature blend of Brazilian samba, cinematic Latin jazz, and psychedelic ’60s pop into a tighter, more collaborative form. Following their acclaimed 2023 debut on Batov Records, the group, composed of Gretchen Schadebrodt, Tamir Chen, Moosh Lahav, and Alice Moss, sounds more unified than ever, crafting sun-drenched soundscapes that shimmer with effortless cool. The title track, ‘Própolis’, co-written with Brazilian poet Cecília Erismann, captures the heart of the EP’s lush mood. Its swirling flutes, playful organ riffs, and lilting “la la la” refrain recall Os Mutantes’ joyful irreverence and Hermeto Pascoal’s free-spirited inventiveness. Gretchen’s vocals glide over the rhythm with a lightness that feels both nostalgic and new, bossa filtered through a psychedelic daydream. If Própolis is any indication, Moriah Plaza are deepening their global pop palette while maintaining a cinematic elegance that feels uniquely their own, a sound suspended between past and present, beachside warmth and cosmopolitan cool. – WBS
