Thou Sonic Friend – Cinemateria (Barefoot)

Thou Sonic Friend is an experimental trio making improvised and avant-garde music from Copenhagen. Their new album, Cinemateria, on Barefoot Records, is their latest collection of such works, clocking in at almost fifty minutes. The spontaneous compositions on the album are very colourful and diverse, and I’ve had a really good time listening to this one!

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Eartheater – Trinity (Chemical X)

At this point, Eartheater is a staple of good, forward-thinking synth pop. Her new album is made of multiple compositions with each their own sound and vibe. I especially like the use of electronics and pitch-shifted percussion throughout. The generally melancholic songs are a real kick for when you want quality underground pop music.

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Clément Janinet – Danse ? (Gigantonium)

The latest collection of works by violinist and composer Clément Janinet is here, under the title Danse ? The thirteen tracks on record take inspiration from various dances and twist them apart until they metaphorically break. The album is a marvellous modern jazz album with a huge folk music aspect to it. Definitely recommended.

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The Balderin Sali – Variations (Leo)

Free improvisation can take so many many forms. Here’s a collection of improvised sessions at the Soundscapes Concerts Series in Berlin, involving saxophonist Harri Sjöström. It’s pretty much impossible to compress all that this album covers inside a mere few lines of text, but feel free to listen to a handful of excerpts on Bandcamp and enjoy the creativity, spontaneity, and synergy of it all!

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Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive – Ragmala: A Garland of Ragas (Meta)

This is a massive project. Forty musicians are credited for taking part in the recordings of this album. New York’s Go: Organic Orchestra and the Brooklyn Raga Massive coalesce into a greater whole. The album spans almost two hours of material, bridging the gap between Indian classical music, spiritual jazz, West African music, and funk. The result is quite transcendental. The music is unrestricted by any of its roots and instead play out in the various branches and offshoots that it gives rise to. Truly an outstanding and stellar album!

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Arthur Moon – Arthur Moon

Let’s finish this with Lora-Faye Åshuvud’s Arthur Moon, an experimental pop effort worth praising. Lora-Faye’s compositions are quirky and entertaining in many ways, and they are masterfully crafted and brought to life here on this album, thanks to a long list of collaborators. It’s a really good, part upbeat album that’s a joy ride from start to finish!