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New Traditions is a collection of pipe music, electronic music, mouth music and folk music from five emerging and prominent Scottish artists.

It started in Sutherland with a recording of The Waters of Kylesku. “Do you learn any Gaelic at the school?” asks Hamish Henderson of Christine Stewart. “No,” she answers. “That’s a shame,” he responds, “Isn’t it?” she says. Then she sings. Her voice is of the peat itself, grown from the earth as the language was. It soars raptor-like above drenched ground and scoured pink rock.

Next, to Nancy Dorian, a linguistic missionary of sorts, who came from America to watch a language die. She charted the decline of Gaelic in a cluster of Sutherland villages from 1963 to 2020 when the terminal native speaker passed. Gaelic has origins in nature, with each letter of the alphabet named after a tree. It seems significant that the land of the north is now all-but devoid of forest.

Enter Alan Lomax, who travelled the world documenting indigenous music. Material from his archives feature on (fucking) Moby’s platinum selling Play. Despite the record’s worldwide commercial success we know very little of the music he essentially exploited.

Then musician Martyn Bennett, who built tracks around Lomax recordings of Scots and Gaelic voices, and did so with love that shared his blood with the cancer that killed him. His records both popularised and preserved obscure indigenous Scottish music.

This collection of tunes has similar intent: to consolidate ephemeral words in physical grooves - real as the rigs that still scar the earth - but also a desire to interpret. These versions have the greatest reverence for the originals at heart, but like the architecture of a great gallery, serve to protect and elevate.

Legendary Swedish outfit Frak for the 20th installment of Libertine Records Traditions series. Extraordinary, classy, and timeless music from recovered 80s tapes. From freaky Acid to New Wave, Electro and Industrial, high-quality standards for a future underground classic release!

Traditions 19 featuring underground Danish artist Brian Anthony aka AERPHAX. It includes a double EP of forward-thinking electronic music with a range that goes from Electro and Italo to IDM or Acid…Limited Editions & no repress!

Traditions 18 featuring Neu Verboten , the Swiss artist delivers 5 ravey electro cuts to smash any dance floor.

UK veteran The Dexorcist debuts on Traditions with his trademark hardcore & rave infused electro , 5 killer cuts for quirky dancefloors ...

Explorer Series Vol.4, Original ethnic music of the peoples of the world
Berlin 2019

In welthistorischer Einmaligkeit erscheint auf dem Berliner Label Nonplace die erste ethnologische Edition der musikalischen Traditionen Zentraleuropas, am Beispiel Berlins der Gegenwart, zusammengefasst von Burnt Friedman. Nachdem House und Techno, oder Clubmusik, zum Kulturphänomen geworden war, und seit 30 Jahren bei festlichen Anlässen und fortwährend in allen Kulturstätten erklingt, wurde es Zeit für eine Aufarbeitung, für diese musikethnologische Bestandsaufnahme des kreativen Spektrum Berlins im Licht Zentraleuropas.

Bisher konnte der geneigte Hörer im Fach "Weltmusik" die entsprechenden Tondokumente finden, die einen direkten akustischen Einblick in Kultur und Tradition der seltensten Volksgruppen und entlegensten Landstriche geben konnten. Doch die Traditionen und Bräuche weisser Zentraleuropäer blieben bei diesen Bestandsaufnahmen nicht selten aussen vor. Dieser klaffenden Lücke in den Musikarchiven wird mit dieser Neuerscheinung endlich gerecht. Im Zuge der Musealisierung von bedrohtem Kulturerbe, können der Gemeinschaft aller, die besonderen Beispiele westlicher Prägung im Bereich Musikerzeugung, Techno, Jazz, Dub, usw., nicht mehr vorenthalten werden.

Eno Williams, frontwoman of Ibibio Sound Machine, uses both English and the Nigerian language from which her band's name is derived for the dazzling new album Doko Mien. Long lauded for jubilant, explosive live shows, Ibibio Sound Machine fully capture that energy on Doko Mien, the followup to their Merge debut Uyai.
In a glowing piece in the New York Times, those songs were praised for following 'in the tradition of much African music, [making] themselves the conscience of a community.' By pulsing the mystic shapes of Williams' lines through further inventive, glittering collages of genre, Ibibio Sound Machine crack apart the horizon separating cultures, between nature and technology, between joy and pain, between tradition and future. That propensity for duality and paradox seems common in people whose lives span continents.

Williams was born in the UK, but grew up in Nigeria, always steeped in her family heritage. She obsessed over West African electronic music, highlife, and the like, but was equally empowered by Western genres such as post-punk, disco, and funk. The London octet have enveloped themselves in that maximalist quilt proudly since their 2013 formation. Though it can often bring with it news of stress and uncertainty, the modern world further brings all these disparate traditions into connection.
'Everyone has everything now,' says multi-instrumentalist Max Grunhard. 'Everyone has immediate access to every genre, picking things up from everywhere—like magpies.' And while they haven't suddenly left their African roots behind, Doko Mien does find increased representation of English lyrics in the ratio. By sharing more directly with more universal lyrics, the record feels more anthemic, reaching for grander heights.
'We wanted to give people a reason to sing along, to find their soundtrack every day,' Williams says. 'We wanted everyone to feel as if they're part of the music as well.'

Late album highlight 'Guess We Found a Way' addresses the change with a coy smile. 'Guess we found a way to speak to you/ Guess we found a way to say what's true/ To say what's real,' Williams coos over glistening chains of reverberant synth and diamond dust percussion, before returning to Ibibio in the chorus. Perhaps the best example of the group's ability to convey meaning across language and tradition, to blend past and future into a singular present comes on 'She Work Very Hard'. The traditional Ibibio folk tale bobs over the waves of tuned percussion, chunky synth, and pinprick highlife-esque guitar, while Jose Joyette's drums and Derrick McIntyre's bass funk groove bring everyone to the dance floor. 'These stories won't be forgotten. Feel the music: it speaks to everybody,' Williams says. 'We can travel back in time together, while convening on a futuristic, present tense. We hope that we can give people that reason to wake up, that one song to sing and dance and be happy.'

Doko Mien: Tell me everything. On their new album, Ibibio Sound Machine provide the perfect companion, ready to digest as much as possible and then further unfurl beauty and hope. They remember and honor the past and charge forward toward the future, all while intensely expanding the present.

Taking place in the Paras district, Cangallo province, in the Ayacucho region of the Central-South Sierra of Peru - this is a recording of a ritual held on February 5th 2020 for the one year anniversary of the death of Mrs. Sofía Miranda de Bellido, recorded by her grandson Hánkel Bellido.

At noon the coffin of "Mamay Sofía" was presented, so that her relatives could say goodbye for the last time. Following tributes from family members, these songs dedicated to her life and her passing were sung.

The townspeople were notified of the events by the sound of bells that produce a peculiar and powerful sound, and that can be heard in the other nearby towns of Paras. It is said that these bells were greased with human fat, and brought from the Cerro de Pasco region during colonial times. The bells must be played all morning until the change of mourning takes place.

At midnight the songs of the Almakunapaq (also known as San Gregorios) mass began. These are unique to the Andean peoples - a fusion of Andean and Christian syncretic traditions - and are said to help the dead to enter the eternal Kingdom.

It was 4am when the change of mourning took place, and in accordance with traditions, the friends & family announce the presence of harp and violin players, to liven up the proceedings with songs of joy and merriment until the next day.

"Mamay Sofia, manan wañukunkichu, kawsakuchkankim sunquykupi; sichus qunqarusqaykiku, chaymi ichaqa wañukunki!"

"I have not died, I will die on the day that you forget me!"

Death Is Not The End present the first volume in a survey of a form of Brazilian country music known as música caipira ("hillbilly music") - a stripped-back forerunner to música sertaneja, the Brazilian equivalent to US country & western which in it's contemporary form has come to dominate the domestic music industry in recent decades. This collection covers some of the earliest recordings made by the pioneering folklorist Cornélio Pires at the end of the 1920s, through to records from the 30s, 40s & 50s and the beginning of the 60s.

Somewhat rooted in Portuguese troubadour folk traditions, música caipira is typically performed by a duo singing in parallel thirds and sixths, drawing upon a Portuguese-Brazilian style known as moda de viola - with the viola being the viola caipira, a Brazilian-style ten-string guitar that is the core instrument of the music. Born out of the "outback"-style region in north-eastern Brazil, these songs tell stories of pain, love, loss & betrayal - often backed by homemade guitars using invented tunings. Away from the polished pop country & western-stylings of the sertaneja, these recordings could be viewed as the Brazilian equivalent to the roots music of the American dustbowl or Appalachia.

An EP of the darker side of electronic dance music is always a welcome addition to Especial. Up and coming producer / DJ Miles J Paralysis steps away from releasing on his own Crying Outcast label to explore left of centre, new wave and cosmic sounds; songs woven from his own vocals and samples.

A love of Dub, Hip Hop and Electro-Funk led into electronic music. Sampling TV shows, making beats, jamming. Exposed to Leeds and Manchester club cultures, seeking the more experimental. African Head Charge, Muslimgauze, The Rootsman and Weatherall were early influences in forming a no rules philosophy.

Born and raised around West Yorkshire, the beauty and bleakness of the moors have a strong bond on Miles Henry aka Miles J Paralysis and his music. Folklore and the occult link and connect an interest in Northern Hauntology. Unresolved histories, stuck between past glory and phantoms of possible futures.

The EP starts with It’s Only Shadows Talking. A play on the Paralysis persona, the spectral dub house groove meets industrial overtures, encasing his own eerie and unsettling vocals to begin the narrative.

Don’t Forget The Ritual takes a direct link from British folk traditions. Sacred and ceremonial; the laid-back breakbeat, samples and delays are the transition to the evocative embrace of melancholia.

Come On Fleet, the hypnotic Latin (vocal) sample creates a lurking murmuration, rimshot percussion meets gothic sound design for the EPs’ most straight forward and direct club cut.

Surreal and dreamlike soundscape, closing track The Delicate Fairytale is the perfect platform for Miles own phantasm. Inspired by the stories of Dorothy K Haynes and Robert Hickman, the pervading sense of a David Lynch aesthetic, exploring the nostalgic nature of memory.

Alcides Neto is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Narrm/Melbourne. Drawing inspiration from the folk traditions of his homeland, Alcides offers a fresh perspective on Brazilian music by blending traditional rhythms with contemporary Brazilian jazz, samba, bossa and more. Known for his distinctive percussive guitar playing and warm, soothing vocals, he brings an authentic Brazilian vibe to every performance. Alcides is set to release his debut album Amú via the Music in Exile label in early 2026, featuring eight original compositions recorded at Head Gap Studios, Melbourne. For fans of Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben Jor, and all the Brazilian samba greats.

Crying Outcast returns with its third release, landing close to home with legendary dub innovator The Rootsman. Bradford’s own and a true pioneering force in experimental dub since the 90s, The Rootsman’s influence runs quietly but deeply through the underground. Roots Return gathers three essential works from his catalogue, including collaborations with Celtarabia and Russ (The Disciples) as Pachakuti, alongside a light-headed reinterpretation from label head Miles J Paralysis. Spiritual and subtly psychedelic, yet deeply rooted in dub tradition throughout, drawing on influences from Pakistani devotional hymns and Celtic folk traditions. An essential modern day EP, displaying a meeting point between the heritage and the future sound of dub music.

Tip on sleeve.

Latin Grammy-Winning Producer Pupillo Unites Global
Artists on his new album

Co-produced by Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys), featuring collaborations with Rodrigo
Amarante, Carminho, Adrian Younge, Gaslamp Killer, Cut Chemist, Hervé Salters, and more
Drummer, percussionist and producer Pupillo, one of the most influential figures in Brazilian
music and a four-time Latin Grammy winner, releases his first original album through the Los
Angeles–based label Amor in Sound. The record brings together an impressive and diverse
group of collaborators from Brazil and abroad. Amor in Sound is run by Samantha Caldato,
the project’s executive producer and creative director, and Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys),
who co-produced the album alongside Pupillo. The project was developed in a free,
experimental environment, allowing the artist to explore the many rhythmic and sonic
territories that have shaped his career — from Northeastern Brazilian traditions to jazz, hip
hop, and cinematic soundscapes. Listen here.

The album features special appearances by Brazilian artists such as Céu, Rodrigo Amarante,
Agnes Nunes, Amaro Freitas, Davi Moraes, Alberto Continentino and Pedro Martins,
alongside a strong roster of international collaborators, including Carminho, Gaslamp Killer,
Loren Oden, Adrian Younge, Cut Chemist and Hervé Salters (known for his work with
General Elektriks). The album’s 12 tracks were further enriched by contributions from
Jeremy Gustin, Roberto Schilling, and other musicians who make Amor in Sound Studios in
Los Angeles a place of creative exchange.

Beyond his work as the drummer of Nação Zumbi, Pupillo has built a prolific career as a
producer and collaborator with some of the most important names in Brazilian music,
including Gal Costa, Nando Reis, Erasmo Carlos, Céu, and Otto, helping to shape the sound
of multiple generations. This trajectory has earned him four Latin Grammy Awards.
From Pernambuco, Pupillo is also an acclaimed composer for cinema, having written
soundtracks for films such as Arido Movie and Blue Blood (directed by Lirio Ferreira), The
Assailant (directed by João Daniel Tikhomiroff), among others. This cinematic sensibility
permeates the album, which unfolds like a film, moving through richly textured soundscapes
that cross continents and musical traditions.

Kerrie makes a welcome return to Sync 24's CE camp, with "Waves of Reverie PT1" dropping in March on Cultivated Electronics. It follows her two part "We Continue" vinyl 12"s, on sister-label Cultivated Electronics Ltd back in 2021. Irish-born, Manchester-based Kerrie is a multidisciplinary artist and resident DJ at Tresor Berlin. She performs live sets, produces music, DJs and runs her own label, Dark Machine Funk, as well as an extensive discography on the likes of Tresor, Blueprint Records, Don't Be Afraid, Cultivated Electronics, I Love Acid and Symbolism. On her new EP, "Waves of Reverie PT1" Kerrie once again channels a distinctive electro aesthetic rooted in acid and electro traditions but filtered through her own raw, industrial-leaning production style. A staple for fans of analogue hardware-driven electro and forward-thinking electronic music.

Music never exists in a vacuum — every scene and sound evolves from the non-stop exchange of ideas between different groups and cultures. Traditions get passed down from one generation to the next, and then individual heads take influence from their own unique perspective. Sometimes, certain people strike upon fusions that spark massive new movements, but even those rarest innovations came from somewhere.

Jon E Cash knows this more than most — the legendary beats he started putting out at the turn of the millennium had their own disparate roots and influences which he had the motivation to put together into a sound he called sublow. There wasn't any other reference point for this music — when he took the first white labels of 'Drop Top Bimmer Kid' into Blackmarket Records in Soho, London, he had to describe it to a puzzled Nicky Blackmarket and J Da Flex as being, "between garage and hip-hop."

Playing catch-up in 2004, Rephlex Records nodded to sublow when trying to introduce a wider audience to the sounds which had been tearing up the London underground. "Grime. Sublow. Dubstep... It's Music. Different people call it different things depending on when they discovered it." But Jon E Cash's sound was rooted in more than the UK garage that had dominated the clubs through the late 90s, reaching way back to his pre-teen days when the first waves of hip-hop culture crossed the Atlantic and broke in the UK.

25 years on, it's a fine time to reflect on the impact of the music Cash made at the turn of the millennium. History looks back favourably on what he and the Black Ops crew were doing with sublow in the early 00s. The timing meant it ran in parallel with what was happening over East with Pay As U Go, Roll Deep et al, and of course there was crossover. Every DJ and every MC was on the hunt for the best beats they could find. But there's a whole different swagger to sublow — a different web of influences, a different intention and so a different outcome. It's still there in the beats Cash is making more than 20 years later — his 3dom Music label is carrying upfront productions with that sublow DNA coursing through their veins. Whatever the beat or the tempo, the drums are still hard as nails, and the bass is tuned for maximum rave damage.

Space Ghost returns with Dance Planet – Be Free Edition, a remastered, recut and expanded edition of his beloved 2022 album. Featuring refreshed artwork, newly remastered audio, and a brand-new digital remix package from not even noticed, RAMZi, Crystalline Reality, and Space Ghost himself, this is the definitive version of a modern house classic.

Rooted in uplifting, soulful 4/4 traditions inspired by forebears like Larry Heard and Blaze, Dance Planet flows effortlessly between ambient reflection and warm, driving club cuts. The remaster brings added depth and clarity — from the lush swells of “Afterglow” and the tripped-out breaks of “Dream Weaver” to the R&B-tinged groove of “UFO. ” Dancefloor staples like “Back To The Source” and “Soul Shower” retain their warmth and punch, while “Emotional Healer” and “Be Yourself (Motivational Mix)” continue to deliver Space Ghost’s signature affirmation: don’t be afraid to be yourself, don’t be afraid to let go.

Pressed on 140g black vinyl with new artwork and including a download code for the full extended album + remixes. A timeless, feel-good house LP — restored and expanded for collectors and selectors alike

Shimmering Xhosa traditions and deep electronic futures vibrate as South African sonic poet and composer Dumama unveils her groundbreaking debut solo album, Towards An Expanse. Sometimes gospel, sometimes electro-psychedelic space travel, Towards An Expanse unfurls from a languid lament into an ever-expanding sonic universe. Dumama defies conventional genre boundaries while excavating deep personal and cultural histories in this concise but boundaryless collection, recorded between New York, Johannesburg and Berlin. Dumama first gained international attention with her acclaimed 2020 collaborative album, Buffering Juju, created with fellow South African musician and artist Kechou, and lauded as Global Album of the Month by The Guardian. Her new solo work draws on a rich lineage of South African voices. Gugulethu Duma (aka Dumama) is a musician / composer / sonic poet / creative producer from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Dumama is one of the few uhadi players in the world. Her use of the traditional Xhosa bowed instrument guides her profound story-telling, blending ancestral roots into an urgent electro-acoustic palette. The album was born out of sessions with acclaimed musician and producer Shahzad Ismaily in New York and South African powerhouse Nandi Ndlovu in Johannesburg.

Aspen is very proud to introduce ‘Non Sonett’ by the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble. This ensemble is a pioneering Norwegian chamber group whose work on ECM and Hubro has redefined the boundaries between jazz, contemporary composition and folk music.Across seven albums, the ensemble has developed a highly distinctive l anguage built on restraint, timbral nuance and collective interplay, placing it among the most influential European ensembles of the 21st century.

Bringing together some of the finest musicians in Norway, the ensemble draws on a rare collective sensitivity, where each player contributes to a deeply integrated and texturally rich sound world.

With Non Sonett, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble opens a new chapter that grows directly out of recent years of work in more solitary and cross-disciplinary contexts. In this period, Wallumrød has developed material for solo performance as well as for dance, allowing ideas to take shape in more fluid and exploratory formats. Some of this material now finds its way into the ensemble, where it is met by the possibilities offered by instrumentation, collective playing, and the distinct voices of the musicians. At the same time, older pieces—originating in entirely different settings— re-emerge here in new forms, reshaped by the ensemble context.

A defining aspect of Non Sonett is the way many of the pieces function less as fully determined compositions and more as open frameworks: starting points, suggestions, or “springboards” for music. These structures invite response rather than prescribe outcome, relying on the ensemble’s inherent sensitivity and capacity to realize and transform the material in performance. The result is music that feels both precise and fluid, shaped in equal measure by composition and by the interpretative presence of the players.

Central to this album is a continued deepening of Wallumrød’s long-standing interest in ambiguity and in dissolving boundaries between different musical elements and expressive worlds. By placing contrasting materials and associations side by side—sometimes subtly, sometimes more overtly—the music opens up spaces where meanings remain fluid and interconnected. On Non Sonett, this approach is taken a step further, allowing these juxtapositions to play an even more active role in shaping the music’s character and flow.

This approach connects closely with the ensemble’s broader artistic trajectory. Over time, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble has developed a language that is immediately recognizable—marked by reduction, clarity and a deep attention to sonic detail. While each release has its own character, the underlying aesthetic remains consistent: a focus on the inner life of sound itself. Rather than foregrounding gesture or virtuosity, the music draws the listener toward the smallest elements, where meaning emerges gradually through texture, spacing and timbre.

The listening experience becomes one of concentration and proximity, where each sound carries weight, and the accumulation of detail forms a larger whole. References may be sensed—to early polyphonic music, Norwegian folk traditions, or more recent experimental practices—but these are absorbed into a singular musical language that resists categorization.

As with the ensemble’s recent work, Non Sonett also continues the integration of electronics as a fundamental part of the sound world. Each musician engages with electronic elements alongside their acoustic instruments, creating a layered and dynamic sonic environment. At times, this leads into extended, exploratory passages reminiscent of analogue musique concrète; at others, electronics operate almost imperceptibly, subtly altering and extending the acoustic textures in real time.

Aspen is very proud to introduce ‘Non Sonett’ by the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble. This ensemble is a pioneering Norwegian chamber group whose work on ECM and Hubro has redefined the boundaries between jazz, contemporary composition and folk music.Across seven albums, the ensemble has developed a highly distinctive l anguage built on restraint, timbral nuance and collective interplay, placing it among the most influential European ensembles of the 21st century.

Bringing together some of the finest musicians in Norway, the ensemble draws on a rare collective sensitivity, where each player contributes to a deeply integrated and texturally rich sound world.

With Non Sonett, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble opens a new chapter that grows directly out of recent years of work in more solitary and cross-disciplinary contexts. In this period, Wallumrød has developed material for solo performance as well as for dance, allowing ideas to take shape in more fluid and exploratory formats. Some of this material now finds its way into the ensemble, where it is met by the possibilities offered by instrumentation, collective playing, and the distinct voices of the musicians. At the same time, older pieces—originating in entirely different settings— re-emerge here in new forms, reshaped by the ensemble context.

A defining aspect of Non Sonett is the way many of the pieces function less as fully determined compositions and more as open frameworks: starting points, suggestions, or “springboards” for music. These structures invite response rather than prescribe outcome, relying on the ensemble’s inherent sensitivity and capacity to realize and transform the material in performance. The result is music that feels both precise and fluid, shaped in equal measure by composition and by the interpretative presence of the players.

Central to this album is a continued deepening of Wallumrød’s long-standing interest in ambiguity and in dissolving boundaries between different musical elements and expressive worlds. By placing contrasting materials and associations side by side—sometimes subtly, sometimes more overtly—the music opens up spaces where meanings remain fluid and interconnected. On Non Sonett, this approach is taken a step further, allowing these juxtapositions to play an even more active role in shaping the music’s character and flow.

This approach connects closely with the ensemble’s broader artistic trajectory. Over time, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble has developed a language that is immediately recognizable—marked by reduction, clarity and a deep attention to sonic detail. While each release has its own character, the underlying aesthetic remains consistent: a focus on the inner life of sound itself. Rather than foregrounding gesture or virtuosity, the music draws the listener toward the smallest elements, where meaning emerges gradually through texture, spacing and timbre.

The listening experience becomes one of concentration and proximity, where each sound carries weight, and the accumulation of detail forms a larger whole. References may be sensed—to early polyphonic music, Norwegian folk traditions, or more recent experimental practices—but these are absorbed into a singular musical language that resists categorization.

As with the ensemble’s recent work, Non Sonett also continues the integration of electronics as a fundamental part of the sound world. Each musician engages with electronic elements alongside their acoustic instruments, creating a layered and dynamic sonic environment. At times, this leads into extended, exploratory passages reminiscent of analogue musique concrète; at others, electronics operate almost imperceptibly, subtly altering and extending the acoustic textures in real time.

Nitai Hershkovits and Daniel Dor return with Found & Found, their second collaborative album and a natural continuation of the musical dialogue initiated with The Garden Suite.

Born out of pure curiosity - "there was more to say, more to explore," explains Dor - the album expands the duo's sonic language beyond the synth-only framework of their previous work. While the Moog remains central, Found & Found introduces clarinet and acoustic guitar, gently dissolving the boundaries between electronic and acoustic sound.

Each composition unfolds through interlocking, mantra-like patterns. Repetition becomes a space for transformation: melodies circle, textures shift, and subtle harmonic movements invite the listener inward. The music is structured with care, yet it feels open and fluid. intimate, spacious and quietly immersive. If their previous record explored orchestral depth through synthesizers, this new chapter embraces air and clarity. Acoustic gestures emerge within electronic landscapes, creating a sound world that is both grounded and weightless.

Nitai Hershkovits brings with his fellow partner Daniel Dor a refined harmonic sensitivity shaped by both jazz and classical traditions. Together they continue to refine a shared language that moves between structure and freedom, precision and emotion.

For two decades, Gun Outfit has been a band defined less by genre than by continuity, patience, and a commitment to making music that reflects their lived experience.
Formed in Olympia, Washington in 2006 but long since rooted in Los Angeles, the group has evolved from a raw duo into a quietly formidable five-piece, their sound growing from scrappy post-punk beginnings into something spacious yet intimate, and always underpinned by an experimental edge.
On Process & Reality, Gun Outfit return with their most ambitious and immersive work to-date, a sprawling 80-minute double album shaped by time, environment, and philosophy. Recorded over the course of a single month in the late summer of 2020, on an 80-acre ranch in Pine Flat, California, while a massive forest fire burned less than ten miles away, the seeds of these songs were stark and strange.
Its title, Process & Reality, draws from the central work of philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, whose philosophy places intuition, experience, creativity, and relationality at the center of existence.
The band’s current lineup reflects both longevity and openness. Sharp and Keith remain the band’s primary architects, joined by longtime drummer Daniel Swire, multi-instrumentalist Henry Barnes, and bassist Kayla Cohen. Additional collaborators include Chris Cohen, Warren Lee, and Danny Sasaki all of whom add further depth, leaving subtle fingerprints across the album.
Musically, the album expands the band’s palette without abandoning its core sensibility. Dulcimer, autoharp, sitar, melodica, keyboards, homemade electronics, and a wide range of acoustic and electric textures appear throughout. The sound is mellow yet expansive, songs move between fragility and hefty atmospheric passages.
Influences surface obliquely rather than overtly. Elements of reggae and dub inform the production’s spatial sensibility. Echoes of long-form European jam bands coexist with sharp post-punk. British folk traditions, American country, and classic West Coast songwriting drift in and out of focus; the band is never afraid to lead or follow.

With Neolithic Neon, Appleblim creates a kaleidoscopic reflection of the spirituality inherent within electronic music — the ineffable frequencies and communal traditions that spring from exploratory synthesis, deep-rooted rhythms and myriad other sonic codes.

Throughout his third album for Sneaker Social Club, Laurie Osborne continues to express a fascination with the ancient resonance held within modern rave as he guides his own studio practice towards more purposefully analogue processes. It's reflective of his desire to let go and trust his instincts within the more chaotic realm of voltages and signals, not to mention turning to a wider spread of instrumentation and opening up to noisier avenues. This direction defines the character of Neolithic Neon, which bristles with the living imperfections of the gear in the context of incisive and wide-ranging cuts touching on jungle, dubstep, techno, electro, acid and experimental electronic music of all stripes.

Across Osborne's solo output from 2018's Life In A Laser to 2021 tape Infinite Hieroglyphics, a strong melodic sensibility spills out of the richly layered production. It's equally audible in his Wrecked Lightship collaboration with Adam Winchester, and it charges Neolithic Neon with its star-gazing, contemplative streak. From the knotty plucks and licks weaving through opener 'Moorland' to the vaporous synths darting across the top of hardcore conductor 'Thunderstorm', a dreamlike evocation takes the sound off terra firma, musing on cosmic events and our connection to the enormity of the universe.

Eternally in thrall to the maverick vocabulary of pioneering beat scientists and fuelled by the inspiration of great thinkers dwelling on our purpose and place, Neolithic Neon unfurls big ideas without heavy-handed messaging. Instead, it trusts in the universal and time-honoured language of experimentation and rhythm to present its ideas, true to Appleblim's legacy to date while opening a new chapter in his ongoing sonic quest.

Drawing from traditions of musique concrète and ambient synthesis, The Vertical Luminous creates a world of textural depth and microscopic wonder. Across its tracks, bubbling tones, processed field recordings, and shifting electronic layers intertwine, evoking the sensation of listening in on the hidden rhythms of atoms, molecules, and micro-organisms.
'While grounded in experimental technique, The Vertical Luminous avoids the academic or austere, instead embracing a mischievous sense of melody and curiosity - a reminder that exploration and joy can coexist in sound.
'The result is a record that is both meditative and playful, equally suited to deep listening or casual drift.'

Two jewels in the crown of the soulful electronic music scene in NYC unite for a spellbinding EP on Rhythm Section International. ”Full Circle” is a brand new body of work from Musclecars & Toribio.

To call this 12” simply epic would almost be doing it a disservice. The breadth of musicality and execution of ideas contained across 3 compositions is nothing short of miraculous. I use the word composition intentionally: these are not merely tracks - these are 3 movements making up a concerto - with a dub thrown in for good measure!

The record kicks off with a soulful house behemoth, “ That’s My Story” featuring NJ legend Roland Clark on vocals giving sweet sweet testimony. In many ways, this track feels like a coming together of the trios influences. The lyrics contextualise it, giving it this intimate, confessional feel. The latin drums shuffling amidst the 909 kick drive it forward and the organ swimming freely amongst it all takes us to church. It’s a timeless track - paying homage to the various New York traditions laid down by Louis Vega, Timmy Regisford, Joaquin Claussell , Ron Trent et al - all heroes and collaborators of the composers who - with this effort - have surely now earned their place in the pantheon of American Soul Music.
‘
Be Honest’ maintains the confessional tone with the lyrics but takes things right back down in terms of tempo. Is it a love song, an ultimatum or a cry for help? Whichever way you interpret it, this track is Toribio’s time to shine as a lead vocalist and he hits all the notes, leaving not a dry eye in the house. This is a delicate tour de force, delivered with such raw emotion and vulnerability it allows the instrumentation takes a back seat - just a gentle groove, swelling strings and some unresolved chords are all that’s required to transform us to the main character of this story. We’re left hanging, and it’s oh so relatable.

Agua De Florida serves as an uplifting, fast paced finale to the concerto and this one’s all about the trumpet - masterfully performed by Melbourne born, London based virtuoso Audrey Powne. If Herb Alpert was making house music - I imagine this is what it would sound like. Throbbing bass and noodling synths join the melee and crank the joy up to 11. If the EP is a story arc over 3 tracks, then we’re definitely not left hanging with this one. All is resolved, things are moving onwards and upwards and the circle is complete.

Wind of Oirat is the full length debut by Mongolian independent musician and sound artist Ts Bayandalai. Following his acclaimed 2020 EP Kimel, he now presents a further matured, composed and refined version of his signature sound, which combines traditional Mongolian music and instruments with influences from experimental music and post-rock. Deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of his homeland, Ts Bayandalai, who grew up in a nomadic family in the Mongolian steppe, explores nature and its myths, his ancestral roots, and the relationship between humans, animals and nature.

Artist Bio:

Ts Bayandalai is a Mongolian independent musician and sound artist. His childhood on the steppes shaped a deep sensitivity to natural and ethnic sound. To create his individual, deeply rooted yet modern soundscape, he combines traditional Mongolian musical elements with post-rock, experimental and electronic music, as well as from outernational music influences.

Born into a nomadic family on the steppes, Ts Bayandalai grew up wandering the vast grasslands with shepherds, absorbing the resonances of the horse fiddle and guitar — experiences that remain a primordial source of inspiration in his work.

Founder of the avantgarde band Horse Radio (2012) and the experimental project December3AM (2015), his compositions navigate cultural memory and contemporary aesthetics, reconstructing pastoral landscapes, temporal layers, and emotional spaces through sound.

His EP Kimel, released in 2020, manifested a delicate sculpting of sound, space, and cultural motifs, presenting a listening experience that is at once primal and modern.

Ts Bayandalai’s performances span China, Mongolia, and major independent music venues and festivals across Asia. His artistic vitality and creative autonomy have earned him critical acclaim and a devoted following in the international folk music and experimental music communities.

On their fourth proper studio album Ruckus, Galactic wholeheartedly move not so much away from their past as a bad-ass New Orleans jazz & roll band, as they move toward another of its traditions: Voodoo funk.

Not merely content to stick to Mardi Gras or Dr. John esthetics, Galactic points firmly toward the technological present with their primordial groove machine music. Bass, bass, and more bass is the order of the day, and strange keyboard sounds come bubbling under like some lost Lee Perry session gone digital. Ruckus is a spooky ride to the other side of midnight. That moment in time when anything is possible.

This is musical rebirth of a band. Galactic was made all the better for its brave new direction. Ruckus is a album packed with ass-burning grooves and was produced by Dan The Automator.

Ruckus has not been available on vinyl more than 2 decades, and now it's finally out again as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on yellow & green marble vinyl, and includes an insert.

A1 Dawn Razor x Electrosoul System - Hiper Dob. Progressive breaks in the best traditions of Layo & Bushwacka! Atmospheric, fiery, harmonious.

A2 Electrosoul System - #electrobidon. Powerful electro breaks with paranoid melodic harmonies and an original, memorable voice sample by the 46th President of the USA.

B1 DJ Brix - Under Attack (Electrosoul System Remix). Crisp breakbeat with an old-school touch, echoing early Chemical Brothers and Prodigy, acid house and the acid revolution.

B2 Dissident - Alter Samadhi (Eklektika Remix). Gloomy, mesmerizingly hypnotic future garage remix of a drum'n'bass classic by Dissident.

Blending Afro-Uruguayan traditions with rock, soul, jazz, and funk, Ruben Rada has shaped the music scenes of Uruguay and Argentina from the 1960s to the present. Alongside Eduardo Mateo, he pioneered candombe-beat during his time with the legendary band El Kinto. In the early 1970s, he fused Afrobeat with rock in the trailblazing group Totem and later helped define the distinctive jazz fusion sound of Opa-collaborating with the Fattoruso brothers and Airto Moreira during his years in the United States. In the 1980s, Rada settled in Buenos Aires and assembled a powerhouse band featuring top talent from both Uruguay and Argentina. Together, they created a series of unforgettable albums that fused candombe with jazz and rock-marking one of the most celebrated periods of his career. Adar Nebur, originally released in 1984, captures Rada and his band at their peak. Backed by a stunning horn section, they blend Latin rhythms with jazz, soul, and the new wave sounds of the '80s. Now, more than forty years later, this hidden gem is being released internationally for the first time.

Assemble Music welcomes XDB for his first appearance on the label. Born and based in Germany with Greek roots, XDB (Kosta Athanassiadis) has been deeply involved in electronic music since the early 1990s. Known for his broad musical vision and refusal to be boxed into a single style, XDB has built a reputation through both his carefully curated DJ sets and hardware-driven productions. His sound draws from raw Detroit traditions, dub techno and deep house, favouring analog textures and stripped-back machine funk. On this three-track EP, XDB explores the darker edges of house and techno, blending classic Detroit influences with raw analog production to deliver a focused and uncompromising statement. With releases on respected imprints such as Sistrum, Ferox and Dial Records, this debut on Assemble Music feels perfectly placed and essential.

Is planet Earth weighing you down? 12 Tribes are ready to take you away. Mars is the destination and their music is the spaceship. Drop your past to join them in a future where humans from all walks of life build new traditions, and music is the language we all speak.

12 Tribes of Mars takes the basic elements of the Reggae, Ska, and Dub traditions and blasts them into outer space. A closer listen reveals that what might seem familiar at first has a truly unique and eclectic sound. Heavily influenced by the spirit of free improvisation, the music is as sexy and danceable as it is uncompromisingly gritty.

On stage 12 Tribes Of Mars really cast their spell: time and time again trance inducing acoustic grooves are torn apart by wild improvisations and electronics, before the musicians return to the rhythm as if nothing had ever happened. Concerts are both an intense, trippy listening experience as well as a high energy dance party, ultimately leaving the audience sweaty and wanting for more.

All members of 12 Tribes are trained jazz musicians that are most comfortable in the borderland between musical genres. In the past years, the band toured the festival circuit and alternative venues of Amsterdam. Now they are celebrating the release of their first full album, Hidden Sun, on a beautiful 12 inch limited edition vinyl and on digital.

Marisa Anderson"s music transcends borders. The topography of her work interrogates the intersections of artistry and expression with form and tradition. A singular guitarist and voracious musical collaborator, Anderson crafts pieces bursting with equal parts reverence and curiosity, contouring familiar shapes into work that is wholly her own. Anderson has spent decades mining the veins of the complicated, interconnected American folk traditions she was steeped in from a young age, stretching beyond those traditions and incorporating the vocabulary and techniques of vernacular folk music from around the world into her work. Eschewing replication or revival, Anderson"s music lives in conversation with tradition. "My approach to tradition is with the hands that I have and the history that I have," notes Anderson. "In that way it"s a collaboration - you don"t go into collaboration trying to play like the other person, you go in trying to find out how to play together."

Marisa Anderson"s music transcends borders. The topography of her work interrogates the intersections of artistry and expression with form and tradition. A singular guitarist and voracious musical collaborator, Anderson crafts pieces bursting with equal parts reverence and curiosity, contouring familiar shapes into work that is wholly her own. Anderson has spent decades mining the veins of the complicated, interconnected American folk traditions she was steeped in from a young age, stretching beyond those traditions and incorporating the vocabulary and techniques of vernacular folk music from around the world into her work. Eschewing replication or revival, Anderson"s music lives in conversation with tradition. "My approach to tradition is with the hands that I have and the history that I have," notes Anderson. "In that way it"s a collaboration - you don"t go into collaboration trying to play like the other person, you go in trying to find out how to play together."

Australian composer-performers Judith Hamann and James Rushford have worked together in countless projects for two decades, perhaps most notably in Golden Fur, their trio with Sam Dunscombe. Black Truffle is pleased to announce Midmeste, their first work as a duo. Its title is Middle English for ‘the middlemost point’, alluding to how the piece builds on the points of overlap between the highly personalised musical languages Hamann and Rushford have developed in recent years. Performed on cello and a variety of pipe organs, Midmeste is a spacious, sometimes unsettling exploration of their shared interest in alternative tunings, psychoacoustic phenomena, the physical properties of their instruments, and the usually peripheral sounds generated by the performing body.

Beginning with a sequence of austerely vibrato-less harmonics from Hamann's cello, trailed by Rushford's whistling portative organ tones, the music soon expands into a slow-moving melodic wander, pausing at times to linger over an uncomfortable harmony or particularly resonant cello tone. Hamann and Rushford have long histories of engagement with pre-Classical European musical traditions, having in past projects performed and radically extended the work of Solage, Louis Couperin, Johann Conrad Beissell and other composers. Here they use a 15th century song by John Dunstaple, ‘O rosa bella’, which returns throughout the piece, distorted, aerated and splayed into new forms.

Developed while the two shared residencies at Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart in 2020 and La Becque on Lake Geneva in 2023, Midmeste integrates recordings made (at at the invitation of the Biennale Son) on the organ of the Basilica St Valere in Sion, Switzerland—the world’s oldest playable organ, built in the early 15th century. Played by both Rushford and Hamann, the instrument’s idiosyncratic features, including bellows pumped manually using massive wooden beams, are integrated into the music through amplification. Creaks and thumps locate the music physically both in the performers’ bodies and the specific site of its making. Moving through a series of distinct episodes across its forty-minute span, Midmeste makes space for near-silent duets of high harmonics and hissing air, moments where twittering high tones and rumbling sub-bass could be electronic, and static fields that unexpectedly blossom into almost Romantic harmonies.

Listeners familiar with Hamann and Rushford’s work will find many familiar features here: the stunningly rich cello tones, their patient sustain allowing heightened awareness of the inner life of sound and its interactions with the environment; the care with which acoustic space is activated, becoming at times a third instrumental voice; the attention to fragile, unstable sonorities that sometimes have a comic edge. A major work from two key figures in contemporary experimental music, Midmeste synthesises rigorous exploration of fundamental questions of sound and performance with an unapologetic embrace of beauty.

Magic Tuber Stringband act in communion with the natural world around them. Highly skilled players and writers, the trio are leaders within the burgeoning Avant-Folk world. Growing up in Appalachia studying the folk traditions of the region in tandem scientific and observational work in nature, their music appears to weave in and out of the fabric of the landscape. The ensemble continues to stretch the parameters of acoustic instrumental expression with masterful flourishes of dense, textural arrangements, subtle minimalist gestures and deft improvisation. Heavy Water addresses the impact of nuclear production on the environment and the communities within, a musical evocation of destruction and resilience, an embrace of dissonance and tension within moments of transcendence.

Magic Tuber Stringband act in communion with the natural world around them. Highly skilled players and writers, the trio are leaders within the burgeoning Avant-Folk world. Growing up in Appalachia studying the folk traditions of the region in tandem scientific and observational work in nature, their music appears to weave in and out of the fabric of the landscape. The ensemble continues to stretch the parameters of acoustic instrumental expression with masterful flourishes of dense, textural arrangements, subtle minimalist gestures and deft improvisation. Heavy Water addresses the impact of nuclear production on the environment and the communities within, a musical evocation of destruction and resilience, an embrace of dissonance and tension within moments of transcendence.

ZENA, the contemporary ethio-jazz duo from London comprised of producer, keyboardist

and synth player Yohan Kebede and bassist/producer Menelik, have announced the forthcoming release of their debut EP ‘TEMESGEN’; is a six-track aural odyssey that balances uncompromising experimentation with a deep sense of home, comfort, and exploration. In accordance with the duo’s mission, the project is seeking to redefine and reimagine Ethiopian music for a new generation.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the EP’s title, Yohan said: “‘TEMESGEN’ means “Thank God” in Amharic, and for me, I never heard my mother receive good news without saying it aloud. After the first couple gigs we did as ZENA, we saw how people reacted to our music and how it resonated with them. It spurred in us a feeling of overwhelming gratitude, after which the EP kind of named itself”

Born out of a mutual love and respect for the music of their shared Ethiopian heritage, ZENA are charting a new endeavour where Ethiopian musical traditions meet the future. Building upon the roots and foundations laid by legendary Ethiopian musicians Haliu Mergia, Alemayehu Eshete and Mulatu Astatke, ZENA fuses the haunting spirituality and earthiness of the ethio-jazz tradition with a modernity, sensuality and sense of disruption that is distinctly London.

Following three sold-out London headline shows, plus appearances at We Out Here Festival and on NTS Radio, ZENA arrive on Brownswood Recordings with a bold debut that’s equally at home across jazz-minded selectors and leftfield crate-diggers. The duo’s momentum is fuelled by Yohan Kebede’s landmark year with Kokoroko; from the release of Tuff Times Never Last to an NPR Tiny Desk, a North American tour, and their biggest headline show yet at O2 Academy Brixton, alongside Menelik’s quietly formidable reputation in London’s inner circle, shaped by time on the road and in the studio with Muva Of Earth and Bill Laurance.






d B1 IT'S YOU (ANTE NEH) ft. Meron T




d B1 IT'S YOU (ANTE NEH) ft. Meron T




[d] B1 IT'S YOU (ANTE NEH) [ft. Meron T]

Tirakat brings together Jakarta-based trio Ali and Lebanese composer and multi instrumentalist Charif Megarbane in a collaboration rooted in long histories of cultural exchange between Indonesia and the Arab world. Ali are known for blending 1970s Indonesian psychedelic funk with Orkes Melayu, disco grooves, and Arab melodic forms, while Megarbane’s extensive catalogue has consistently explored similar cross-regional currents through jazz, library music, and Mediterranean-influenced arrangements. What connects the two is not genre alone, but a shared musical vocabulary shaped by overlapping histories, references, and lived cultural continuities.
The relationship between Indonesia and the Arab world stretches back over a thousand years, forged through Indian Ocean trade routes that carried not only goods, but languages, belief systems, instruments, and musical ideas. These exchanges were gradually absorbed into local traditions rather than replacing them. In Indonesia, Arabic musical elements entered through devotional practices and ensemble formats such as Gambus, Qasidah, and Orkes Melayu, where maq?m-derived melodic structures were adapted into local tuning systems and performance styles. Over time, these sounds became embedded within Indonesian popular music, shaping genres such as dangdut and informing a wider sonic landscape that remains audible today.

New Stand High Patrol album, featuring Joe Yorke, Nazamba, Jah Thomas - and remixes from Mad Professor, Androo & Jeanville.


Dub and House Music. Two aesthetics born in the shadows, shaped far from the mainstream music industry. Two underground cultures where independence is often a necessity and ingenuity is essential. Two scenes rooted in the margins of society, with dance, sound systems and minorities at their heart.
From the Jamaican sound system sessions of the late sixties, through the nights at Chicago's Warehouse, to the murmurings of the New York house scene in the early eighties — history shows that house, reggae and dub share far more than many people may assume. Collective action, resistance as a driving force, music moving straight from studio to turntable, shared messages: these are the threads that bind these landmark musical movements together. It is at this crossroads, driven by the spirit of experimentation that defines them, that the members of Stand High Patrol found yet another territory worth mapping.
"Skanking & Jacking", the new Musketeerz album, reveals a side of the Dubadub sound never heard on record before. Built for the dancers and for DJs, the LP brings together the pulse of house music and the vibrant groove of reggae. Uncharted territory, never interfaced like this before. The result of a meticulous blending of styles, house, reggae and dub intertwine across 12 extended tracks. The sound is carefully crafted. Built on immersive loops and interlaced with micro-variations that give it an organic texture. Born from the interaction between being and machine. This is not about simply bringing worlds closer together; it's about mobilising influences to chart a new sonic galaxy.


Beyond it's aesthetic statement, "Skanking & Jacking" also stands out for its international cast. The most extensive Stand High Patrol have ever assembled on an album. From England, Italy, Switzerland and Jamaica, the guest vocalists, producers and MCs deepen the sense of dialogue between cultures and styles. At the mic, Joe Yorke, Marina P, Nazamba and Jah Thomas join the Dubadub Musketeerz on their explorations. Each appearance subtly reshaping the contours of the project.
Never fixed, always in motion, "Skanking & Jacking" pays tribute to the traditions that shaped it and closes, as a final nod, with remixes from Jeanville, Androo and the legendary Mad Professor. The album stands as further proof of a crew that shows no signs of stopping its reinvention. Available on stream, digital and double LP on May 29th.

Yore Records proudly welcomes Craig Alexander with a deep and timeless 12" straight out of the birthplace of House: Chicago.
Across four previously unreleased cuts, Craig Alexander delivers a refined blend of deep, jazz-inflected House music. Rooted in the classic traditions of the genre yet shaped by a distinctly musical and organic approach, these tracks unfold with warmth, depth, and subtle complexity.
Rich chord progressions, soulful textures, and fluid grooves come together to create a truly immersive listening experience. There’s a clear nod to the golden era of House, while the production maintains a fresh and contemporary edge — perfectly aligning with the ethos of Yore Records.
This 12" is both a DJ tool and a deep listening journey — versatile, emotional, and built for long nights and early mornings alike.
A genuine and heartfelt statement from an artist deeply connected to the roots of House music.Strictly limited to 250 copies worldwide / no repress.

Maybe it was inevitable that Vilhelm Bromander and Fredrik Rasten would find each other. A symbiotic musical alliance of suggestive combinatory magic that stretches back to the interstitial two day space that separates their dates of birth and manifests here as the movement between ‘perfect’ or ‘just’ intonation and the ragged, psychoactive energy of the slippages from and towards that togetherness that render otherwise simple patterns or generally understood repetitions as wildly other and alive.

Astral Twins shares ‘twin’ works by each composer. The patiently unfolding real time retuning of Fredrik Rasten’s guitars on the a-side’s Sojourns and Vilhelm Bromander’s quickened steps and spry looping melodies on the flip’s Partially Dancing.

Both artists have history of going deep into the aesthetic and acoustic impact of intonation (how you think about what is ‘in tune’). Where their first LP (...for some reason that escapes us, 2019, Differ Records) shared a gorgeous set of sustained tone colour fields, this time they lean more explicitly into the folk music traditions of Scandinavia and further afield, whilst echoing the zoned minimalist atmosphere of Arthur Russell’s classic Instrumentals.

Recorded up close and in real time at Fylkingen’s soon-to-be-abandoned temporary location in Stockholm’s southern suburb of Bredäng, Astral Twins sings with the possibility that one plus one can equal more than two.

Fredrik Rasten:
 Sojourns explores the live retuning of guitar and double bass in a sequence of just intonation harmonies. A guitar ostinato runs throughout the piece where the retuning becomes an integral part of the composition. The slow pace reveals every detail in the transition from one harmonic arpeggio to another — how interfering waves emerge and disappear as the tonal interactions settle in electric clarity. The double bass shadows the guitar's process and comments with occasional pizzicato tones and register jumps, at times providing a low foundation for the sound and sometimes soaring together with the guitar. This is music that is deeply listening; experimental and at the same time humbly inviting many kinds of being with sound.

Vilhelm Bromander: 
As the title suggests, this song has a partially dancing character. The title also has a double meaning with reference to the partials and harmonics that dance together. The basic idea was to write music in just intonation that instead of being drone-based is reminiscent of a lightly dancing folk music, where the joyous feeling of just being in the music — “musicking" — is allowed to lead the way.

The double bass plays repeated overtone double stops in an open harmonic progression with subtle modulations that is inspired in equal parts by Steve Lacy's persistent repetition of phrases as east-asian khaen music. The guitars and mandolin have a freer role, with plucked retuned strings that enhance the bass's modulations and provide forward movement. The music invites to both melodic and spectral listening, suddenly halting so that other focal points can reveal themselves. For example, a chord sequence suddenly transitions to a more spectral part where Fredrik is playing a bowed guitar with a chain, several plucking guitars, voices, and pitch pipes. I wanted to make something ‘orchestral’ with just two people and no overdubs: a dance of overtones and open resonant strings, where we seamlessly take turns standing in the foreground.