It might be fire works on the 5th but stick around for the big bang release on Bridge The Gap/Oshu Records of Àbáse's latest album, 'Nefelejcs' that sees him come full circle, articulating his Hungarian heritage as a beatmaker speaking a gloval musical language.
It's not been that too long since Àbáse's 'Laroyê' (see review HERE) but here's another fantastic album by the Hugarian/Berlin-based producer, composer and pianist/keyboardist Àbáse (aka Szabolcs Bognár) who is known for his role as a cultural connector, and championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, MOJO, Songlines, Soulection and Okayplayer. HIs global approach is simple, uniquely using outernational reference points that's been inspired by residencies in Brazil, New York, Ghana and South Africa, and collaborations with the likes Wayne Snow, Dumama, Guilty Simpson and Moses Yoofee.
Releasing on Friday 6th November via Bridge The Gap & Oshu Records, new album 'Nefelejcs' sees him come full circle, articulating his Hungarian heritage as a beatmaker speaking a global musical language. The title carries a heavy, dual resonance. ‘Nefelejcs’ is the Hungarian translation for the forget-me-not flower, the favorite flower of Bognár’s late mother. It is also an imperative command: ‘do not forget’. This tension between grief, remembrance, and forward momentum shapes the album’s lucid architectural design. Bognár blends samples and interpolations of Eastern European avant-garde, folk, contemporary classical and Ethno-jazz with a club conscious approach, inadvertently soundtracking a historic moment of democratic and cultural liberation in Hungary.
Across seven years of living in Berlin, navigating a journey of loss, new life and finding a sense of home, Bognár’s interest in his heritage deepened: “The more time I spent in Berlin, the more I grew as a person and an artist, the more I questioned myself - What can I truly contribute, and what’s my true identity?” First addressed with a brooding, modal interpretation of the Hungarian folk song ‘Gods Star Castle Has Fallen To Grief (Gyaszba Borult Isten Csillagvara)’ on 2024's ‘Awakening’, a transformational concert with flautist Fanni Zahár at the Hungarian House of Music in March 2025 set the path to ’Nefelejcs’.
The concert united a cast of pioneering voices from the contemporary Hungarian folk scene, digging into the country’s rich musical history and presenting fusion-first interpretations of traditional repertoire in the Àbáse mould. From here, Bognár forged relationships with two key artists, whose unmistakable sound and expertise became integral to the album - folk singer, archivist and educator Hanga Kacsó and virtuoso cimbalom player Jenő Lisztes, featured on tracks including ‘Fekete Szem’ and ‘Búsulni Megtanultam’. Bognár shares:
“Inspired by the night, I invited Hanga and Jenö to contribute to my beats. Hanga searched her extensive catalogue of Folk songs from the Carpathian Basin, and to my surprise she was fully open to sing over progressive music. Jenö improvised with his cimbalom, free to play whatever he heard.”
Emboldened by the outcome of these sessions, Bognár tapped into his international jazz community to add a further living, breathing layer to his productions. Enlisting Europe’s most sought-after improvisors - Sweden’s Petter Eldh (bass, synth bass) and Ottis Sandsjö (saxophone, clarinet), as well as Germany’s Silvan Strauss (drums, synth), he channelled the direct-to-tape recording process of ‘Awakening’ into two electric days at Berlin’s Brewery Studios. The finishing touches came with the additions of two leading young voices of Hungarian popular music - Csinszka, who blends her Transilvanian heritage and folklore with popular songwriting, and Beton.Hofi, the preeminent poetic rap voice of a generation
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.
It's not been that too long since Àbáse's 'Laroyê' (see review HERE) but here's another fantastic album by the Hugarian/Berlin-based producer, composer and pianist/keyboardist Àbáse (aka Szabolcs Bognár) who is known for his role as a cultural connector, and championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, MOJO, Songlines, Soulection and Okayplayer. HIs global approach is simple, uniquely using outernational reference points that's been inspired by residencies in Brazil, New York, Ghana and South Africa, and collaborations with the likes Wayne Snow, Dumama, Guilty Simpson and Moses Yoofee.
Releasing on Friday 6th November via Bridge The Gap & Oshu Records, new album 'Nefelejcs' sees him come full circle, articulating his Hungarian heritage as a beatmaker speaking a global musical language. The title carries a heavy, dual resonance. ‘Nefelejcs’ is the Hungarian translation for the forget-me-not flower, the favorite flower of Bognár’s late mother. It is also an imperative command: ‘do not forget’. This tension between grief, remembrance, and forward momentum shapes the album’s lucid architectural design. Bognár blends samples and interpolations of Eastern European avant-garde, folk, contemporary classical and Ethno-jazz with a club conscious approach, inadvertently soundtracking a historic moment of democratic and cultural liberation in Hungary.
Across seven years of living in Berlin, navigating a journey of loss, new life and finding a sense of home, Bognár’s interest in his heritage deepened: “The more time I spent in Berlin, the more I grew as a person and an artist, the more I questioned myself - What can I truly contribute, and what’s my true identity?” First addressed with a brooding, modal interpretation of the Hungarian folk song ‘Gods Star Castle Has Fallen To Grief (Gyaszba Borult Isten Csillagvara)’ on 2024's ‘Awakening’, a transformational concert with flautist Fanni Zahár at the Hungarian House of Music in March 2025 set the path to ’Nefelejcs’.
The concert united a cast of pioneering voices from the contemporary Hungarian folk scene, digging into the country’s rich musical history and presenting fusion-first interpretations of traditional repertoire in the Àbáse mould. From here, Bognár forged relationships with two key artists, whose unmistakable sound and expertise became integral to the album - folk singer, archivist and educator Hanga Kacsó and virtuoso cimbalom player Jenő Lisztes, featured on tracks including ‘Fekete Szem’ and ‘Búsulni Megtanultam’. Bognár shares:
“Inspired by the night, I invited Hanga and Jenö to contribute to my beats. Hanga searched her extensive catalogue of Folk songs from the Carpathian Basin, and to my surprise she was fully open to sing over progressive music. Jenö improvised with his cimbalom, free to play whatever he heard.”
Emboldened by the outcome of these sessions, Bognár tapped into his international jazz community to add a further living, breathing layer to his productions. Enlisting Europe’s most sought-after improvisors - Sweden’s Petter Eldh (bass, synth bass) and Ottis Sandsjö (saxophone, clarinet), as well as Germany’s Silvan Strauss (drums, synth), he channelled the direct-to-tape recording process of ‘Awakening’ into two electric days at Berlin’s Brewery Studios. The finishing touches came with the additions of two leading young voices of Hungarian popular music - Csinszka, who blends her Transilvanian heritage and folklore with popular songwriting, and Beton.Hofi, the preeminent poetic rap voice of a generation
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