Review: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions - Yeditepe / Asmalı (Nublu Records)

Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions is world's away again, "guiding listeners through a sonic exploration of Istanbul's diverse neighborhoods where tradition meets innovation and the ancient pulse of the city merges with contemporary rhythms" -this is the latest release on New York’s legendary Nublu Records!

We know from the last single, 'Galata' / 'Karaköy' (see review HERE) that Istanbul's Sessions' by Ilhan Erashin is building up to the sixth studio album, 'Mahalle' that's due out mid-January next year which finds itself next to the recent avant-garde label release, JMMR's 'Resistance Is Fertile' (see review HERE).

Swedish born-Turkish heritage-NYC living saxophonist-club owner Ilhan has managed to merge the jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with Thundercat funk on 'Asmali' which is advanced jazz funk on anyone's menu.  And talking cross-genre influences, is that some sophisticated punk a la Joy Division on 'Yeditepe' with some insane percussion: there's a lot going on here.

Once more, NY jazz reinforces my suggest that these guys at Nublu are the embodiment of, "We must get closer to the essence of life" and this 'Jazz Chronicles' for 2025/6 and beyond

Love the cover photo, reminds me of camping out at Cheltenham racecourse many moons ago.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: We know from the last single, 'Galata' / 'Karaköy' (see review HERE) that Istanbul's Sessions' by Ilhan Erashin is building up to the sixth studio album, 'Mahalle' that's due out mid-January next year which finds itself next to the recent avant-garde label release, JMMR's 'Resistance Is Fertile' (see review HERE).

Swedish born-Turkish heritage-NYC living saxophonist-club owner Ilhan has managed to merge the jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with Thundercat funk on 'Asmali' which is advanced jazz funk on anyone's menu.  And talking cross-genre influences, is that some sophisticated punk a la Joy Division on 'Yeditepe' with some insane percussion: there's a lot going on here.

Once more, NY jazz reinforces my suggest that these guys at Nublu are the embodiment of, "We must get closer to the essence of life" and this 'Jazz Chronicles' for 2025/6 and beyond

Love the cover photo, reminds me of camping out at Cheltenham racecourse many moons ago.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: We know from the last single, 'Galata' / 'Karaköy' (see review HERE) that Istanbul's Sessions' by Ilhan Erashin is building up to the sixth studio album, 'Mahalle' that's due out mid-January next year which finds itself next to the recent avant-garde label release, JMMR's 'Resistance Is Fertile' (see review HERE).

Swedish born-Turkish heritage-NYC living saxophonist-club owner Ilhan has managed to merge the jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with Thundercat funk on 'Asmali' which is advanced jazz funk on anyone's menu.  And talking cross-genre influences, is that some sophisticated punk a la Joy Division on 'Yeditepe' with some insane percussion: there's a lot going on here.

Once more, NY jazz reinforces my suggest that these guys at Nublu are the embodiment of, "We must get closer to the essence of life" and this 'Jazz Chronicles' for 2025/6 and beyond

Love the cover photo, reminds me of camping out at Cheltenham racecourse many moons ago.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Ilhan Sersahin's Istanbul Sessions: Yeditepe / Asmalı

Artist: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions

Title:    Yeditepe / Asmalı 
Release date: 2nd December, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number: NUB-0692
Format:  Digital 

Review: JMMR - Resistance Is Fertile (Nublu Records)

JMMR has all the Vitamin C you need in cans, Nublu Records we salute you for planting this seed!

 

It was only a month ago we were introduced to Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions (see reveiw HERE) on New York's NUBLU label that followed The Phenomenal Handclap Band's 'We Are Worlds Away' (see review HERE) but nothing prepared us for JMMR that's even more jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with cross-genre influences!

This 11 track album is amazing!  The cover version of CAN's 'hit' 'Vitamin C' has already made this album the 'must have' this month but jazz-funk electronica with sophisticated punk has never been as pure as this; there's even a spiriutal flute gang track 'Igor Stravinsky' featuring  Cochemea Gastelum (The DapKings) and Morgan Price (Ikebe Shakedown)

So who is/are JMMR who knows who's who in the New York underground jazz and funk scenes?   Founded in 2019 by trumpeter and long time Antibalas member, Jordan McLean is the leader/arranger of Jordan McLean's Musical Resistance (aka JMMR).

Antibalas themselves were Brooklyn's own agit Afrobeat band whose name translates as 'anti-bullets' in Spanish.  And JMMR is clearly dance/experimental: like a electronic Shrine?.  We're told that the album, "was recorded using layered first take performances. All tracks were recorded to “dance music” tempo markings (between 120-172 beats per minute, or BPM) beginning with voice memo beatboxes, layered on top by drums, synths and finally horns." 

However it was recorded, it sounds different as this proves to be a bed for reedman guests like Gastelum and Price plus Stuart Bogie ('Right To Die 162 BPM', Virtue Signaling 139 BPM', 'Dancing On The Precipice 144 BPM') and Ricky ('Uptown Swing 148 BPM) to improvise to the tracks.  

There's quite a bit of dubby experimentation going on so it'd be interesting to see if an Industrial Dub 12" is released but 'Climate Wars 172BPM' coinciding with the COP30 in Brazil is just what Miles would be up to in a post-Panthalassa dub-step big band?

I think it's pointless to put this in a genre bag as it's a crazy re-cylcled bag of it's own that would have fitted into any Jazz Chronicles playlists; let's all move to New York (new Mayor'n' all) if not physically, JMMR-ly as 'Resistance Is Fertile'.

BUY LINK: https://ffm.to/resistanceisfertile

Artist: JMMR 
Title:   Resistance Is Fertile
Release date: 14th November, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number :TBC
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions - 'Galata' / 'Karaköy' (Nublu Records)

Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions is world's away from the last release on New York’s legendary Nublu Records!
 

The Phenomenal Handclap Band's 'We Are Worlds Away' (see review HERE) is nothing like this collision between New York Jazz Club and Istanbul's Sessions is update on David Murray's 'Blues For Memo' with Swedish born-Turkish heritage-NYC living saxophonist-club owner Ilhan leading on a single ahead of an album early next year, 'Mahalle'.

If you recall the jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with cross-genre influences, these two track have a sophisticated punk element where 'Galata' goes funky and 'Karaköy' whips up some speed spiritual that crashes traditional east-west thinking.

As someone might have said, "We must get closer to the essence of life" and I've said it beow about this label, they are going places, even worlds away?

'Karaköy' is jazzdance gold in my book; did anyone mention Jazz Chronicles? 

Love the cover photo, reminds me of a water polo tournament in Sliema many years ago

BUY LINK: https://ffm.to/galatasingle

Artist: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions
Title:   Galata / Karaköy
Release date: 14th October, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number : SI-NUB-069
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: The Phenomenal Handclap Band - We Are Worlds Away (Nublu Records)

"The uplifting and anthemic title track from their upcoming EP on New York’s legendary Nublu Records".

The Phenomenal Handclap Band is Daniel Collás, Juliet Swango,and Monika Heidemann. Since 2017, the Brooklyn based trio has released numerous critically acclaimed singles on labels such as Daptone, Toy Tonics, and Glitterbox that have garnered attention and praise from such luminaries including Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry,  Elton John, Don Letts and Gilles Peterson (this is going to make Peterson's soon coming 'We Out Here' festival very sweaty).

In 2023 the band released the 'Burning Bridges' EP on New York dance label Razor-N-Tape (they of 'Family Affair' etc) followed by the vinyl only 12” Like a Constellation on Lone Limited at the end of 2024 before popping up on Peter Matson's 'Hotel PM' album on Bastard Jazz (see review HERE).

‘We Are Worlds Away’, was written and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden’s Pansarmarängen Studio with the help of longtime collaborators Fredrik Swahn (Dungen, Melody’s Echo Chamber) and Morgan Phalen (Justice, Drakkar Nowhere).  Once you hear Linda Mirada's 'Qué largo es el verano' (review coming soon) that's got a big PHB imprint on it, 'We Are Worlds Away' and 'Free Time' sounds even better!

This is miles away from Zé Nigro's 'Silêncio' (also Nublu, see review HERE) but the YATM office thinks that's a good thing for a label as it shows that they are going places, even worlds away?

BUY LINK: https://ffm.to/worldsawaysingle

Artist: The Phenomenal Handclap Band 
Title:   We Are Worlds Away
Release date: 29th July, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number : SI-NUB-069
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp