Treat your taste buds to these mouthwatering leftovers!
We spotlight as much greatness as we can, but a few gems inevitably slip past. That’s why The Leftovers exists: every Friday, we dish out five brilliant releases we couldnโt let slip by the wayside in quick, tasty bites. This week brings new finds from Joss Johnson Aram, Asta Hiroki and more. Dig in and savour the finds.
Founded by DJ Kobayashi and Herbert Newbert, Batov Records celebrates ten years with a landmark compilation featuring Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra, Sababa 5, ลatellites, Bolbec, Mamman Sani, MOMO., Wax Machine, Boom Pam, Ouzo Bazooka & Yurika Hanashima, Shotnez, and others. More than a retrospective, Around The Sun captures the sound of a label that has spent a decade connecting musical traditions, underground club culture and forward-thinking independent artists. The album arrives on 9th November, but they’ve already shared a hatful of tracks – so go ahead and dive in.
Exciting news: a brand-new EP is on the way from Amsterdam-based duo of Bolivian/Brazilian multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Puerto Rican Chicago expat drummer/composer Frank Rosaly! In this new body of work, we follow the evolution of Rosaly and Ferragutti’s multifarious musical journey as the two artists find centre in loose polyrhythm, pulse, trance, and longevity, interweaving contemplation of their Latinx backgrounds and vast sonic textures with deft craftsmanship. Titled ‘O’ (Taรญno, meaning “mountain”), the 5-track EP takes a focused journey into Puerto Rican and Caribbean cultural practices. Forms like Bomba, Plena, Rumba, Batรก, Vodou, Cumbia and Dub blend into new, imagined worlds. We’re eagerly anticipating the rest of the record because the lead track ‘X’ is absolutely stunning!
Josh Johnson seems to be everywhere lately! Following his recent work with Sam Wilkes and Gregory Uhlmann, plus Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet, SML and the Openness Trio, the composer and multi-instrumentalist is set to release Unusual Object, his debut on International Anthem/Nonesuch. Featured guests include Meshell Ndegeocello, who collaborated with Johnson on the 2023 album The Omnichord Real Book, along with Macie Stewart, Marquis Hill, and Ben Lumsdaine. As the highly anticipated album approaches its release, Johnson has unveiled the captivating tracks ‘It Can Be Everywhere’ and ‘Reece‘. This stunning song offers an enticing glimpse into the musical journey the album promises.
The moment you press play on Asta Hiroki’s ‘Sub‘, you’re locked in; it’s one of those tracks you keep coming back to. Lifted from the EP of the same name, it merges ambient, beat music, and modern classical with a quietly eccentric, leftfield sensibility that refuses to be pigeonholed. The rest of the EP can’t come soon enough, but this standout cut is enough to keep us hooked in the meantime.
We’re always uncovering new music at Twistedsoul, but now and then something lands in our lap that genuinely stops us in our tracks. That’s exactly the case with Aram, who mesmerised us with their brilliant debut single. Aram are three masters of their craft. Iranian lute and multi-instrumentalist Shahab Azinmehr, Turkish virtuoso of the traditional kemenรงe Derya Tรผrkan and Belgian, self-taught percussionist Robbe Kiecken. With a love of Persian and Sufi poetry, a deep connection to the greater spiritual world and an affinity for each other, trio Aram unite on record for the first time with a traditional album, where bowed and plucked Persian and Turkish strings meet Belgian percussion. Their single ‘Shiraz‘ is the kind of moment we live for, a fresh voice and unexpected sound. Listening to their self-titled debut album reminds us why we keep digging in the first place.
