Zameen (feat Marc Anthony Thompson C/O Chocolate Genuis Encorporated) (4:09)
Raat Ki Rani (6:11)
Saaqi (feat Vjay Iyer) (6:11)
Bolo Na (feat Moor Mother & Joel Ross) (6:05)
Last Night (feat Cautious Clay, Kaki King & Maeve Gilchrist - reprise) (4:50)
Review: Arooj Aftab's Night Reign is a stunning trip into the depths of the night, where inspiration thrives. Departing from themes of loss in her previous work, Aftab crafts an album rich with renewal and romance. Collaborations with artists like Cautious Clay and Moor Mother add layers to the lush soundscape, creating a cinematic experience. Each track, from the haunting 'Autumn Leaves' to the soulful 'Bolo Na,' weaves together to form a narrative of surrender and transformation. Aftab's voice, accompanied by intricate instrumentation, guides listeners through the darkness, offering moments of introspection and possibility. Night Train is a chance to throw yourself into the beauty and mystery of deep music, emerging renewed and transformed.
Review: Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Aroof Aftab presents her third studio album, and a record that has the power to transport listeners pretty much anywhere. While steeped in traditions stereotypically associated with her homeland, ears more attuned will quickly pick up on just how divergent this is. Whether you'd consider it a classical album is down to how you gauge that genre term, we'd say it has grown broad enough over the past century to definitely include this, but ultimately even that seems reductive.
Elements of poetry, ambient trance, jazz, minimalism, and new age, it's a spiritual and musical experience based around themes of discovery, loss, memory, and intimate connections with the Earth. Sonically, that translates as something that's at once sublime and yet also surprising, combining a multitude of influences from aeons of songwriting to create something that could not have existed in any previous era.
Zameen (feat Marc Anthony Thompson C/O Chocolate Genuis Encorporated) (4:09)
Raat Ki Rani (6:11)
Saaqi (feat Vjay Iyer) (6:11)
Bolo Na (feat Moor Mother & Joel Ross) (6:05)
Last Night (feat Cautious Clay, Kaki King & Maeve Gilchrist - reprise) (4:50)
Review: Arooj Aftab's Night Reign is a stunning trip into the depths of the night, where inspiration thrives. Departing from themes of loss in her previous work, Aftab crafts an album rich with renewal and romance. Collaborations with artists like Cautious Clay and Moor Mother add layers to the lush soundscape, creating a cinematic experience. Each track, from the haunting 'Autumn Leaves' to the soulful 'Bolo Na,' weaves together to form a narrative of surrender and transformation. Aftab's voice, accompanied by intricate instrumentation, guides listeners through the darkness, offering moments of introspection and possibility. Night Train is a chance to throw yourself into the beauty and mystery of deep music, emerging renewed and transformed.
Review: Al-Qasar deliver their unique debut album for WeWantSounds, exothermically reacting psych rock, pop and regional Sahel sounds. The five-piece band dropped their debut album Who Are We? for Glitterbeat in 2022, marking a potent Arabic and Middle Eastern psych rock inflection, where elements such as North African trance music were helped along their way in the form of continual reintroductions to Western ears. Characterised as "Arabian fuzz" by the band, their sound now hears a metempsychotic rebirth: this album was again recorded in both Europe and Africa, and, unlike their debut's Western collaborators (Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys), focuses on bustling rhythms lent by North African musicians such as Alsarah, Check Tidiane Seck and Sami Galbi.
Review: Altin Gun has a famously recognisable sound and it is once again laid bare heart for all to enjoy. This new album is a triumphant return for the much-loved sextet from Amsterdam and one that is high on energy levels throughout. Though familiar in that way, this Ask album finds the band ditching some of their synth-drenched former sounds and 80s and 90s pop leanings to return to their 70s Anatolian funk of their roots. It almost sounds like a live album such is the hustle and bustle of the music with the results sounding all the more warm and welcoming.
Review: We are extremely thankful of the existence of Altin Gun, a Dutch band who focus their efforts on playing Turkish folk/psychedelic rock. Three albums so far have served to establish their sprawling sound. Their latest, Ask, does particularly well to chuck additional funk and disco edges into the mix - but contemporaneously comes On, a reissue of their debut LP released in 2018. In reissuing it, French label Le Vinyl Club document the band's eureka moment and subsequent splash onto the scene that eventually won them a Grammy. Beautiful cuts such as 'Goca Dunya' hear well-polished takes on trad Turkish folk, but with an added energy and verve brought to the fore by not only an electrifying backing band, but a whopping two vocalists, Merve Dasdemir and Erdinc Ecevit Yildiz.
Review: Alvarius B's latest offering is a testament to the power of simplicity. The raw charm of his lo-fi, stripped-back arrangements allows his distinctive vocals to shine, lending a striking intimacy to every track. The album veers from covers of The Kinks to a hauntingly personal take on The Rolling Stones, but it's the original material that stands out. It's a rare thingiboth timeless and completely of its own time, drawing from folk, rock and an unshakeable sense of personal longing. It's unlikely anyone else could pull it off quite so well.
Review: Amen Dunes' Death Jokes represents a departure from Damon McMahon's previous work, as he delves into electronic music while critiquing American culture's glorification of violence and coercion. Inspired by his experiences and the societal shifts of recent years, McMahon embraces new artistic avenues, incorporating piano and electronic elements into his music. The album's genesis traces back to McMahon's decision to become a beginner again, immersing himself in piano and electronic music. This newfound experimentation, coupled with a thematic shift towards critiquing societal norms, gives rise to an album that feels both raw and prophetic. Songs like 'Round the World' and 'I Don't Mind' seem to anticipate the pandemic's effects, offering haunting reflections on the world's uncertainties. McMahon's collaborations with musicians like Sam Wilkes, Christoffer Berg, and Kwake Bass add depth to the album's sonic landscape. Death Jokes is a collage of samples, incorporating voices, music, and sounds from various sources, including YouTube and historical recordings. Through these diverse elements, McMahon constructs a narrative that examines America's culture of violence and individualism. Yet amidst the darkness, there are glimpses of hope and forgiveness. Tracks like 'Mary Anne' and 'Purple Land' explore themes of innocence, forgiveness, and the passage of time. The album culminates in gospel-infused songs that mourn societal divisions while yearning for spiritual connection. In its entirety, Death Jokes serves as an essay on the complexities of life and society, offering both critique and introspection. Through his music, McMahon challenges listeners to confront uncomfortable truths while holding onto hope for a better future.
Review: This long-awaited live album captures the band's performance from August 3, 1975, at the Hollywood Bowl, backed by a symphony conducted by the legendary George Martin. Remastered and restored, this 2-LP set, available for the first time on fruit punch vinyl, includes classic hits like 'Sister Golden Hair', 'A Horse With No Name', and 'Ventura Highway.' Previously an exclusive Record Store Day release, this album offers a unique glimpse into America’s peak era, featuring the original trio—Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek. The performance was part of a successful tour promoting their fifth album, Hearts, which included their number one single, 'Sister Golden Hair'. Dewey Bunnell reflects on the significance of the show, praising the collaboration with Martin and the band's high energy during the performance. Gerry Beckley and Bunnell both express excitement about the release, marking it as a significant addition to their legacy.
Review: Sam Amidon's new album is a mesmerising exploration of folk traditions, reimagined with contemporary textures and adventurous instrumentation. Collaborating with saxophonist/producer Sam Gendel and percussionist Philippe Melanson, Amidon breathes new life into ten collected songs, from the Appalachian ballad 'Golden Willow Tree' to a radically transformed version of Lou Reed's 'Big Sky'. Recorded as a trio in Gendel's Los Angeles home, the album intertwines acoustic folk with avant-garde electronic flourishes, creating a soundscape that's both timeless and groundbreaking. Standout tracks include the lead single 'I'm On My Journey Home', where Amidon's rediscovery of a loose swing in early 20th-century recordings inspires a lush, layered rendition that sets the tone for the album. The trio's rendition of Ornette Coleman's 'Friends And Neighbors' bursts with joyful communality, while 'Old Churchyard', reimagined as 'Three Five', pairs electronic layers with rhythms to evoke a redemptive atmosphere. With influences ranging from Arthur Russell to shape-note singing, this album exemplifies Amidon's quest to recontextualise folk music, offering an inventive and heartfelt homage to its enduring resonance.
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