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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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 "Dysthyhmnia" 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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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.

Album artwork on Instagram!

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 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!

Tonino Miano Trio - MOSS / electric [Aut Records 159]

Put out on the circuit via the Italian staple that is Aut Records on July 22nd, 2k26 is "MOSS / electric", the latest musical outing by the group named Tonino Miano Trio which is comprised of named Tonino Miano, Ricardo Grosso and Andrea Melani. Employing a sonic arsenal of piano, double bass and drums as well as synthesizers and modular systems the triumvirate of artists caters a menu of nine tracks rolled out over roughly 51 minutes total playtime opening with the rather meditative and ritualistic combination of somewhat chiming metallic percussions and seductive drum grooves to be found in the opening cut "Intro / Light Under The Tongue" which in parts and sequences evokes memories of a classic Minimal Music approach before introducing deep melancholia and elegic string harmonies alongside late night Jazz pianos whilst the subsequent "Moon Droplets On My Sleeve" apparently leaves electronics out of the equation and focuses on tentative piano runs backed by rather intricately arranged background grooves and tender bass backings whereas "Mycelium" certainly is on a playful, tongue-in-cheek and slightly anarchic tip, featuring quite a bunch of warped and warbled off kilter sounds which sound like a processed trumpet or mutilated horn without those instruments being credited on the album as a part of the sonic array. With "After Current" the Torrino Miano Trio dives deep into tender nocturnal Jazz minimalisms and sparse, almost skeletal structures with only a few modular interferences before introducing a lively swing approach, the title track "Moss Electric" weighs in lively and curious modular plinkerings leading into a playful and certainly joyous exploration of Free Improov-leaning Jazz vibes with the following "Filament Drift" catering a fluttering and slightly psychedelic tension that is unprecedented on this album, especially as we see the trio flirting with muscular DarkJazz and chaotic experimentalisms here. Furthermore "Chlorophilia" is as peaceful, intimate and enchanted as its title suggest, "Eight Minutes To The Sun" takes on lightspeed travel in an astoundingly stripped down and intimate way, basicly relying on chiming pianos and a background sax occasionally emerging from deep inside the mix with a further evolution towards even more tender late night grooves whilst the aptly named "Outro" waves goodbye and comes full circle with a focus on complex and captivating drum x percussion workouts once again. Go check.

A baze.djunkiii Assessment Of The 'Le Fuck Techno Import Mix' Cassette Tape Reissue

Zoepf / Gottschalk / Debacker - All You Can Hear [Acheulian Handaxe]

Released via Acheulian Handaxe on May 1st, 2k26 and sent to us directly by Joachim Zoepf only recently is "All You Can Hear", the first full-on album collaboration under this name created by Joachim Zoepf, Gunda Gottschalk and Marlies Debacker. Over the course of exactly 50 minutes and a total of nine pieces named "Annäherung 1-9" in a subsequent order the trio fuses the tonalities of their respective instruments - bass clarinet, violin and piano - with an attitude of radical equality and disciplined anarchy as its approach is described in the albums liner notes. With the intricately detailed, yet - at least in its early phase of evolution - still somewhat intimate opening piece "Annäherung 1" which later culminates in a dramatic climax of organized chaos the three musicians lay out the foundation for things to come, a steady meandering influenced and infused by elements of Contemporary Classical and Avantgarde, Free Jazz and Free Improv, an awareness of Minimal Music without following the genres path, a willingness to explore extremes in terms of dynamic changes as well as slightly humorous and tongue-in-cheek sequences in pieces like "Annäherung 2". Furthermore we find "Annäherung 3" in pursuit of abstraction and rather percussive scraping minimalism with "Annäherung 4" taking things into tense nocturnal territories, "Annäherung 6" exploring a buzzing and busy avantgarde tale in parts reminiscent of the somehow organized chaos of scattering, scurrying microscopic critters whereas "Annäherung 7" is introducing echoes of melancholia and tranquility in the remaining fragments of Classical composition this particular piece evokes memories of whilst the final cut that is "Annäherung 9" is taking Contemporary Classical to a rather cheeky and playful level despite a few dynamically intense, yet somewhat dissonant moments. One for a Avantgarde-informed audience, this.

The Bionics - Astro Mambo! [self-released album]

Put out on the circuit as a self-released CD album edition of 100 copies on March 11th, 2k26 is "Astro Mambo!", the latest musical outing by Daniel Mudford's off shoot project named The Bionics. Rolled out over seven tracks and a total run time of 45 minutes the album starts with the aptly named "Launch Pad" which then is conceptually followed by a series of five cuts named after pioneering female astronauts and space explorers from various nations which in itself provides a framework for the music to be found on this release. With "Launch Pad" the avid listener is taken on a brief trip into Balearic-infused Dub Rave realms before whilst "Sally Ride" fully indulges in tender, yet driving and spatial DubTechno vibes for late night dancefloors or sparkling sunset sets and "Valentina Tereshkova" brings forth a deeper, more floating, frolicking and surely AmbientTrance-adjacent vibe mixed with elements of Armchair- and Intelligent Techno as well as slightly experimental electroid breakdown sequences sporting a more futuristic feel for those who know. Furthermore we see "Helen Sharman" on a more twisted and spaced out, yet also more complex and captivating 4/4-driven dancefloor tip with a rather undeniable UK flavour, meandering forward through a plethora of ever changing arrangements like an extended electronic live jam, "Chiaki Mukai" weighs in a sonic contrast and brings forward what seem to be plucked, yet processed strings backed by a beautiful amalgamation of ChillOut x Deep Listening Music swing only to progress further towards mesmerizing Armchair Techno whereas "Mae Jemison"'s off-kilter backwards loop intro leads into more slow caressing Ambient DubTechno with a well rounded soft harmonic edge and weighs in echoes of bleeping Acid before the concluding cut that is "Bone Planet" waves goodbye on beatless, scenic, yet short and rather electronic landscape-y tip for a closing. Go get yourself a copy. Highly recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Ludvig Cimbrelius - Moonshadows [Sound In Silence 139]

Making a return to the Greek Sound In Silence label via his new album "Moonshadows" is Swedish producer Ludvig Cimbrelius. With his new longplay piece released on May 18th, 2k26 Cimbrelius is serving a sonic menu spanning a total of 14 tracks over the course of roughly 63 minutes, exclusively consisting of pieces written and composed between 2020 and 2023 whilst working on his longplayer named "Love Letters From The Sky" which was originally released in September of 2k22. Once again diving deep into the intricacies of Piano Ambient bordering on both (Neo)Classical and Ambiance x Easy x Comfort Listening we see the album transporting an unscathed beauty and simultaneously an innate melancholia of sorts, starting with the title track "Moonshadows" and the subsequent "The Beauty I Can't Describe" progressing into the tender caressing timelessness of "Längtan Efter Att Leva (Fran Floden Till Havet)", the chiming innocence of "The Day Your Eyes Learn To See", the cascadings mists of "Hearing Your Voice In The Wind" or the super romantic "The Beauty I Try To Describe" as well as the cascading "The Day You Let Yourself Live" which might be our personal favorite on this well comforting longplayer just to name a few. Go check if you're into beautifully organic Ambient music and x or Contemporary or (Neo)Classical.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Flavio Zanuttini - Requiem For Democracy [Aut Records 154]

This is a concept album. Put out on the circuit via the Italian Aut Records imprint as their cat.no. 154 on June 3rd, 2k26 "Requiem For Democracy", conceived by composer and trumpet player Flavio Zanuttini and brought to life with the help of Miljan Minic, Andera Liani, Marco D'Orlando and Giustina Selvelli functions, at least according to the accompanying press sheet, as a rite of passage for contemporary democracy, pointing towards things to come subsequently in terms of a new system of whatever shape and form this might take. This being said, the conceptual mass and service is rolled out over a total playtime of roughly 28 minutes and seven compositions including rather ecclesiastical titles like "Kyrie Eleison", "Dies Irae", "Lacrimosa" and "Lux Aeterna", exploring a path of deep mourning and introversion from the get go, adds a grain of explorative, tentative and playful Jazz explorations to its atmospheric theme, touches on adjacent genres like DarkJazz in the echo- and delay-heavy "Tuba Mirum" and weighing in a deeply comforting take on sustained harmonies alongside experimental electronic rhythm signatures created by modular synthesizers in pieces like "Hostias". Imagine this as a soundtrack x score for grainy vintage experimental black and white movie of yore and you'll have a perfect audiovisual representation of this albums sonic contents. One to check out for the avid collector of all things Deep Jazz and beyond.

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Julien Gasc - Perles, Coraux & Requins [Prohibited Records 077]

Released via Prohibited Records on June 5th, 2k26 is "Perles, Coraux & Requins", the latest full length album cooked up by Julien Gasc, acclaimed solo musician as well as touring member of Stereolab and part of the Aquaserge super group. Catering a menu of ten brand new songs and pieces on this 38 minutes spanning musical outing we see Julien Gasc - with a little help from Tim Gane, Anton Newcombe and others... - exploring a realm that is, if anything, very distinctly French not only by language but also by sound, referencing Indietronica as well as Easy Listening in its uniquely quirky take on Leftfield Pop and dreamy Chanson culture, drawing inspiration from Club Pop, Art Pop and Exotica - think: Pizzicato Five and similar bands from that era - as well as Indie cool and the distinct artsy boredom showcased by bands like Superorganism recently and all their sleazy predecessors in the 90s, blending in minimalist basement bar whiteouts, experimental arthouse films and cold cigarette smoke without sounding deliberately retro, nostalgic or anything along these lines. Instead "Perles, Coraux & Requins" seems like a long lost artefact, an old friend not seen for a while, a reacquaintance, an old barn, garden shack or attic that hasn't been entered for a long time. An album that has always been there but remained unexplored, comforting, warm and beautiful, yet still timeless and positively trapped in its own reclusive reality and therefore not to be seen or to be set in relation to anything in contemporary fast fashion Pop culture. This album is. And this is all one needs to know.

Album artwork on Instagram!

The Bionics - Sea Otters [Tender Storage]

Coming to us directly from the UK, from the premises of Mr. Daniel Mudford of Balham himself to be even more precise, is "Sea Otters", the October 1st, 2k25 released sophomore album by his The Bionics project. Put out on the physical circuit as a limited to 100 copies CD edition the six rather cryptically named tracks - "b125", "c113", "d108", "e115", "f118a" and "g120+" - to be found on this approx. 54 minutes spanning longplay journey are covering a wide range of electronic exploration and experimentation, starting with the rather funky, yet dubbed out subaquatic IDM x Electronica vibes of "b125" which take a drastic and well surprising turn from busy, buzzing and advanced dancefloor friendly towards certainly uplifting and positive DubTechno x TechHouse within seconds before "c113" embarks on a misty melodic journey backed by a pulse of deep 4/4 drum sequencing further evolving into deep Armchair Techno with metallic textures reminiscent of Monolake ca. 1999 before echoes of oldskool Balearic Rave take over. Furthermore "d108" dives deep into sparse Downtempo rhythms, Ambient textures and Dub-infused fanfares building up to what one could imagine being the final track played on a main floor after an ecstatic rave night out, sending punters home on a cloud of grooves driven forward by what are to become complex, yet comforting Intelligent Techno signatures whereas "e115" provides a little more late night pressure in the form of spatial, stripped down and precisely sculpted UK Intelligent Techno - think: X-Mix-3 here - and therefore might be one of our favorite cuts on this album. With "f118a" we see The Bionics on a chiming and cystalline Ambient Techno x Armchair Techno tip for classic ChillOut floors before "g120+" rounds things off with a state of trance-inducing, ever meandering take on, once again, DubTechno turning towards futuristic, hyperelastic minimalist dancefloor hypnotisms for those who know somewhat around the four minutes mark. A recommended addition to the collection of fans of electronic live jams and free floating ChillOut atmospherics.

Album artwork on Instagram!

ZÖJ - May The Devil's Ear Be Deaf [Parentheses Records 022]

Another fresh release in the roster of the Belgian Parentheses Records label is "May The Devil's Ear Be Deaf", the latest album outing by the Australian duo ZÖJ which fuses Persian influences, instruments and Spoken Word poetry with Western experimentalism and contemporary composition. Put out on May 1st, 2k26 the four pieces and 37 minutes spanning album sees the duo comprised of Gelareh Pour and Brian O'Dwyer explore a hovering, ethereal vocal performance floating atop minimalist and spatial backing structures based on sparse rhythmic elements and subdued atmospherics with the opening piece that is "Termites" followed by the, seemingly multiple, meandering and tentative paths of what seem to be live processed flute-like tonalities, emerging string pluckings and skeletal percussion sequences of "Desert Motreb" which build up towards an unexpectedly tense and thundering climax over time. Furthermore "Woe To The Ear" brings on more captivating vocal timelessness, this time backed by nervous, brooding and certainly danger-heralding movements and electronic processings whereas "She Sleeps With Genies" provides closure and inward-looking desert melancholia paired with quasi-mediterranean echoes of Classical x Contemporary Music for mystical and x or spiritual storytelling under a scorching summer sun only to once again end up with an almost ritualistic, fever'ish percussive outburst - and a well surprising bonus bit. File under: Global Avantgarde Fusion.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Matthias Muche Bonecrusher - Densities (12 Trombones & Percussion) [Hat Hut Records / Ezz-Thetics]

Released in collaboration between Hat Hut Records and Ezz-Thetics is "Densities (12 Trombones & Percussion)", another fresh album conceptually led by German trombone player Matthias Muche who pairs a total of twelve trombonists with the sound of a prepared snare drum executed by Etienne Nillesen over the course of four compositions and roughly 45 minutes with this release. Opening with "Butter - BC" we see the ensemble tackling a sonic construct built from slowly morphing and emerging glacial dronings on the verge of both Dark Ambient and Deep Listening Music evolving into a tense eerie quasi-crescendo of sorts which sees the previously aligned instruments falling out of line in a rather uncanny and off-kilter fashion whereas "Quater - BC" as a follow up provides an ebb and flow of raw, dark and danger heralding movements mostly within the instruments lower registers, creating a brooding and claustrophic listening experience at times garnished by Free and Jazz-informed solo excursions before later fading out in a surprisingly calm and peaceful manner. Furthermore the Matthias Müller composed "Up & Down" provides precisely executed dynamic movements of the exact nature the pieces title describes whilst Johannes Bauer's "Brass Breath Brisk (For Ensemble)" opens up with a rather intense and somewhat nerve-wrecking outburst and further progresses in an exploration of slightly off-kilter or openly disharmonic layerings, siren'esque swirls alongside other unsettling and otherworldly movements only occasionally interrupted by brief moments of ease - or near silence even - before taking a short detour toward Free Jazz / Improv and finally coming full circle in terms of raw unfiltered intensity. One for an Avantgarde-informed audience, this.

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Bassism Trio - Dreams Must Explain Themselves [Aut Records 158]

Released via Aut Records in a most beautiful retro-futurist sci-fi leaning cover artwork on July 8th, 2k26 is "Dreams Must Explain Themselves", the latest album by the Italian Bassism Trio which is comprised of Enrico De Britiis, Alberto Popolla and Ferdinando Farao alongside Naima Farao who joins the group for a guest vocal appearance on the opening title track. The six tracks and 32 minutes spanning longplay outing starts with "Dreams Must Explain Themselves" which is a fiery take on hot seductive Future Dancefloor Jazz with a highly energetic AfroBeat x AfroFunk twist meant to tear up informed dancefloors in venues like Hamburg's Mojo Club or probably fit into the selection of DJs like Gilles Peterson and other forward thinking eclectists despite getting lost in trippy and well psychedelic sequences at times followed by "Kesh Valley Part 1" which turns out to be a free floating, peaceful and certainly Ambient-infused affair before "Hampstead Heath" explores complex, yet stripped down rhythm signatures and raw sax motifs rolled out over highly seductive Jazz grooves for advanced late night lovers unafraid of improvisational outbursts. With "Foggy", stretched out over eight minutes as the albums most extended piece, the group weighs in what probably could be considered to be the most classic and traditional take on long and winding Deep Jazz on here, "Kesh Valley Part 2" continues on the path laid out by part one, yet adds an impactful layer of Spoken Word and the short "Shales" weighs in more muscular uptempo Jazz heat for a closing that comes full circle in terms of power and energy levels. Good stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!