Gondwana レコード& CD

Review: The Danish electronic jazz duo Svaneborg Kardyb - consisting of pianist Nikolaj Svaneborg and percussionist Jonas Kardyb - performed a short session for NPR in May 2022, a few months before the release of their third studio album Over Tage. Four tracks of exquisite jazz melded with Scandinavian folk influences, with artwork from Gondwana Records' Daniel Halsall, are presented to us in beautiful silvery-clear vinyl format. With the highs lopped off and the intonations muted, this is a serene, expectation-buttressing album.

Review: A unique collaboration between Milo Fitzpatrick of Portico Quartet, and Jordan Smart of Mammal Hands, Vega Trails' 'Tremors In The Static' hears these two mega-accomplished musicians bring nine spaced out forays through melodic, solo double bass. Taking their name from the Carl Sagan novel Contact (the Vega system), Influences from Swedish fiddle to Indian Classical are woven into a minimized tapestry of ambient instrumental sounds. Verbed-out folk jazz for your pleasure.

Review: Chip Wickham is a jazz musician and producer who divides his time between Spain, UK and the Middle-East, and who has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on the hard swinging spiritual jazz of Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef and Sahih Shihab, alongside the music of British jazz legends such as Tubby Hayes and Harold McNair. 'Cloud 10' rests easily on this broad spectrum of influences to paint an impressionistic picture of the slickness that nu-jazz has to offer today.

Review: Hot on the heels of his debut EP on Mathew Hallsall's Gondwana Records, saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham is back with a full length. He is a member of the first Godwana Orchestra and was on Halsall's debut long player Sending My Love, but now really steps out with a sound that is all his own on Cloud 10. It's lush and spiritual, with mellifluous keys draped over gentle drums and heart aching sax solos reaching truly emotional highs. Gorgeous, life-affirming stuff from this modern great.

Review: A cinematic sensation and an instant classic and record breaker, Disney's animated movie 'Frozen' celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year with this special zoetrope double picture disc featuring scenes from one of the, now, most iconic movies of all time moving before your eyes. Included is, of course, Idina Menzel's award-winning score 'Let it Go' which charted around the world and wormed its way into the ears of parents to this day. Not to be slept on, though, is Demi Lovato's rendition that plays over the credits sequence or 'Fixer Upper', the jovial chorus musical number.The perfect Christmas gift for the fan in your life, and trust us, there is statistically one somewhere, no matter how old.

Review: Released earlier this August, Brighton-born jazz musician and producer Chip Wickham's four-track EP 'Love & Life' is a multi-instrumental easy-listening record that has a subtle depth to its sloozy production. The opening track 'Space Walk' sets the bar right out of the gate with an incredible flute-driven story, backed by some gentle, brassy drums and jazz lounge piano. There's a distinct lo-fi quality to it in its vibe, but the sound of the xylophone is just so crisp against the tenor sax - it's like you're right there in the studio with Wickham.