Music To Watch Seeds Grow By continues its second season with Seoul-based left-of-centre ambient duo Salamanda – Uman Therma (Sala) and Yetsuby (Manda) – and their meditation on the inner life of a basil plant. The album drifts from the quiet self-declaration of the opener through rhythmic, almost clock-like pulses, moments of reaching optimism, and a hushed encounter with a snail, before settling into ‘Basil’s Ritual‘ and ‘Basil’s Dream‘. It’s playful and curiously built around a simple, odd question: does the basil know it will one day become food? A cool concept that has an equally cool soundtrack.

A new Hejira release is always worth your ears. The London trio of Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne, Sam Beste and Alex Reeve are bringing together some of their favourite people and artists to create Lima Limo Compilation Vol.1. The compilation comes from their desire to foster and nurture community “even more so with what is going on in the world at the moment”, they explain. All profits raised from the release will go directly to The Sameer Project, an initiative that is facilitating the sourcing and distribution of aid to displaced families all over the Gaza Strip. Created by 3 Palestinians living in the diaspora and supported by ground teams in Gaza, they provide support in the form of shelter, medication, food, water, diapers and more. They aim to promote resilience, maintain dignity, and provide agency for the families they support. Listen to the brief but impactful track ‘Price To Live‘ below.

On first listen, How I Feel Sometimes feels like a striking departure for Joshua Crumbly. Best known as an elite jazz bassist who has toured with Kamasi Washington and Leon Bridges, he leaves the bass behind here and returns to his very first instrument, the piano, crafting a minimalist, raw set of short musical sketches. It’s quite a shift, with the music stripped down to its bare bones. The jazz leanings of his previous work are gone; here Crumbly lets space, restraint, and simple piano figures do the work, creating something curious that captures a childlike sense of fun and possibility. Give it a go.

Finnish trio Elifantree released their seventh album, Florescence, via Eclipse Music, the Finnish torchbearer for innovative jazz and progressive music, home to artists including Pauli Lyytinen, Antti Lötjönen and Aki Rissanen. Known for their constantly evolving expression. The 7-track record fuses experimental jazz and pop, using the metaphor of blooming into a flower to explore personal growth, self-acceptance, and love. Saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen and drummer Olavi Louhivuori are at the top of their game. And Anni Flif‘s vocals are truly sublime, especially on the standout tracks ‘Florescence’ and ‘Uncool’. Wrap your ears around the album below.

The spiritual jazz classic NOVA – Steve Reid & The Legendary Master Brotherhood’s 1976 gem – gets a fresh spark from the Franco‑American outfit Nova Fellowship. They swap the original’s funky Latin pulse for an ecstatic, house‑leaning groove while the horns hit harder and brighter, turning the track into a dancefloor‑primed burner that nods to both Moodymann and The Headhunters. Their upcoming debut album, CONTINUUM, arrives September 4th, featuring further reimaginings of Reid’s work, Four Tet collaborations, which include a standout take on the meditative Morning Prayer.