CategoryReviews

“Rastilho” is a personal comment on the contemporary world, the simplest possible gesture: reaching for an instrument, playing, and looking towards the samba tradition to make a contemporary statement about Brazil under Bolsonaro’s rule.

Throughout forty minutes, Horse Lords combines microtonal harmonies, polyrhythms, minimalism, mathematical structures, dance potential and an algorithmic approach that sometimes reminds me of the Orange Milk roster.

Alabaster DePlume takes the suitcase labelled “jazz” on a trip around the globe. He opens it up in various corners of the world – for forty minutes, we delve into melodies as if taken straight from the Ethiopiques stage, set sail for the Far East and towards Japanese Min’yo folk, only to return to Europe along the path of Celtic music.

On “Nigunim” Bastarda lead us through their world with profound reverence, far away from the profane, maintaining the narrative potential of the nigunim. Yet the most important thing is that they are able to convey the full emotional load of this timeless music in their own inimitable style.

Exotic, surreal and full of contrasts: “Sea to Sea” sounds like a tale from the Atlantis, demonstrating the uniqueness of Sign Libra’s musical language.

Lonker See’s “Hamza” shows an entirely new side of the band – yet one that’s entirely consistent with their earlier work. In turn, while the meeting of three musicians from Bydgoszcz is no less surprising, the result is completely different to what they’ve been doing so far.

On Survival Kit, the ensemble led by Szymon Gąsiorek, one of the most interesting young composers of the moment, presents an attractive follow-up to ideas from their debut album. It is a tumultuous, complex story that utilizes a number of intriguing solutions.

Underground music skilfully takes apart the image of a sweet pop girl posturing in music videos. And not just that: it also sends a clear signal to all members of society who face discrimination because of their sex, origin or sexual orientation.

Koma Saxo and E/I are pushing the boundaries of jazz, going beyond the traditional understanding of the genre – and bringing some fresh air to the European scene.

“Processions” is a contemplative journey through folk music, a lesson in deep and close listening. Because you do have to listen closely to it, capture the sounds, their details, try to discern all the hidden layers. It’s an invitation to deep listening: this is escapist music, you have to let it play out, catch your ear in a trance