It's great we have this term 'jazz' to categorise what we have trouble putting into words and yet, the NYC-based Slavo Rican Assembly evades said pigeonholing, taking its dazzling compositions to new dimensions on "Intercosmic". The group's rapturous debut full-length on Riverboat Records is an extraordinary blend of temporality, in that it successfully channels ancestral voices to create a tantalizing and no doubt contemporary melting pot of sound. Led by [...]

Ever since Russia unleashed its senseless imperialistic fury on neighbouring Ukraine some 268 days ago, our dear friend Yuriy Gurzhy (The Disorientalists) has become a voice of the local cultural resistance and extremely active on all artistic fronts. Originally from Kharkiv yet based in Berlin, the multitalented musician, former DJ of the legendary "Russendisko" party series and co-founder of multilingual Berlin band RotFront began writing a regular 'war [...]

In 2021, the group's genre-defying debut full-length "Yaral Sa Doom" ('Educate the Young') set the tone for a promising career and no doubt put them on the global map. Now, Senegal's cross-continental Wau Wau Collectif returns to Christopher Kirkley's Sahel Sounds to unveil their sophomore full-length, building on their initial themes and expanding on their stylistically diverse approach, quite literally wedding a plethora of musical hues. Some of the rhythms [...]

Having grown up in the immediate environment of a 'Kontrabass', this one was born out of a personal interest to see what sounds this particular double bassist would be able to produce. After spending more than a decade as the bassist of French band Lo'Jo, Kham Meslien decided to test the waters and embark on a solo project with an instrument still commonly considered to be more of an accompanying voice. His recently released debut solo album "Fantômes... [...]

With 'spooky fest' rapidly approaching, we decided it's due time we introduce you to Amsterdam-based multi-instrumentalist, DJ, record junkie and producer Alex Figueira's latest outing on his very own Music With Soul imprint. Also known as the "hardest working man in tropical music," Figueira recently dropped this original nine-track collection and "multi-layered kaleidoscopic musical ride" titled"Maracas, Tambourines and Other Hellish Things", a cinematic [...]

Big sounds coming from the island of Cyprus once again, produced by none other than the mastermind behind groundbreaking and award-winning outfits such as Monsieur Doumani and Trio Tekke, Antonis Antoniou. Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed 2021-released debut solo album "Kkismettin", the extraordinarily skilled composer, sound artist, producer and unconventional collector of experiences returns to Ajabu! Records with another adventurous full-length, [...]

Had it not been for the pandemic, the music currently streaming out of our speaker system would probably have a different spin to it. But that, of course, is somewhat speculative. Fact is, in 2020, French DJ, beatmaker and producer GUTS had a new album lined up to be entirely recorded on the island of Cuba. Due to strict travel regulations, however, the itinerary was altered accordingly and GUTS decided to set up camp on the West African coast instead of in the [...]

You might say we were just waiting for their debut full-length to hit the shelves. Swiss-French four-piece KUMA ('bear' in Japanese) released its debut EP "Kumadé" on Barcelona's Rocafort Records imprint back in 2020, showing obvious flashes of brilliance, reconciling a classically trained foundation with hiphop culture and a freeform electronic undercurrent. KUMA are very much a contemporary jazz outfit blending whatever comes to mind and always eager to go [...]

Truth be told, we've had this tab open in our browser for quite some time now, sensing that this was a release we would at some point get around to reviewing because it is so out of the ordinary. It just so happens that today was the day that we would hit play and let the Beirut-based multi-instrumentalist, video artist and puppeteer Yara Asmar invite us into her wondrous world. Released last month on Brighton's Hive Mind Records, her "Home Recordings [...]

With the ongoing women-led uprising in Iran calling for change, the timing couldn't be better for the return of the award-winning Israeli-Persian singer Liraz and her third album. Released today on Glitterbeat Records, "Roya" (meaning 'fantasy' in Farsi) brings us "an exhilarating blend of tradi-modern rhythms and retro-Persian sonics," reminiscent of the lively pre-revolution Iranian pop scene. The eleven new tracks were recorded in Istanbul alongside [...]

Life with all its ups and downs is a beautiful experience nonetheless and all things considered, we couldn't have one without the other. At the tail end of yet another busy week, as we slowly pack up our things and prepare to head home for the weekend, we look forward to having some time to unwind and enjoy some downtime on our own or with our loved ones. And with that in mind, we would like to share the brand-new album by Jerusalem-based acoustic bass [...]

Just a few days after sharing Weltbeat host and selector Jean Trouillet's special Globalwize tribute show to the great Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan via Greedio, we remain in spiritual territory behind the meditative sounds of Indian sitar player and composer Purbayan Chatterjee and his lifelong friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia. "Saath Saath" is the title of Chatterjee's latest album, performed alongside Chaurasia on flute, Ojas Adhiya and Satyajit [...]