Review: On Higher Dreams is the debut LP from Italian producer and guitarist Isaac de Martin, aka IKE. It is couched in jazz and electronic fusion and draws inspiration from the time the artists spent in Egypt during the COVID pandemic back in 2020. It was there that themes of nature, contrast and cultural reverence for music informed the record's conceptual foundation. Tracks like 'Nilo' and 'Sidda' channel the life-giving force of the Nile and its surrounding traditions, and the whole thing was recorded live to analogue in Berlin so effortlessly merges vintage warmth with modern textures while offering a contemplative, cinematic experience shaped by cultural immersion and personal reflection. A strong debut, then.
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