Danilo Gallo EDE Euristic Data Exchange - L'Experience Est Une Forme De Paralyse [Aut Records 160]

For their cat.no. 160 the Italian Aut Records label comes up with a special conceptual album release in which Danilo Gallo, Enrico Zanisi and Ermanno Baron - with an additional tape echo contribution by Vincenzo De Leo on "Vexations (Reprise)" - take the music of Erik Satie as a starting point and base level for their own sonic explorations in a trio setting which are rolled out over the course of 61 minutes and a total of twelve pieces. Opening with "Gnossienne No. 1" we're drawn into a realm of spatial, somewhat chiming, somewhat nebulous and and minimalist Modular Ambient backed and supported by stripped down Jazz-informed double bass pluckings whereas the subsequently following "Pieces Froides - Danses De Travers No. 3 - Morceaux Oniriques De Danilo Eveille" focuses on a singular frolicking piano line which, as soon as the abstract percussions fall together as rather complex, yet groovy Jazz foundation, drifts off into distinctly jazzy territories, too. With these two paving the way for things to come Danilo Gallo's "Gallossiennes" are as tender, nocturnal and intimate as things can get whilst his "Erik" serves as a homage and exploration of reduced late night piano elaborations, repeating phrases and ghostly electronic atmospheres which only reveal all their secrets over a series of repeated and attentive listening sessions before Satie's "Vexations" weigh in more of a lively overall vibe which also includes the pieces rather clattering and highly detailed dense drums, with "Les Anges" introducing the flute as an instrument in its intro sequence, albeit with a rather unsual and haunted tonality, "Pieces Froides - Danses De Travers No. 1 - Morceaux D'Une Reflexion Nocturne De Danilo" serving a bit of a jazzy swing before providing an intricately, yet beautifully arranged multi-layered climax with the piano as its lead instrument and "Gnossienne No. 1 (Reprise)", probably our favorite piece on this album, catering a raw and unfiltered balalaika variation for a closing leading into stripped down late night piano melodies once again just to deeper elaborate on a few. Defo a late night album which calls for a setup including candle light and a fine wine, even and especially for those not really familiar with Satie's oeuvre whilst dedicated Satie fans might find deeper layers and connections the layman cannot uncover immediately.

Kiku & Blixa Bargeld & Black Cracker - Suzhou / It's All The Rage [Everest Records]

Put out on the circuit via the Swiss Everest Records label on September 25th, 2k26 is "Suzhou / It's All The Rage", a two piece, two part album which sees Kiku, an avantgarde project founded by composer and trumpet player Yannick Barman alongside percussionist Cyril Regamey, collaborating with Blixa Bargeld of Einstürzende Neubauten in its first half - "Suzhou" - whilst vocalist x rapper Black Cracker is taking over for "It's All The Rage". With four tracks each, or one entire side of the LP for the vinyl version, the approach is well balanced from the get go - with Bargeld's proven vocal approach and oftentimes abstract, associative lyricism backed by epic large scale orchestral strings and seductively dope Downbeat structures in the opener "Orlando's Victory", hovering and floating on top of a deep Ambient Jazz-infused backing moving forward into dramatic and theatrical territories in the "Number Of The Millibeast" whilst "Suzhou (xx xy yx yy)", albeit sporting a rather rhythmic and driving beat foundation, feels like a proper modern stage performance and "Nonsense Rock'n'Roll" pairs fully orchestral sequences with distinct, slightly EBM-infused electronic club music without aiming at a club crowd per se really. Furthermore we see Black Cracker indulging in what can be described as widescreen panoramic orchestral Jazz with "Bull Whip", weighing in a heavy Avantgarde Future Soul feel backed by thundering beats, exploring a similar, yet more performative and later HipHop- x Rap-infused attitude in "Leaping Bull (Chicago)" with its sparse abstract and syncopated percussions before "The Running Of The Bulls" is catering an epic late night anthem and probably the perfect closing track for an extended freestyle DJ-set and the "Sleeping Bull (Woke)" waves goodbye on a similar, yet more grandiose and orchestral Future Soul Fusion tip for those who loved and religiously followed labels like Anticon. or the likes of back in the days. Good stuff. Check.

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Courant Zero - Solari [Constellation Records 194]

Put out on the circuit via the long-standing Canadian Constellation Records label as their cat.no. 194 on September 25th, 2k26 is "Solari", the debut album by Courant Zero which actually marks a new chapter in the career of Montreal's Maxime Corbeil-Perron - producer, installation artist and co-founder of the Kohlenstoff label - and also his return to a focused production approach in electronic music applied over the course of eight tracks and a total of roughly 46 minutes runtime. Opening with the title track "Solari" Courant Zero pairs brooding and Dark-Ambient adjacent droning with tender, almost Post-PostRock citing twangy guitar loop layerings only to finally resolve in cinematic hopefulness and a folksy climax whereas "En Deca Du Reel" combines a similarly unperturbed approach to guitar tones with an earth shaking low frequency presence and harmonic structures surely harking back to his experience in audio-visual works as this piece in particular can easily be imagined as a score to experimental video works. With "Strange Aorta" the listener is drawn into a spatial Ambient nothingness which is immediately consumed by beautiful harmonic, and somewhat maritime, melancholia, later on partially disturbed and contrasted by digitally morphed abrasive background layers and quasi-mechanical rhythmatics before "La Peau Des Dents" brings forth what can be described as an amalgamation of Noize-driven (Un)Ambient alongside the closest this album gets to classic, yet stripped down Electronica / IDM structures and "Horizon N'Arrete" comes as a full-on surprise with its deeply romantic piano arrangements and rather calming, albeit somewhat twisted, overall feel. Furthermore the epic PostRave opening paired with heavy, yet skeletal references of Illbient and Industrial Bass Music of "Unyeldd" provide a slow creeping anthem for hyperadvanced dancefloors of the postapocalyptic era - and our favorite tune on this longplayer, btw - whilst "Eroding Us" indulges in the depths of heavy, danger heralding drones, seemingly reprocessed multi-guitar feedbacks and a foundation of Industrial Electronics beatwise before dissolving into a scenic panorama later down the line with the final cut "Journee Au Bout De La Nuit" waving goodbye on a rather hopeful, calming and peaceful tip although its chiming, shimmering main motif is slowly gnawed on by ever shifting layers of digital noize emerging from the depths of the mix. Cinematic. That's probably the right word to use for this album.

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Ally Fiola & The Next Quest - Exit 10 [self-released]

Coming in from Canada only recently and scheduled for release on October 16th, 2k26 is "Exit 10", the new long- (or better: medium-) play outing by Annapolis Valley / Nova Scotia-based composer and saxophone player Ally Fiola. On her self-released album, a seven pieces and roughly 35 minutes spanning affair, Fiola links up with a plethora of artists from the Canadian Jazz and Traditional scene to celebrate the place she's moved back to after gentrification and the inevitable increasing cost of living had driven her out of Halifax after a decade of calling the city her home. Sonically, the journey starts at "English Mountain", a large scale Jazz piece with a soulful groove and a distinctly seductive late summer afternoon vibe as well as an extended and quite Funk-orientated keyboard solo part and directly corresponding strings followed by the slightly deeper and probably more traditional Jazz arrangement of "Cumberland" with its multilayered brass sections and, indeed, tap-dancing interlude whilst the "Valley Drive In" fully captures classic - and well... classy - Dancefloor Jazz grooves for an intro which dissolves into a rather extended and romantic breakdown before finding back into its original form and delivering a vibe all HipHop sample wizzards should be on the lookout for with the same advice also viable for the subsequent "Wolfville" whilst the closing cut "When Things End" features Jah'Mila on microphone duties who not only is responsible for the one singular vocal performance on "Exit 10" but also turns the deep vibe into a beautiful late night Soul closing for a grand finale which feels way bigger and way more internationally valid and valuable than one might expect when just focusing on its place of origin. If you're a dedicated Contemporary Jazz digger this one's for you.

Erwan Keravec - There Will Be No Miracles Here [Buda Musique]

Scheduled for release via the Buda Musique label on October 16th, 2k26 is "There Will be No Miracles Here", the latest full length album outing by composer Erwan Keravec who has been on a trajectory of taking bagpipe playing out of its original traditional context for almost two decades. For this most recent album, an extended one track piece spanning approximately 48 minutes, Erwan Keravec employs a total of seven bagpipe players accompanied by three additional basin players which create a sonic real life translation of the title of the album and piece - near static drones in layers, with an almost electric quality in terms of their steady almost mid-range buzz, an omni-futurist omni-presence evoking memories of legendary sci-fi classics like "The Omega Strain" and the general perception of space and space-related technology at the time, the cold, only minimally varying frequencies of high voltage circuits and advanced technology providing a steady background hum for travels through the intergalactic vastness with subtle, ever intensifying additions leading into the least distressing crescendo ever imaginable despite providing an ever thickening maelstrom of sound which rather suddenly starts to decay and fade off into eternity. This... is a highly recommended trip into the inner mindsphere. Great stuff.

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Sam Wilson - Sowing Spring [self-released]

Coming in from Halifax, Canada recently and scheduled for release on October 14th, 2k26 is "Sowing Spring", the follow up to Sam Wilson's 2k24 also self-released album "Wintertides". Once again put out on the circuit fully independently Wilson's sonically deals with and is inspired by the melting Magaguadavic River in New Brunswick, Canada and its full on transformation from an icey state into water within only a week, directly witnessed in real time by the artist and composer throughout a stay at the river banks. From this real time experience arose the inspiration for her most recent longplayer, a set of eight instrumental cuts throughout which Wilson's signature guitar is accompanied by fiddle, alto sax, bass clarinet, drums and bass in various combinations and settings, providing a calm, beautiful and deeply naturalistic, in parts almost rural and folksy tone in the opening piece named "The Dry" whereas the subsequent "Rosedale" serves deep and fascinatingly jazzy rhythm signatures as a foundation for heartfelt string melancholia and slighty twangy guitar tones. Furthermore "Toad" focuses on a combination of seductive bass grooves and saxophones with an undeniable Deep Jazz twist in which Wilson and her guitar take on the leading role throughout an extended sequence starting way after the two minutes mark, a.k.a. half way in, with "Coneflower" leaning deep into love, yearning and romantic desire whereas the "Waxing Crescent" weighs in a surprisingly solemn and certainly nocturnal late night (Dark)Jazz feel just to name a few. But overall "Sowing Spring" certainly is what its title suggests. A spring album. Without any doubt. And musically it shows.

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Thompson Egbo-Egbo - Just A Thought [T.Sound 003]

Scheduled for release on October 9th, 2k26 on the Canadian T.Sound label is "Just a Thought", the latest full length album outing by piano player Thomas Egbo-Egbo whose work previously was mostly bound to the self-chosen confines of a trio setting musically and in parts still is with Randall Hall on bass and Jeff Halischuk on drums as a base level core but also sees a distinct sonic expansion with the addition of The Odin Quartet on three of the nine pieces on this 36 minutes spanning release. With the opening piece "Time And Space" we're drawn in by a deep, yet lively approach towards Contemporay Jazz with an almost Indie-like feel when it comes to its unusually driving and muscular drums as a foundation for the tunes captivating, cinematic and all out hypnotic piano workout whereas the Paul Simon classic "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" brings forth a certainly catchy and groove-heavy vibe clearly aimed at a broader, yet certainly classy audience beyond core Jazz lovers, both presented in Thomas Egbo-Egbo's established way of working in a small musical setting. Furthermore we see the expanded approach represented in pieces like the deep, inward-looking and melancholia-inducing "Just A Thought" which feels as intimate at things can get with its carefully mixed instrumental dynamics as well as in the highly dramatic "Out Of Nowhere" which, for us, brings to mind full on orchestra interpretations of Detroit Techno classics performed in the past wheras the interpretation of Oscar Peterson's "Requiem" dives deep into full on romanticism and almost classic golden era Hollywood score work territories before the final take on Astor Piazzola's "Libertango" brings closure in form of full on spine-tingling dancefloor suitable Jazz heat just to name a few.

Barbara Ellison - Murduchann (Siren Sea Songs) [Unsounds Records 093]

Put out on the longplay circuit as cat.no. 083 of the Unsounds Records label is "Murduchann (Siren Sea Songs)", the new sonic outing by Barbara Ellison which is the follow up to her 2021-released "Cybersongs" album for the label. Rolled out over the course of roughly 72 minutes the Irish composer presents a total of eleven new pieces which, according to the accompanying promo sheet, through '...layered vocal transformations summon siren songs and sonic phantoms from within the source'. With this being said Barbara Ellison opens with the spiralling, seemingly electro-acoustic intro of "Idir" which leads into ethereal and angelic, yet emotionally uneasy choirs which, at least in parts, seem to be played, recorded and processed in reverse before being accompanied by subsonic pulses of sparse Post Bassmusic-referencing nature whereas the glitched out reverse loops of "Glor" bring forth a rhythmic fever dream as a score for extended explorations of the backrooms before "Run" and its fogged out upsweeps alongside fragmented vocal cuts act as a monolithic sonic frame of existence, a bubble of pure being outside of physics, space, time and the natural world within the universe. With "Draiocht" we're back in a realm of rhythmic loops which are starting to glitch and fall apart over an extended runtime of 15+ minutes, framed by echoes of alarming pulses and subtle sonic movements at the low frequency fringes of human perception alongside ever shifting contrapuntal layers creating an interesting interplay of polyrhythmic nature whereas "Geasa" seems to live off eerie textures and ghostly, seemingly also reversed respiratory sounds before "Fiantas", the second extended composition on "Murduchann", falls into a maelstrom of mind-numbing, ever spiralling and surely hypnotic hollowness, opening psychic - and probably psychotic - voids within those not prepared to enter a swelling maelstrom of layered quasi-syllables and syncopated non-vocalisms, dubbed out (Un)Ambient and jubilant outerdimensional choirs. Furthermore we see "Claochlu" on a surprisingly clean and scientific tip in its intro sequence before the jubilant, yet more polyrhythmic approach of its predecessor finds a continuation atop a raw and simple Post Rhythm Industrial reminiscent foundation followed by the cold exoterrestrial transmissions found in "Teorainn" which is a rather unsettling, in parts Cold Ambient-leaning as well as the emotionally most intense affair on this album. Subsequently following is the Glacial Ambient x Cold Ambient beauty of "Aisling" resembling a fascinating sonic whiteout whilst "Si" caters rather comforting and solemn harmonic arrangements working their way up to a heavy and dense industrial'esque climax whereas "Ceo" as a final cut comes full circle in terms of ethereal choirs and slightly off-kilter harmonics. One for an Avantgarde informed audience, yet a highly interesting and unique take on - in terms of source material - vocal driven Deep Listening Music.

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Kassel Jaeger - Sub Re [Shelter Press 170]

Released on the ever active Shelter Press label on July 10th, 2k26 is "Sub Re", the latest longplay achievement of long standing composer and sound researcher Kassel Jaeger. Split in two distinct parts with seven individual sub-sections or movements assigned to each the roughly 42 minutes spanning release follows a specific approach developed alongside the Paris-based Groupes De Recherches Musicales which focuses on an extraction of raw sound material from underneath the original sounds surface - and its sources. This being said what we find in "Sub Re" sonically is a rather suprising ethereal and glistening take on Post Rhythm Industrial choirs and chorals in the opening movement named "Adis" followed by electro-acoustic Ambient minimalisms at the very fringes of the audible spectrum, repeated bell harmonics, rather dreamy and classical Ambient x Post-PostRock sequences as well as sequences offering brooding and spine-tingling Dark Ambient melancholia and inward-looking sonic exploration leading into epic panoramic darkness at times reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's 'Sorcerer" score work in the first part of the album. Furthermore we see the second part offering Post-Industrial electro-acoustic pulses in "Forge" which takes the approach of early Einstuerzende Neubauten into dark minimalistic voids from which intense dronings and outerworldy non-choirs emerge to an apocalyptic effect followed by nocturnal Ambient structures, spine-tingling atmospheres telling stories of the dangers of outerdimensional nothingness whereas a little further down the line exploring the beauty of a rising morning sun in airy hovering harmonics, the buzz of a gazillion insects in what seem to be short Field Recordings buried deep with in the mix for a few seconds as well as grand beautiful Ambient finale. Which is quite a diversified array of sonic exploration for a relatively short album.

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Paper Trio - Light in The Dark: Music Of Carl Nielsen [Time Span Records]

Released via Time Span Records on August 14th, 2k26 is "Light In The Dark", a twelve pieces spanning contemplation on and interpretation of compositions by the revered Danish composer Carl Nielsen, performed and led by the Paper Trio comprised of Randi Pontoppidan, Thomas Agergaard and Greg Cohen with further contributions and participations by the Akela String Quartet as well as Arnur Tuznik on piano and organ and bass-baritone vocalist Jakob Bloch Jespersen. Over the course of 53 minutes we see Paper Trio and their collaborators transfer Nielsen's original work into a timeless and free-floating, yet vaguely Jazz-infused context starting out with the tender and beautiful "Nu Er Dagen Fuld Af Sang" which could well be a variation of a centuries old traditional rural Folk piece vibewise with solemn, yet ethereal vocals hovering timelessly whereas "Dreams Of Dreams", as intimate as the piece itself seems to be, takes full advantage of full on panoramic string arrangements and occasional left of center (dis)harmonic movements and "Saenk Kun Dit Hoved, Du Blomst" sees its story told by a powerful and expressive Classical male voice and dreamy female non-vocalisms backed by a tender piano foundation. The subsequent "Andantino", albeit instrumental, takes us back to an unscathed, probably medieval rural Denmark and its folk tales with a playful flute as the leading instrument, "Gramaphone" comes at us as rather light-hearted and frolicking piano piece and a bit of a vintage fun fair feel at times contrasted by the airy and time defying "Motet" which follows, probably providing the most significant gravitas and large scale panoramic arrangement on this album whilst the closing cut that is "Solen Er Rød Mor" rounds things off on a traditional Folk-infused note once again just to name a few. Indeed, an interesting contemporary gateway to those not familiar with the "Music Of Carl Nielsen".

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Laibach x Senidah - Love Machine (Official Video)

A future classic from the Laibach camp. Super seductive with a rather grandiose 80s feel. We love this.

Antoine Ferris - [KAAARST] [Carton Records Croix-Croix 042]

Released on May 8th, 2k26 via the French Carton Records label is "[KAAARST]", the twelve tracks and roughly 32 minutes spanning debut album album by bass player Antoine Ferris who, with this sonic outing, presents a ride through a variety of experimental solo and improvisational bass techniques backed by an at times both experimental and rather structured composed electronic foundation. With only half of the albums tracks exceeding the three minutes mark - and none of them being radio friendly - Antoine Ferris covers a musical ark from pure digital Noize eruptions to epic Mutant HipHop cuts - see the absolute groove bomb of violent destruction called "Shame's Coming" featuring Natacha Kanga on vocal duties for this - whereas pieces like "Stainless Steel" introduce more shrieking Noize violence with a surprisingly humorous lo-fi melodic edge seamlessly followed by the beautifully layered Ambient-leaning melancholia of "Knife" which is continuously disrupted by scattered Noize bursts and Oval'esque flutterings whereas "La Neu" featuring Louie Z on vocals weighs in an astounding fusion of Experimental Electronics and beatless Future Soul x Future R'n'B evoking faint memories of Fatima Al Qadiri and early Kelela whilst "Cataplasme" brings forth more syncopated Industrial Phonk havoc for Illbient dancefloors and the interestingly titled "Electronic Dance Music" might appeal as such to the most advanced and adventurous Rhythm Industrial headz only just to name a few favorites here. We love this. Get.

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David Bode - Live At The 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival [MunckMix]

Going in for something sitting at the very fringes of our expertise today with David Bode's "Live At The 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival" - an actual 22 piece bigband live album scheduled for release on the MunckMix label on September 25th, 2k26. The Illinois-based label, seemingly specializing in live recordings since 2003, caters a roughly 55 minutes spanning recording of David Bode and his musical companions' performance at the WWOZ Jazz Tent of named festival which sees the New Orleans-born and based saxophone player and composer following a rather interesting approach as an ensemble leader. With only one of his own original works in the tracklist - "Cold Train Funk" - the rest of the performance focuses on his personal history in music and presents a set of specifically arranged favorites of his, both in Jazz and Rock - and also Alternative if one doesn't want to put Radiohead in a drawer called Rock for a reason or two. The result is astounding, energetic, swinging and captivating with the preserved stage banter intentionally adding to the live recording vibe. And pieces like the positive large scale arrangement of Kenny Garett's "Happy People", the emotionally touching slow jam that is Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over" as well as the beautiful Jenna Winston-led iteration of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life", his own joyous and celebratory "Cold Train Funk" and the high vibing interpretation of Radiohead's "Airbag" make this one a highly enjoyable album for sure - and probably even a gateway piece for the uninitiated but curious currently deterred by the formalities and knowledge requested of and from what most people consider to be classic Jazz from a purist standpoint.

Bertoncini / Kocher / Lehn - Critical Values [Bruit Editions 019]

Put out on the circuit via the Switzerland-based Bruit Editions label on June 5th, 2k26 is "Critical Values", the latest full on improvisational album cooked up and captured by Tiziana Bertoncini, Jonas Kocher and Thomas Lehn. Combining their instruments and working methods of choice - violin, accordion, analogue synthesizer and sound processing in this respective order - "Critical Values" is comprised of two extended pieces both recorded live on September 17th, 2k25 and exceeding the 20 minutes mark with a combined runtime of roughly 44 minutes in total. Opening with "Complex Plane" the sonic triumvirate serves an intricate and somewhat brittle arrangement of partly screeching high frequency bowing and sustained electronic sinewave tones also at home in the upper registers, accompanied by intensely dramatic movements, calm sequences of near silence, electronic chatter and almost rural beauty which later lead into a whirling crescendo of various modulations and an intense, yet highly detailed improvisational climax before entering an expansive realm of electroacoustic minimalism. On the other hand the subsequently following second cut named "Bifurcation Points" explores a more tender and accessible, surely Deep Listening Music-leaning variation of electroacoustic experimentalism, focusing on slow sustained movements as well as carefully executed tonal shifts, at times eerie, at times brooding and at times well comforting, sometimes soothing even, slowly moving forward towards a tense, at times danger-heralding and certainly spine-tingling attitude surely informed by free and associative Contemporary Classical as well as scores for psychologic B-movie horror flics harking back to the era of black-and-white cinema in the best possible of all meanings, bringing forth fluttering strings, metallic clatterings of unclear origin as well as moments of pure nothingness, leaving room for the listeners brain to fill in the blanks both visually and sonically speaking. This is intense. And intensely avantgarde.

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Samuel Bonnet Trio featuring Joe Magnarelli - Slow [self-released album]

Scheduled to be put out on the circuit as a self-released album affair on October 2nd, 2k26 is "Slow", the latest longplay outing conceived by French guitar player Samuel Bonnet who's been based in Montreal / Canada ever since 2009. Forming the Samuel Bonnet Trio alongside Jonathan-Guillaume Boudreau on double bass as well as Simon Bergeron on drums with additional contributions from Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and flugelhorn Bonnet embarks on an eight pieces and 40 minutes spanning journey with "Nylon Swing" which - titlewise - exactly reflects the easy and airy lighthearted Swing Jazz sound brought forward by the opening cut subsequently followed by the slightly deeper "Liberation" and its playful, at times uplifting even, trumpet lines and corresponding guitar tones whereas "Complices" focuses on laid back guitar meanderings backed by tender grooves for balearic sunsets and late summer evenings. Furthermore we see "Daryl's Blues" on a surprisingly uptempo tip sporting driving and muscular snare-heavy drums as well as intricate and suitably twangy guitar meanderings with an indeed Blues-infused twist, "Momentum" weighs in echoes of Scandinavian cool whilst still adhering to an agreed upon Contemporary Jazz vocabulary whilst "Laetitia" falls back to a laid back late summer evening energy - and a little bit of tender romance maybe - before the concluding double feature interpretation of Isaac Albeniz' ""Asturias - Part 1 / 2" leans deep into a realm of heavily syncopated grooves, mediterranean guitars and what seems to be echoes of echoes of echoes of Flamenco-infusions shimmering through accompanied, especially in the second part, by more rather classic and groove-oriented Jazz goodness for those who know. If that's what you've been looking for as an addition to your already vast Jazz collection this is an album to consider this fall.

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Daniel Decker - Dysthymnia [Hauch Records 048]

Scheduled for release on Oktober 2nd, 2k26 via the Düsseldorf-based Hauch Records imprint is "Dysthymnia" - the latest full length album outing conceived by Daniel Decker. Coming at us with eight brand new cuts and two distinct vinyl editions - standard black as well as dark blue, each limited to 100 copies - Decker opens with the title track "Dysthymnia" which sets the tone with a blueprint of contemporary Deep Listening Music with a panoramic Dark Ambient touch, pairing droning and ground shaking sinewave bass waves with tender Ambient pads before the Hainbach-sampling "Es Steigt Auf" paints a rather brooding and dramatic sonic picture triggering memories of dark cloud formations announcing an imminent thunderstorm of doom with what seem to be reprocessed metallic string manipulations and emotionally touching harmonics followed by the playful and positive minimalism of "Gloria" and its soft plinkering tones drowning in fogged out midrange dronings building up to an intense crescendo whereas "Credo" takes a surprising turn with its hyperharmonic NeoClassical piano arrangements and slightly off-kilter feedback build ups. Furthermore "Benzodiazepine" combines ethereal Ambient backings and introspective, peaceful and almost folksy piano melodies whilst "Requiem" presents a deeper, certainly melancholia-inducing take on classic, slightly maritime Ambient movements, "Diffareatio" follows a musically comparable path yet introduces subdued, yet minimal Future Tribal rhythms hidden deep within the mix and the final philosophically named "Grundrisse Der Critique" closes the loop once again with a beautiful, slightly ruminating vintage piano for late evening listening sessions. Go check.

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Chessie + Contriva - Black Jacket [Watusi Records 009]

Two bands. Two cities. Two continents. Countless mutual visits and 25 years of friendship and collaboration. Chessie and Contriva. Berlin and Washington, DC. Europe and North America. And finally: "Black Jacket". A collaborational album. Released via Watusi Records on April 10th, 2k26. Twelve tracks deep and nearly 53 minutes long. A sonic excursion into raw - read as: mostly unprocessed and organic - and at the same time tender PostRock adjacent territories opening with the dreamy, timeless, somehow soothing and yet hypnotic "Take Me To Hiddensee" before progressing into the instrumental uptempo Indie / IndiePop of "Magenta", the surprisingly 4/4 bassdrum driven SlowHouse x Indietronica x PostRock fusion for early morning Ambient x Chillout dancefloors named "Vermilion" and the darker late night Downbeat x NotHop grooves of "Cabina A". With "Hellblau" Chessie + Contriva aim for minimalist, yet complex grooves and an overall light-hearted and guitar-led melodic attitude, "Point No Point" sees them on a more muscular tip with heavy reverberating drums and a certified Indie feel kicking in after the intro whilst "Brunswick Green" feels like slowly wandering lush meadows on a calm early summer day and "Lunar White" provides a cozy, slighty improvisational and obviously electronically backed soundtrack for late and lazy Sunday afternoons. Furthermore "Capital Traction" is somewhat of a brittle, slightly off-harmonic and sonically decaying take on introspective PostRock paired with obscure and somewhat muffled musical anti-structures buried deep in the background of the mixdown whilst "Celadon" once again harks back to positive and driving instrumental Indie(Rock) underground vibes with a dynamic, yet slightly twangy touch subsequently followed by "Dalecarlia Always", most likely the most inward-looking and romantic outing on "Black Jacket", before the concluding "Fugitive" opens with rather raw electronic synths only to drift off into a worldof ever spiralling krautsiness in PostRock. Lovely. Go check.

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Josh Cohen - We Are Home [T.Sound 004]

Scheduled for release on September 25th, 2k26 via the Canadian T.Sound imprint is "We Are Home", the latest album outing by bass player and composer Josh Cohen. Usually focusing on extensive and intricate solo bass techniques Cohen switches things up - not only a little but a lot - for his new longplayer and acts as the lead figure of a five, on two tracks even six piece ensemble and fully embeds his instrument in this extended and expansed setting over the course of eight pieces and roughly 53 minutes. With the opener "Supernueve" the group lays out a path of groove driven Jazz fusion tracks featuring extensive electric guitar solo rides as well as beautiful piano lines and dense, slightly 80s informed arrangements whereas "Five On The Floor" follows up with a more intricate musical setting, long build ups and ethereal, almost Trance-like key pads and overall Dancefloor Jazz vibes, yet presents a raw and slighty unhinged edge towards the end, especially when seen in contrast to the beautiful and intricately meandering piano intro and almost psychedelic guitars of "Next Steps" before the group explores a deeper, inward looking late night vision of mostly solo piano led Jazz with the aptly titled "Newborn". Furthermore we see the "Operation Mexi-Can" bringing forth a bit of an 80s-infused and surely summer sun soaked Jazz Funk vibe once again followed by "Inner Embrace" and its tender full on late night romanticism whilst "Elevate" earns the title of the most uplifting and, in the best of all possible meanings, easy and genuinely unbothered cuts on this album whereas the closing cut named "My Lima" waves goodbye on an almost krautsy and enchanted tip before building up towards an electric guitar-driven climax and finally riding out an intricate array of interweaving melodies towards the very end. One for the dedicated collector of Jazz Fusion sounds.

Etienne Nillesen - Twee [Sofa Music 609]

Put out on the circuit on May 22nd, 2k26 via the Norwegian staple that is Sofa Music is "Twee", the most recent musical outing by originally Dutch, now Cologne-based drummer, composer and solo performer Etienne Nillesen who - throughout the entirety of this 35 minutes one track album - focuses solely on what he describes as extended snare drums as singular instrument and sound source. The result of this conceptual approach, which initially might evoke the idea of an extended percussive drum exercise when laid out on paper, might surprise many a listener unfamiliar with Nillesen's work as there is no initial drum, no hard hitting percussive brutalism and not even an echo of intricate and complex Jazz rhythmicity to be found in here. Instead the album starts with meandering ethereal and otherworldly high and mid-frequency movements unbound by time, space and the universe in general, a crystalline ambience of rather electro-acoustic nature, harmonic, yet occasionally offset by metallic squeaks and screeches, with echoes of echoes of angelic choirs and voices seeping through from another dimensions creating a fragile forever presence sometimes drifting off into minimal distortions and spiralling, dubbed out modulations which are becoming relatively dramatic and agitated for a short while before finally finding back to longing, siren'esque and rather seductive beauty. This is not an album. This is a monument in sound. And a recommended one for sure.

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and then... there's MERZBOW

Mesmer - Terrain Vague II [Arbitrary 025]

Released via the Danish Arbitrary imprint on April 24th, 2k26 is "Terrain Vague II", the most recent album outing by Emil Jensen, Victor Dybbroe and Anders Filipsen which form the electro-acoustic trio named Mesmer. With nine tracks structurally based on a set of Field Recordings captured in various locations around the country, reprocessed and accompanied by electro-acoustic improvisation the trio serves a sonic journey of roughly 31 minutes total playtime, starting from an angle of playful, seemingly modular percussions reminiscent of Felix Raeithel's 2024 album "Dance With Uncertainty" before decaying into brittle arctic winds with "Lodsbad" whereas the subsequent "Vind & Maskiner" brings forth a combination of slow and sluggish Industrial-informed Downbeat x Illbient structures and calm, almost angelic pads and sounds later subdued by a heavy crescendo leading straight into a giant abrasive swarm of metallic "Insekter" attacking from a realm in between interdimensional realms. With "Sejlturen Til Laesø" Mesmer explore tectonic low end movements in conjunction with unidentified surface noise scraping, surprisingly tender piano tones, elegic sustained saxophones and what seem to be rather unprocessed Field Recordings, bird sounds included, whereas "Salt & Kompressor" harks back to friendly, at times tongue-in-cheek and certainly tentative modular micropercussions backed by occasional dry rhythmic quasi drum hits before suddenly turning towards crystalline and festive church organ emulations with "Fløjten" following up with fast and fluttering noise rhythms, dramatic quasi Jazz fanfares and retrofuturist synth hoverings. Furthermore we see "Budolfi" fusing electro-acoustic melancholia, classic Ambient dreamscapes and world shaking waves of subsonic bass emerging from the vast nothingness of space contrasted by the raw, echoing and heartfelt deep alpine forest romanticisms of "Trompet & Propeller" whilst "Under Limfjorden" waves goodbye on a rather sub-aquatic tip with the sound of gurgling underwater movements interrupted by sci-fi pings, digital glitches, small clanging metal pieces and a beautifully lonely little melody wandering through the sonic realm before disappearing on the far side of the sonic horizon. Deep Listening Music at its best. Go check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Theriot. - The Other. [KS.Theory 011 Promo]

Incoming from Toronto / Canada these days is "The Other.", the latest album outing by Vermont-based Jazz composer and musical master of many trades Kyle Saulnier, this time employing the new moniker Theriot. for his musical ventures brought to life alongside an illustrous set of participating musicians. Scheduled for release on September 18th, 2k26 we see Saulnier, probably best known by many as the leader of the Awakening Orchestra, catering a sonic menu of eight brand new pieces over the course of roughly 50 minutes, bringing on a rather dramatic intro sequence in the opening piece "The Other, Pt.1" which transforms into a chiming fusion of late night Jazz and organo-acoustic Downbeat x NuJazz with a bit of an almost Scandinavian quality before taking a turn toward Blaxploitation-infused funkiness at around minute 5 followed by "The Darkest Hour" which starts from an angle of plucked, almost rural and naturalistic Folk Improv leaning string tones which become the rhythmic lead and foundation for tender melodies and carefully layered brass harmonics telling tales of romantic love and longing throughout a night, and a lifetime. A little further down the line the "Interlude: The Sound Of Silence" adds a moment of inward-looking acoustic bass improvisation and leads the way into the most extended composition on this longplayer, "Fathers And Sons", with its ultra slow, yet emotionally touching late night movements which for us seem to evoke faint memories of the mid to late 90s TripHop minimalisms of Spacer and especially their "Atlas Earth" album on Pussyfoot Records vibewise and therefore might be our favorite cut on here alongside the dark Dope Beat driven "The Other, Pt.2" which might represent the most classic Jazz workout on "The Other." just to name a few. File under: Deep Jazz for nocturnal listening sessions. Good stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!

JARR - Afterimage [Sound In Silence 132]

John Attwood and Ray Robinson are back on the Greek Sound In Silence label, making a return with "Afterimage", the brand new 12 tracks and roughly 61 minutes album cooked up and conceived under their shared artistic moniker that is JARR. Following the idea of a colour palette evolving from a warm yellow to grey as an embodiment of dissolution over the course of twelve tracks, each representing a specific visual colour in this journey, and a total runtime of 61 minutes the duo embarks on this conceptual journey starting from a point of fogged out autumnal misty melancholia as well as distinct emotional longing and innate sadness with the opener "Morning Exposure" followed by the rather minimalist, yet tender and beautifully arranged "Before The House Woke" and its chiming melodic minimalisms and sparsely plucked guitar strings and the glistening mixture of Ambient Shoegaze and yearning Post-PostRock that is "Tender". With these three tracks laying out the foundation for things to come we see pieces like "Everything At Once" weighing in an almost Oval-like sense of decay and drifting off into darker, droning and more threatening UnAmbient territories before surprisingly moving towards more relaxed guitar processings whereas "What Stayed", representing burgundy in the colour spectrum, provides more of a rather psychedelic and drifting Post-PostRock feel deeply embedded in echoes of Krautrock and urban Berlin School melancholia with "Distance, Inward" bringing on quasi-rhythmic tectonic low end rumblings alongside glacial electric dronings with the final - grey - title track that is "Afterimage" returning to an almost folksy and certainly calm and inward looking musical approach just to name a few. A beautiful album for this coming fall and many a month beyond.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Akusmi - Terra Incognita [Tonal Union 020]

Released via the Berlin- / London-based Tonal Union label on July 3rd, 2k26 is "Terra Incognita", the third ever release of the Pascal Bideau-led ensemble operating under the Akusmi moniker ever since 2022. With a total of seven pieces unfolding over the course of roughly 48 minutes the group takes the albums title as a conceptual guidance for sonic exploration out of which emerges a deeply enchanted tonal realm infused by Deep Jazz and unscathed rural naturalistic landscapes from the very first seconds of the chiming and ever floating opener that is "A Waking Dream" which develops into a densely layered and rather spiritual vision followed by the percussive tribal rhythmicity and innate loopings of the subsequent Jazz outing that is "Anima" which probably draws structural inspiration from Minimal Music developed by the likes of Steve Reich whereas "Club Subterranea" weighs in rather deep, comforting and tender late night Jazz tendencies backed by interesting synth bleeps of most likely modular origin providing a foundation for a myriad of interwoven and intertwined harmonic lines, winding, floating and meandering in an almost surreal and surely slightly psychedelic manner. With "Pleine Lune" Akusmi harks back to Minimal Music-infused percussive rhythms, yet floats and akmost drowns these with a triple thick coating of overwhelming lush and rich harmonies working their way up until the piece ends rather abruptly, giving way to the quiet bird song intro of "Drongo's Flute" which later incorporates elements of Future Tribal and deep Spiritual Jazz as well as dissolving non-vocalisms drowning deep within the overall mix before "Rain Dance" brings forth a hypnotic, syncopated and almost trance-inducing groove of almost krautsy and surely time dissolving quality before "Dawning Dusk" rounds things off with a lively rhythmic attitude evoking a slightly South East Asian feel as a foundation for sustained, elegic and sometimes even deeply romantic sax lines and emotionally touching chants for a closing. One for a fanbase of Contemporary Jazz afficionadoes, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Calum Builder - Although Changed, I Arise The Same [Thanatosis Produktion 053]

Scheduled for release on the highly recommended label operating under the name of Thanatosis Produktion on September 25th, 2k26 is "Although I Changed, I Arise The Same" - the most recent twin release cooked up by Calum Builder on his so-called (Re)Constructed Pipe Organ which the artist has assembled from salvaged church organ pipes gathered and saved all over Norther Denmark which is available on CD, digitally and as a limited 10" lathe cut edition which features alternative versions of the tracks in comparison to the aforementioned formats. Over the course of four extended pieces and a total playtime of a little more than 36 minutes Calum Builder serves a deep dive into the tonal qualities of his self-developed instrument starting with the mystical "Where Can I Go?" which pairs a partially glacial, partially almost breathing combination of Dark Ambient and Deep Listening music with what seem to be skitty echoes of enchanted flutes and ethereal vocalisms provided by Zola Mennenöh and Johana Sulkunen before dynamically and powerfully erupting unexpectedly at around ten minutes into its 15 minutes runtime. The subsequent follow up that is "Surely" brings forth a somewhat fluttering, unsettling take on rather rural and naturalistic late night (Un)Ambient and evokes memories of solo camping near the arctic circle, surrounded by unscathed woodlands and scattered wolves under brightly star-sprinkled skies whereas "Is As Light" sees an ethereal and perfectly executed vocal interplay and dialogue unfold atop a foundation of slow moving and sub-heavy Dark Ambient drones. Quite an intriguing release, this, which will - even though probably unintendedly - also resonate with a certain audience with the Goth spectrum for a reason or two.

Album artwork on Instagram!

SineRider - Causeway [Sound In Silence 131]

Coming in from the Athens-based Sound In Silence camp these days is "Causeway", the July 31st, 2k26 released album by Devin Powers a.k.a. SineRider who caters a total of 13 brand new pieces over the course of 51 minutes on his fourth album for the ever active label. Opening with the peaceful and calming synth motifs and Berlin School infused textural innocence of "Adrift" SineRider paves the way for things to come like the subsequent misty and brittle timelessness of "Depo" which, despite an absence of Dope Beats, will surely resonate with all those still in love with the Boards Of Canada alltime classic "Music Has The Right To Children" whereas "Abberations" introduces chiming minimal melodic repetitions backed by occasional subsonic bass pulses and tender piano tones. With "Tiny Movements" we're diving into a world of cascading hovering enchanted Ambient melodies, "Transient" brings forth looped lo-fi Piano Ambient with a beautiful vintage twist whilst venturing into off-harmonic microtonalities towards the very end before "Flote" experiments with varying corresponding echo and delay sequences as a foundation for most naturalistic harmonies seemingly provided by either processed flute or a synthetic flute emulation. With "Photograph Of A River" Powers harks back to cascading Ambient motifs before "Mania" chimes in with the most non-manic tenderness found on this album accompanied by a rather intimate two tone piano repetition with "Substrata" following on a similar, probably more 90s ChillOut-leaning and slo-mo synth spiral driven path whilst the title track "Causeway" brings forth a bit of flutter in conjunction with spatial, almost dubbed out Ambient movements. One to check out for sure. Limited to 200 copies as well.

A True Ambient Cassette Mystery.

Mary In The Junkyard - New Muscles (Official Video)

Mary In The Junkyard's main vocalist probably has got the most fragile, brittle, tender and beautiful voice we've come across since Dillon's debut album. And the bassline's got some serious groove as well. File under: a hit record for young introvert Indie girls.

Isidor Sr. - Seven From Ten / Hurt / Begin [Dhyana Records 086]

It's been more than 20 years since we've reviewed a release on the legendary formerly Augsburg-based label Dhyana Records on these pages but after meeting up with the labels head honcho Bernd Spring a.k.a. Isidor Sr. for the first time ever only recently here we are again. Released on February 2nd, 2k24 as a limited 7" edition of 122 copies, all housed in a beautifully designed 3D cover accompanied by additional 3D glasses, we're drawn in to the sonic world of Isidor Sr. with three pieces meandering between Lo-Fi Shoegaze and distorted DreamPop for introverts, drowning in a sea of ever droning guitar feedbacks and wafting clouds of intense, yet strangely comforting midrange noise. If I'd ever imagine Isidor Sr. performing these pieces live it'd be somewhere from removed from any urban settlement, distant from the audience, set up in a stubble field, shrouded in and obfuscated by autumnal mists with the actual sound being blown over from afar. This is core Dhyana after all these years. If you know, you know.

Vinyl artwork on Instagram!

Dr. NoiseM - Fields Of Verdun (Official Youtube Audio)

The Nest Duo - A Whisper Of Roots [Aut Records 155]

Released via the Italian staple that is Aut Records as their cat.no. 155 on June 24th, 2k26 is "A Whisper Of Roots", the new album collaboration by long time friends Graziano Gatti Quadri and Massimo Betti who, together, form The Nest Duo as a creative outlet for their musical ventures. With nine pieces rolled out over the course of approximately 46 minutes the two artists explore a sonic world based on cornet, vocals and - rather unusual for the label - electronics whilst taking influences, loops, varying measures and what is described in the accompanying press sheet as cyclical harmonic cells originating from both Lombard Folk and Bergmasque nursery rhymes. With this being said The Nest Duo opens on a rather krautsy and beautifully dreamy harmonic tip with "Intro-Volar Via" which immediately evokes memories of classic Berlin School arrangements followed by the longing cornet motifs floating atop tender, intimate and certainly PostRock- / Indietronica-aware structures in "Restituire Alle Luna Le Maree" which surely will resonate with fans of early duo works of Harald "Sack" Ziegler and Frank Schültge-Blumm with the tunes innate dreaminess and melancholia finding an immediate continuation in "I Feel Sunset", with a little bit of Tex-Mex x Americana fusion added to the mix. The subsequent "Seizampe: Storia Di Un'Amicizia Un Ragazzo E Un Cane" serves an entire story in its title alone backed by stripped down rhythm signatures, slightly distorted guitar works and scorched Desert Jazz elaborations whereas "Nido Vuoto D'Inverno" dives even deeper into tender looped minimalisms paired with slow organic Ambient movements, echo-heavy and New Age-informed guitar solos and, once again, Graziano Gatti Quadri's signature cornet tones before "A Whisper Of Roots" is nothing more than looped interlude which lasts less than a full minute. Furthermore "L'E Stackk Ol Vent" introduces an amalgamation of introvert and ruminant romanticisms and tender, almost frolicking, slowly cascading harmonies followed by "Il Nido Deela Cincia" and its alpine rural Jazz x Folk fusion turning into a slow motion headbanging PostRock anthem of sorts best listened to on a hot summer evening with a refreshing alcoholic beverage of choice at hand whereas the rather figuratively titled "Away With The Robins" waves goodbye on a slightly dubbed out and panoramic IndieFolk x DreamPop tip. An absolutely beautiful album which will be on heavy rotation at our premises over the course of the next weeks for sure.

Album artwork on Instagram!