Review: Àbáse - Laroyê (2026 Remaster) (Bridge The Gap)

It's not often you get a 5th anniversary remaster of any album but it's not going to take you long before you realize Bridge The Gaps' Àbáse "breakthrough' project 'Laroyê' is worthy of a proper May Day celebration.

It's not been that long since Naná Rizinni's album, 'Epiblast' (see review HERE) but here's another fantastic album.  This time by acclaimed Hugarian/Berlin-based producer, composer and pianist/keyboardist Àbáse (aka Szabolcs Bognár) brings to life his travels through Brazil musically in 13 tracks. 

We are told the album, “'Laroyê' evolved through weeks and months of research and collaborations into the album that it is now. That means that all the sessions were done in different apartments, small studios, often with borrowed equipment, which all adds to the character, but makes the creation of a coherent sound a challenge. Benjamin Tierney, Erik Breuer and Analogue Foundation did an incredible job with the mixes and with this new remaster. I truly believe that we are able to hear the tracks in a new light, with even more depth and clarity.ˮ

Coming from the West African Yoruban language, ‘Àbáse stands for “collaborationˮ – a key element of the music perfectly encapsulated on ‘Laroyêʼ. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Abáse spent five months working with diverse artists, from young talents to veterans of the Brazilian scene including Letieres Leite, Luciane Dom, Dofono dʼOmolu, Afrojazz and more. The album explores the rich heritage of Afro-Brasilian culture through samba, MPB and Candomblé, mixing these with broken beat, hip hop and afrobeat, creating e a contemporary homage to the classic Brazilian sound. Szabolcs shares: “Despite already leading and managing musical projects that are close to my hearth, I always felt that one day I would like to start a solo project, where I could take full responsibility for the artistic direction and the music would reflect a truly personal vision. In 2017, I decided to take five months to fulfil a childhood dream and travel to Brazil to expand my creative horizon and expose myself to new influences.ˮ 

And as the result is possibley the closest you're likely to get between beautiful Hermeto Pascoal, West London, jazz-soul MPB Sao Jorge!  Recommended to get you your Bandcamp Friday orders in as likely to sell-out very quick.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Laroyê (2026 Remaster) | Àbáse

Artist: Àbáse 

Title: Laroyê

Release date: 1st May, 2026

Label : Bridge The Gap / Oshu Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: 2x LP 180g Vinyl / Dgital / Bandcamp  

Review: Max Sinàl - Healing EP (Soul Quest Records)

We said "more trumpet" and Soul Quest Records have agreed with thier latest EP by Max Sinàl, 'Healing' and it's delivered in more ways than one!

Following up on Sean Green's 'The Green Room' (see review HERE), Soul Quest's head honcho Max Sinal's returns with another collaboration with KingCrowney (remember 'Intentions' (see review HERE with vocalist Liv East) for a deeply personal look at leftfield synth-jazz Bruk house dancefloor.

By way of background, we're told, "Healing EP is a deeply personal body of work. The project is built around a narrative of Max’s mental health journey, with each track representing a different chapter in his life, moments where his mental wellbeing was tested, reshaped and ultimately strengthened. Sonically, each record inhabits its own distinct space, reflecting the emotional contrasts of those periods, before culminating in a closing statement of healing… a journey that, as Max emphasises, remains ongoing"

And just to prove it, the opener, "Reflecion" goes post-BRUK deep house with busy percussion with warm Lonnie Liston Smith keys and KingCrowney's trumpet mood on top.  If you're a fan of Zachary Berns' 'canvas'/'rendezvous' release (see review HERE) there's a distinct NY/London axis - any reflections on a two-way remix project?

'Maya', named after Sinàl's daughter, is a total change in place with spoken word "reflections" on being a parent (the anti-dote to (Salt Queen - see review HERE) with shufflin' pimng-pong and KingCrowney's trumpet going down the train track - it's great!

'Alone' is another track rooted in West London BRUK legacy with some cool vocals and serious wobble whilst the EP ends on another collaboration with Liv East (following the aformentioned 'Intentions') with the title track 'Healings' which has already been described as, "a genuinely stunning concluding cut".

This is a optimistic release and 'Healing' is you're big club/radio ready tune that's totally supported by the rest of the EP.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDR: https://www.juno.co.uk/products/max-sinal-healing-ep-vinyl/1144824-01/

Artist: Max Sinàl

Title: Healing EP

Release date: 1st May, 2026

Label : Soul Quest Records

Catalog Number : SQR021

Format:  12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Arsene - It's A Feeling (Global Caress)

Star Creatures' Global Caress hits us a brand new 12" by Asene, descirbed as a "slammin' sophmore EP from NYC via Chicago's Rookie Of The Year! And he's Belgian!  

Phew, at least it's not the most famous Arsene that we know but this 4 tracker that follows last years' 'Jack Shit' / 'The Breeze Of Your Shirt'; indeed Arsene Zaninotto slips into the Global Caress's recent jackin' scene following Fugitive Artifact's latest 7" (see review HERE) and it's more than a feeling that it's going to take over the world (again).

As they say, the "Belgian Bruiser returns ... this new projects shows clear forensic evidence the newcomer is no stranger to the sound and feel of the East Coast Underground - I'm not talking about bridge and tunnel house. Don't be Nervous - pick up doubles of these New Grooves or be left Strictly behind (Ed. did you see what they did there?)

'Hot Sweaty Nights' is born out of the jazz-house groove where a "Windy City CTA commuter" sits so well next to the NYC train transit of Zachery Burns (see review HERE); especially as the '1-55' picks up speed and a vibe, perhaps even a squeaky wheel?

If you don't know Arsene, this is good place to start.

OpenLab:  Star Creature Vibes Radio - Tim Zawada HERE

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: It's A Feeling | Arsene

Artist: Arsene

Title:  It's A Feeling 

Release date: 1st May, 2026

Label : Global Caress / Star Creature

Catalog Number : SC1268 / GLOCAR011

Format: 12" Vinyl  / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Seven Davis Jr. - SAMUEL (Secret Angels)

'Samuel' being Seven Davis Jr.'s birth name, you might think that naming his new album the same is a return to his roots, what with the cassette tape artwork and for an album "made specifically for dance floors of all types" - well, its new and there's some 15 tracks of all 'SAMUEL' types here!

Recorded after working on Honey Dijon's "The Nightlife" and various projects with John Cale (Ed. something you'd think Arthur Russell would be doing if he was still alive, RIP), he's cut back on the collaborations on the new album to just Jon Dixon ('FOOL Vs LOVE') and Nikki Nair '(I BE KNOWING').

And on first listen, these are the two tracks that stand out which I find a little surprising as I have recently 'found' his Ninja Tune debut album 'Universes' and 'Come and Go' (Sounds Of The Universe compilation), both 2015 on an old hard drive; shall we call this his London period?  So I was more than excited I hear of a new Seven/SAMUEL album and not only that, a massive 15 track collection of "Electro Pop/Indie Dance/House fusion project". 

And it's sometimes very him, like the sexy 'DODGEY, DOGEY', whilst equally dodgey, like 'PLAYER Vs. HATER'.  When he's at his space boogie funk best, he can rub shoulders with Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Hieroglyhic Being etc. like on 'UNTIL THE PARTY IS OVER' and 'LIFE IS A TRIP'! 

It's odd to look back a 'Universes' to see it was criticised at the time for being aimed at "home listening" album whilst "expecting something more club friendly".  Even SVJ said it was a R&B album!  Well, you can't label this LP as not being 'club friendly' as there's something for all times - even though,you might never had a love like this before!

Released to co-incide with his birthday, this is a present to us all and 'I LOVE MY FRIENDS' is the groove for the 80s synth-bounce funkers - he loves his friends.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://linktr.ee/sevendavisjr

Artist: Seven Davis Jr.

Title: Samuel LP
Release date: 3rd April, 2026
Label : Secret Angels
Catalog Number : SAR14
Format:  Digital / Streaming  

Review: Michael Blake's Chroma Nova - Piccolos Before Rifles (P&M Records)

When Woody Guthrie wrote, "This machine kills fascists" on his guitar (as "adopted" by The Clash and many others) I bet he'd never imagine a homage of 'Piccolos Before Rifle' but indeed, Michael Blake's new album title is that, jazzy, brilliant and much more!

The best jazz album this year since Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions 'Mahalle' (see review HERE) as this album has many influence's and flavours being lead by Canadian composer/saxophonist, Michael Blake.

This is a follow-up to Blake's 'Dance Of The Mystic Bliss' (2023) with a similar e.nsemble of musicians; Guilherme Monteiro (guitar), Skye Steele (violin),Rogério Boccato (percussion) with a new bassist, Gili Lopes who blend "modern jazz with elements of Brazilian rock and West African rhythms".

The album/title track, we are told, draws on the scene in Copenhagen, where the Royal Life Guards Music Band makes its daily rounds — flutes leading the way, followed by armed soldiers — prompting Blake to reflect on the paradox of music as a tool of war"  Indeed the title track has a hint of march, inprovisational currents and a yearning for peace.

And there's more connections Copenhagen in that Swedish born-Turkish heritage Ilhan Ersahin NYC living saxophonist-club owner had a roll in Forro In The Dark's 2009's 'Light A Candle' album which featured Monteiro on guitar and his playing is a bit of a linch pin/counter-point to Blake as there's Indo-world connections as well as Blake's spiritual flute playing, as on 'Black Taj' and sax on 'Elephant Crush'.

Similarly, 'Mauritania' (Blake on flute) is clearly inspired by the legendary Ali Farka Touré (who passed away in 2006 and a much loved Charlie Gillett favourite).

Equally stand-out is 'Cold Stone Stan' that remininds me a little of Michael White, and 'Temples' switches to a Monteiro/Skye Steele "feature" but it's unfair to pick out any of the band members individually on this track or the rest of the album as its really a group project; now emphasised with the name, Michael Blake's Chroma Nova.

A classy album that's in your Worldwide FM/BBC Radio 3 jazz envelope of underground mainstream-WOMAD; be prepared to be impressed.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Music | Michael Blake

Artist: Michael Blake's Chroma Nova

Title:  Mahalle      
Release date: 1st May, 2026
Label : P&M Records
Catalog Number: TBC
Format:  LP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Ellie Wilson - Listen To The River Ching (Independent)

Introducing an "immersive sonic journey of the riverbank and its underwater world", Ellie Wilson's 'Listen To The River Ching', the little known Lea Valley waterway that has more to reveal than you'd think!

If you're familiar with the groups Detwiije, REVERE and Stick In The Wheel, you'll know composer/violinist Ellie Wilson and, with some of her local friends, this new single is her 'love letter' to the River Ching that's deep in Epping Forest.

Picking up where the album 'Echoes: Uneathing Stories Of The Forest' (2019) left off (when she was the Forests' 'Artist In Residence') and sonically picks up fans of the Enclosure Acts, Public Protest, Queen Victoria's "lungs of London" quote, John Rogers and Radio 4's 'Open Country' (see links below).

Not only that, Ellie was inspired by her great-grandfather's copy of Henry Hawkins’ book 'Epping Forest – London’s Great Legacy' (1895) as the readings are incorporated it connects "past and present through place, memory and listening".  

So this all sounds very local (think global) a la the recent 'Ocean Songs' collaboration (see HERE).  And at the same time,  it's like a complementry antidote to Leo Chadburn's 'tribute' to his his hometown of Coalville, Leicestershire and the industrial ruination of the Midlands (on last year's 'Sleep In the Shadow Of The Alternator' - see review HERE) 

The reality is, the area is a mere stones throw from the urban areas of Chingford, Wanstead, Leyton, Leytonstone, Walthamstow that are so East London now compared to the Essex boarders of the 19th Century when the book was written.  Thankfully the area is still boarded by the Lea Valley and Wanstead Flats and this 'Tales Of The Riverbank' was commissioned by the Ching Action Group and funded by a grant from Waltham Forest's ‘Make it Happen’ with support from Highams Park Planning Group.and features the puplils with vision impairment from the local Joseph Clarke School.

The work combines "percussion and whispered voices (water spirits) captured in the classroom with field recordings of the riverbank and its underwater world. This is combined with violin, synthesiser, piano, percussion and sound design for an immersive experience, evoking the flow of the river as it meanders through Epping Forest and slips quietly past back gardens, playing fields and allotments" and possibly some notorious spots too!

It's like a modern day Forest/Water based 'The Imagined Village' where the natural found sounds, spoken word/poetry touch the river and forest... like the interconnected forces of yin and yang? 

Launch Event: Wednesday 6 May 12.30-16:30 Brookfield Meadow, Highams Park

John Rogers (writer/film-maker "Ellie Wilson’s Listen to the River Ching gives voice to this magickal watercourse, featuring field recordings, composition and readings the Ching speaks to us through Ellie’s enchanting creation. Such a beautiful tribute to this essential capillary of London" - thelostbyway.com - A Walk Along The River Ching (link HERE).

Open Country - BBC Radio 4 - Open Country, The People's Forest 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://elliewilson.bandcamp.com/album/listen-to-the-river-ching-single

Even more info: https://www.elliewilsonmusic.co.uk/listen-to-the-river-ching & Ellie's ongoing project Moth x Human which got quite a lot of exposure last year: https://www.elliewilsonmusic.co.uk/news-1/2025/7/26/out-now-on-nmc-recordings

Ching Action Group (volunteers that aims to improve the River Ching for people and nature along the river and enhance local people’s relationship with green spaces) to see the work that they are doing go to their Facebook

Ellie Wilson: composer, violin, hardanger fiddle, voice, sound design
Pupils from Joseph Clarke School: whispered voices, shakers
Thom Ashworth: mix, master, sound design

Artist: Ellie Wilson
Title: Listen To The River Ching
Release date: 6th May, 2026
Label: Independent

Cat. No:EW006

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Fugitive Artifact - Get Some Rest / In Service To Jack (Global Caress)

Star Creatures' Global Caress is the platform for Brooklyn based Fugitive Artifact's first vinyl release which is like a kiss on the dancefloor!

With previous releases out on very limited editions on cassette, this MPC manipulator has gone to Chicago Jack roots for inspiration as 'Get Some Rest' is a bit of a tongue in cheek as it chants/repeat/loops "Put This Beat To Rest" as it's then developed with pan-pipes and a heavy piano riff?  

Even more minimal old skool Jack with a funk, on the flip get down with 'In Service To Jack' that grooves for seven minutes of "get down" - and sometimes, "get down on your knees".

Peter Roglin (aka Fugitive Artifact) would have been a big part of Heidi Presents The Jackathon revival 10-15 years ago (Ed. as a side note, DJ Heidi has revealed how unwell she has been recently so all at YATM wish her well and a speedy recovery) and this release is again, "2 Reasons To Jack".

Not as leftfield as you might think!

OpenLab:  Star Creature Vibes Radio - Tim Zawada HERE

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Get Some Rest / In Service To Jack | Fugitive Artifact

Artist: Fugitive Artifact  

Title:  Get Some Rest / In Service to Jack

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label : Global Caress / Star Creature

Catalog Number : SC7096

Format: 7" Vinyl  / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Rossano Snel - And I Miss You / Kena (XJAZZ! Music)

Regular readers know were big fans of Tallinn's IDA radio station and here's something our mate Chris Long will be getting on his playlist!  

In Tallinn, trio Rossano Snel (piano), Marcelo Chacur Politano (tenor sax and overtone flute) and Francesco Russo (bassoon) have come together to reform Brazilian roots and jazz with Rossano’s compositions within an improvisational flow to produce something new and familiar at the same time.

The stately and deeply moving 'And I Miss You' and energetic overtone-flute-laden 'Kena' are two highlights from Rossano Snel’s forthcoming instrumental album 'Sketches of Tallinn', out April 24th on Berlin's XJAZZ label.

Born in Brazil and based in Berlin, Rossano is a self-taught pianist and composer working with lush harmonies, minimalism, Brazilian influences, and cinematic soundscapes. He plays piano and synths, and arranges music for ensembles creating orchestrations that balance chaos and clarity, structure and improvisation. He was a twin. Gemini. At three months pregnant, Rossano's mother had an accident. His sister didn’t survive, he did. That early fracture shaped everything. Since then, he lives as two in one. This imprint left him with a heightened sensitivity - a magnetic pull toward the subtle, the subjective, the hauntingly beautiful. His music often drifts along the blurred edges of melancholy and ecstasy, of dream and disquiet.

In 2023, he released CARBON - an EP shaped by the quiet terror of climate collapse. A piano version of Lithium (Nirvana) appears alongside original works like Force of Nature (you and me) and NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME. His piano piece Sunday 23 was released under the prestigious care of Deutsche Grammophon. He approaches music like someone remembering a wild dream - vividly and sometimes a little haunted.

Marcelo Politano is a Brazilian-Italian composer and multi- instrumentalist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in saxophone from the Campinas State University (Brazil), a master’s degree in classical composition from the Conservatory of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and a master’s degree in audiovisual composition at EAMT (Estonia). He is currently a doctoral candidate at EAMT and at DocMus of the Sibelius Academy in the field of Music Composition. Marcelo has strong ties and a comprehensive knowledge of traditional music in Brazil and Latin America in general. Apart from the saxophone and different types of guitars, he performs various traditional flutes from South America. He is currently a lecturer in traditional music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as well as a part-time teacher of ensemble and transcultural composition at the Sibelius Academy in Finland. He is specially interested in the enriching dialogue between musical traditions and artistic practices.

Francesco Pio Russo is an Italian bassoonist, saxophonist, and improviser currently pursuing a Doctorate in Artistic Research at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he explores the expansion of extended techniques on bassoon in contemporary and improvisational music, under the guidance of Professors Peeter Sarapuu and Theodore Parker. In addition to his classical training, he studied jazz saxophone with renowned artist Stefano Di Battista and remains active as a performer across genres. He has worked as principal bassoon in the Estonian National Opera and since 2023, he has been a member of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

Album 'Sketches of Tallinn' will be out in April 2026.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://orcd.co/sketchesoftallinn

Artist: Rossano Snel 

Title:  And I Miss You / Kena 

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label : XJAZZ! Music

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: 12" Vinyl  / Digital 

Review: Michele Papadia - Out Of Gravity (A.MA Records)

With all the coverage of space travel to the the moon, Michele Papadia sticks a jazz rocket up yours with a new 10 track album, 'Out Of Gravity' - and it's flying! 

You might not immediately link the 60s Mod-Jazz/Hard Bop with the Hammond organ or Tomorrow's Warriors fusion style but for pianist Michele Papadia, with a specialist subject of Hammond organ and analog synths, his collaborations with modern jazz/blues/rock elite of Gianluca Petrella, Bobby Previte, Lars Danielsson, Joe Bonnamassa, Brian Auger, Eric Gales, Robben Ford and Kirk Fletcher and more.

With Papadia on Wurlitzer, Fender Radio, Piano, Hammond Organ and synth the core group is completed by Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet, effects), Francesco Bearzatti (tenor sax), Francesco Ponticelli (electric bass) and Stefano Tamborrino (drums, percussion).

And on the album, the quintet is joined by guest appearances from Kokayi (vocalist and lyrical improviser) on the title track, reminiscent of Kameelah Waheed on a BRUK-jazzdance free-style that's spacey - like Italian cool Heliocentrics?  It's 7 minutes long but that Ra like synth solo at the end does indicate a 12" arkestra version could be an option - it is 'Out Of Gravity' after all.

Back on earth, Malian Conga and Ngoni player Kalifa Kone joins in for two tracks, 'A New Beginning' (Afro-spiritual intro to watch out for) and 'Afrolution' (ft. Angela Esmeralda on vocals); 'Afrolution' is very fusion heavy with great vocals.

Angela Esmeralda also features on 2 other tracks 'Balanced Entropy' (that's a proper grower that slots on the scale of jazz/bruk/poerty of Okumu/Joseph's 'The Ark' - see review HERE: especially the manic space synth and the dubby horns) and 'Flowing Soul' (where she is joined by Watermelon Funk's Deshawn 'D'Vibes' Alexander) that's Ayers/Sa-Ra  Creative meets Roy Hargrove (Ed. that's how good this is!)

And then you've got Mia Cooper on 3 other tracks; 'Freedom To Live' (that highlights the spoken word conscientiousness), 'Peace Of Mind' and 'Freedom To Pray' so, by now, you can tell that the album has global collective world view of jazz-funk.  There's also Bob James OST/TV theme elements; Miss Arrow - Bosso's horn so on target with this one and only topped by the sax solo - 'In My Soul' is Rockford-esque soul-jazz; so what more do you want? 

Listening to this album, at times it sounds like Papadia has taken out Roy Ayers to find his own lead roll on various keys (notably, 'Flowing Soul') and as most tracks are in the 7/8 minute time range, it's going to be your top jazz big heads like Peterson, Forge, Parnell, Beadle, Murphy, Peden etc that's get on this one so not a bad idea to get it ourselves: Elbert Phillips' remix of 'Balanced Entropy' anyone?

Buy Link / PRE-ORDER: Out Of Gravity | Michele Papadia | A.MA Records A.MA Edizioni

Artist: Michele Papadia

Title: Out Of Gravity

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label : A.MA Records

Catalog Number : AMC050

Format: CD / Digital / Bandcamp (& Pre-Order on Bandcamp)

Review: Anthony Joseph - The Ark (Heavenly Sweetness)

Heavenly Sweetness' championing of Anthony Joseph over the years is coming to it's peak as 'The Ark' is ready to take us on a journey with Dave Okumo. 

Any excuse to recommend the Joseph's Afrofuturisic poetry, but it's hard to believe that Joseph's book, The African Origins Of UFOs was originally published in October 2006!  The best part of 20 years on, five albums on Heavenly Sweetness, he now brings us 'The Ark' for us to get onboard.

Joseph's spoken word/poetry is like a space-age funk Zephaniah and is perfecty accompanied by the 'Great Modern Black Music' of Dave Okumu who "burst" onto the London "underground" scene at the time of Bugz In The Attic, Gilles Peterson's "golden era" and getting noticed in the highly acclaimed ) trio 'The Invisible' (with Tom Herbert and Leo Taylor).  In fact, the album features quite a few of Dave-like usual suspects, Tom Skinner, Eska Mtungwazi, Colin Webster, Nick Ramm, Aviram Barath, Byron Wallen, James Wade Sired, Dan See, Richard Spaven and Giacomo Smith.

Opening with tracks 'James' and 'Blue 'Susan', you get the lyrical jazz-funk-soul reference framework (Delfonics, James Brown, Archie Bell & The Dells, Thad Jones, Don Byas) that lies on bed of Sun Ra, Gil-Scot Heron/Brian Jackson and Bill Laswell.

Where 'The African Origins of UFOs' (so influencial) leads to the title track and clearly Joseph "connects" with Sun Ra (as recently seen HERE) with last weeks' Record Store Day, props for the Winifred Atwell acknowledgements ('Transposition Of Space (Glissant)'.

Sounds like a modern day equivalent band behind the influencial album 'Genes And Spirits' by Moses Taiwa Molelekwa back in 2000, with the poetic readings, there's also a ambient/dub vibes that's quite unique.

Would be amazing at any gig/festival (WOMAD,We Out Here, etc), 'James' is like a the James Brown tribute the world needed to get onto 'The Ark', which becomes less obvious/losses its way or finds it's direction/two by two salvation depending on your point of view. 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: The Ark | Anthony Joseph

Artist: Anthony Joseph
Title: The Ark
Release Date : 24th April, 2026

Label : Heavenly Sweetness 
Catalog Number : -

Format: 2 x LP (Gatefold) / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Varv - Transit (Off Record)

Boardering on an instrumental avant-garde, Stones Throw/James Pants/Madlib, SMD, Thundercat, Billy Cobham, prog rock jazz experimental concept album - what pigeon hole fit this abstract? All I know is the Varv's sophmore album is in 'Transit' and it's a monster on its way! 

This is already the Italian duo's best album to date, following thier debut 'Lowlands', as its  described as "shape-shifting dialogue between synthetic electronic pulses and improvisation, suspended in a liminal space of endless reinvention and borderless sonic exploration" but it's more out-there than Wout van Aert in space.

Perhaps only a Belgian label called Off Record could release this six track album project of Andrea Cappi (keys/synths) and Francesco Mascolo (drums) as it's weaves from one musical pavé section to another, often via space synth airwaves.

ELP (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) types will find easy access to the album via 'Wormhole' whilst they say, "which swallows the listener whole — a disorienting vortex stripped of reference points, a chaotic pull into the unstable matter of sound itself."  It's certainly a head to head battle that's a mad dead heat finish.

But that's not the start of this half-dozen break-a-way tracks, opening with 'Bright' that grows from synth beats to incorporate a bit a firework whilst 'Place To Digress' adds a piano to the combo a la Steve Reich's schema to Nonclassical/InFiné diversion.

All these tracks and 70s cop theme 'Vice', heavy on funk and synths, are 6 plus minutes long in the mini-opus parading which makes me wonder why 'Arkose' and the closing track, 'Drifter's Deal' are shorter?   It makes it all the more odd when 'Arkose' has all the elements of another 'Wormhole' - any chance of an extended 12" mix?

This is the jazz fusion version of Death From Above 1979 and Suicide that you never knew you needed and after the madness of Record Store Day, I hope you've saved a few pennies fot the one from the back of the van (Ed. one for Ford Transit fans).

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Music | Off - record label

Artist:  Varv 

Title: Transit

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label: Off Record

Catalog Number: OUI072

Format:  CD/ Digital

Review: Guido Spannocchi - Kammermusik (Audioguido Records)

The new Guido Spannocchi isn't the same as the old with the release of the new album 'Kammermusik' that's a little bit odd and introspecitive; the cover art is the perfect representation of this Not-jazz Jazz!

After the album, Guido Spannocchi Quartet'sLive at Porgy & Bess, Vienna from a few years ago, (see review HERE), 'Kammermusik' is his first studio album in 5 years.

 And what can you expect?  Well, he's gone minimal, ambient rejection of 'loud' modern jazz.  Having grown up in Vienna and having lived in London for many years, jazz meets chamber music "with hints of exotica' with James Lart (vibes/tubular bells), Danny Keane (cello) and Andrea Di Biase (bass).

Perhaps 'Echoes Of A Formal Education' catchs the feel of the album most obviously in its low-key highbow spirit; Lart's unflashy vibes is like Roy Ayres without the "showman".  On 'Imaginary Cape Town' Spannocchi's sax flows like a river with the bonus of some quirky electronica.  It's quite different.  Ttubular bells on 'Seven Dials Triptychon' with a angular cello section keeps the rural folk dance in an inner city Third Man era (without the zither). 

Perhaps this was on the cards as his brother Rahael mixed the album, sleeve notes [Philosophical] by his dad, Dr Eugen Spannocchi and that artwork, Daniel Domig.  There;s no genre that this album fits into so lets call it, 'Kammermusik' and enjoy it.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://kud.li/audioguido32

Artist: Guido Spannocchi 

Title: Kammermusik Guido 

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label: Audioguido Records

Cat. No. : TBC

Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Web Web - Kover Kover (Compost Records)

Web Web are making a habit of musically kicking you in the solar plexus as the Munich based fusion jazz group 'Kover Kover' scores even more than Bayern's Harry Kane! 

Exactly a year ago, Compost Records released Web Web's 'Plexus Plexus' featuring. JJ Whitefield (see review HERE) following 'WEB MAX II' (see review HERE) came out a couple of years earlier but this is their seventh album in total and arguably their best yet!

Why 'arguably'?  Well, they're taken the well-worn route of doing an album of cover version of popular tunes in thier own jazz style; most recently seen with Jazz Sabbath as they focus on Black Sabbath's back catalog as a quasi-tribute band.

Web Web, are not that insular, albeit they do cover Sabb's 'chill-out' classic 'Planet Caravan', with the core of Roberto Di Gioia (Fender Rhodes, Piano, Organ, Synthesizers, Percussion), Tony Lakaos(Flute, Altoflute, Soprano- and Tenorsaxofone), Christian Von Kaphengst (Upright Bass, Fender Jazzbass) and Pete Gall (drums, keys)

So can you imagine how good this sounds when they can sound like Weather Report doing a cover version of 'Slave To The Rhythm'! But they don't stop with just Grace Jones and Black Sabbath, they've dug deep into Nirvana ('Come As You Are') Klaus Doldinger, Jimi Hendrix ('Burning Of The Midnight Lamp'), Talking Heads ('Once In A Lifetime'), Grandbrothers, Dave Pike (Big Schlepp), Empire Of The Sun, Joe Jackson ('Steppin‘ Out'), Eurythmics ('Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)'), Kruder & Dorfmeister as their interpretations sound like Web Web originals; talk about making 'standards' their own, Web Web have truly eclipsed some of the originals.

It's a shame some of the tracks are so shtort but 'We Are The People', 'High Noon' and 'Slave To The Rhythm' make up for that but perhaps there's some plans for 12" longer versions? (Ed. wishfull thinking at the moment) but after 10 years on concentrating singularly on thier own compositions, this is a massive 14 track album that's full of twists ('Once In A Lifetime' is not the dancefloor monster you might have second guessed at) and turns ('Big Schepp' goes even more Cathedral-space-mod) so that by the end, all you slaves to the rhythm will be thinking, 'Album Of The Year'!

PS. If you're very quick there's a special offer on Bandcamp to purchase all of their 7 albums including 'Kover Kover'.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://compostrecords.lnk.to/WebWeb-KoverKover

P.S. Cover artwork by Jan Steins.

Artist: WEB WEB 

Title: Kover Kover

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number :  CPT 677

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Naná Rizinni - Epiblast (Bridge The Gap)

Don't 'Mind The Gap' when you can bridge it - and that gap is Naná Rizinni's 'Epiblast' album with roots in São Paulo with a gap of Latin/Rock/Jazz/prog!

The last release on the label was by progressive and contemporary trio St. Barbe (see review HERE) and now London based, Naná Rizinni has picked up something of their Math rock jazz on this album, 'Epiblast'.

Having trained in Brazil with top drummers (including Lilian Carmona, Vera Figueiredo, and Duda Neves) she's a much sort after musician in her own right having toured extensively and played in numerous groups.  Having moved to London in 2020, this ablum is written and co-produced with saxophonist Mark Cake over the past two years its a proper mix.

The singles have been well received by the disperate radio stations like Radio 3 at one end and Rinse FM at the other and championed by Somewhere Soul (he of 'Rituals' -see review HERE) and Tim Garcia.  'Familiar Stranger' was a eye-opener with it's whispy vocals, Jazz FM sax solos and Chinese cinematic strings; compare with 'The Right Side Of The Esalator' battle of Cake's sax and a cross of BRUK Tango, Miles' melody and synth wobble. 

The last single 'Fifth Life', we're told is  Naná's favourite track on the album for it's Steve Reich soundscape that goes leftfield Latin flute gang to guitar/synth out-there (apparently influenced by David Fiuczynski, the founder and leader of Screaming Headless Torsos)

This album seems like a bridge between Café OTO and cinematic jazz beats and lots in-between, we're told that the title ‘Epiblast’ comes from "an early embryonic layer from which the entire organism develops. For me, it represents multiple births and rebirths — new roles, identities, and directions — capturing both fragility and infinite potential.”  Perfect!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Epiblast | Naná Rizinni

Artist: Naná Rizinni

Title: Epiblast

Release date: 24th April, 2026

Label : Bridge The Gap

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: 12" Vinyl / Dgital / Bandcamp