‘The saxophonist leading a septet into fascinating, playful and sparky combinations of contemporary music, avant-garde jazz, techno, and improv; a kind of seance summoning the wailing fairy of Irish folklore, a shrieking harbinger of death.’

‘Hans Hulbækmo and Egil Kalman have long been a playful and creative rhythm section, with one foot in free jazz and the other in folk music. They’ve played together in the Marthe Lea Band and other projects, and since last year they’ve delved into the folk music of Norway and Sweden — all set in an experimental duo format. Drums and jaw harp (Hans) meet modular synth and double bass (Egil).
‘Unit of Time draws from the rhythmic details of folk music, as the basis for minimalist compositions full of improvisation. It’s not all about the groove, though. Some melodies are interpreted straightforwardly enough, but the unconventional instruments give the music a new depth. Unusual timbres and sonic phenomena emerge, mesemerizingly.’

‘Marvelling, playful, inquisitive contemplations, ranging from the stardust that forms us to the very first human sound that reverberated through a cave; ambient, liminal narratives woven by poetic recitation and Buchla, bass and sitar, edging towards blues and spiritual jazz.’

Mono, 50th Anniversary edition.

The son of the world-renowned tar and setar virtuoso Hossein Alizadeh; a true master of the Iranian spike fiddle, or kamancheh; and a key voice in contemporary Iranian music, blending classical Persian traditions with avantgarde experimentation.
The two Rituals presented here are deeply immersive, epic, meditative soundscapes, charged with memory, emotion, and the spirit of resistance.

‘Luminous meshes of colours and textures, vaulting between free jazz, dub, raga, ambient, and ritual music. Riveting polyrhythms underpin towering arrangements for flutes, synths, and processed acoustic instruments. The drumming and psychoactive, ceremonial melodies evoke the fourth world of Don Cherry, Jon Hassell, Popol Vuh et al. An alchemical, Buddhist/Taoist/Hindu slant guides the narrative.’

‘What might appear to be a heart-wrenching ballad — tapping 1960s or ‘70s radio-friendly Italian pop — is likely to transform into a state of pure sonic abstraction and tense tonal and timbral relationships, before travelling any number of places next (or not). What remains ever-present, as the album traverses its many territories, is the remarkable sense of compositional rigour, while also managing to feel perfectly balanced and unlaboured. Tarozzi elegantly intertwines voices, personal narrative and memories. From the album’s opening blasts of a radiant brass ensemble, reaching startling heights with her own Lucciole and a live-in-studio cover of Milton Nascimento’s River Phoenix, to its conclusion, which enlists the Piccolo Coro Angelico children’s choir, with whom she has worked for over fifteen years, the album is a profound journey into the potential of music on numerous levels, further establishing Tarozzi as one of the most important and distinct artists working today.
‘A truly astounding accomplishment, it’s hard to imagine an album imbued with a greater sense of wonder, joy, and creative accomplishment. It’s a truly stunning thing to behold, revealing new depths and dimensions with every return…
‘Well beyond ten out of ten and will unquestionably prove to be among 2026’s absolute best’ (Soundohm, Milan).

This is a blast — a tremendously entertaining survey, centred in the Basque country, uproariously mangling together everything from Suicide to dub, Surf to tribal-style chanting, Satanism to toothpaste, with zinging wit, energy and intelligence, and knockabout anti-authoritarianism.
Well-presented; warmly recommended.

Four portions of lonesome country, by Toody Cole from Dead Moon, and The Rats.