New Arrivals
Holding on to Wonder
In times of infobesity and doomscrolling, maintaining a sense of wonder can be hard - especially for those who depend on it for their work. For all those involved in the arts, but also for anyone else who likes to be inspired by previously unimagined combinations of ideas, here is the perfect album: a sung conversation between artists, a voyage through the sonic multiverse, a musical invitation to re-widen those eyes.
On ‘Holding on to Wonder’, contemporary jazz corresponds with 70s cop show sou…
Via Lattea
Via Lattea is the new recording project of the music and performance research ensemble Enten Hitti. The work takes inspiration from research on the “feminine” and from the matrilineal transmission of life. It is the result of various research trips to the places where the culture of the “sacred female” took shape over 4000 years ago: Cyprus, Crete, Turkey, Ireland, South Africa, Indonesia … The historical and geographical suggestions have been freely reinterpreted and transformed into musical pi…
Through The Wall
A trickle of audio fragments exchanged between two locked down bedrooms becomes a flood of sound, emotion and connection.
Sùrtum
Massimo Silverio is one of the most distinctive names in the new Italian music scene, carving out a niche within the independent landscape with his unconventional idea of songwriting — influenced by the folklore of Carnia, electronic textures, and a highly personal approach to songwriting.
Surtùm arrives two years after Hrudja (2023), the album that established Silverio as one of the most intriguing emerging artists in Italy, blending the metalinguistic folklore of Sigur Rós, the gothic arrangem…
Stay Still
"A sociolinguist, composer, and writer, Erell Latimier explores the aesthetic, poetic, and political dimensions of language, with a particular focus on speech. In her compositional work, she engages in an infinitely precise process of setting her writings to sound, concentrating on the interaction between fragments of her texts—interpreted by voices—and sounds, whether collected or created, which are assembled into rich and shadowy semantic echoes. These disrupted discourses function as ghostly …
Rik
Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Harald Lassen returns with Rik, a vibrant and exploratory new album that picks up the threads of his acclaimed Balans - the album that earned him a Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy) - and weaves them into something stranger, softer, and more surprising. “It’s the little brother,” Lassen says. “Same blood, same environment, but making different choices.” Across seven tracks, RIK builds a world that is both cinematic and deeply intimate.…
Døgnville
On Friday, September 5, Liv Andrea Hauge Trio releases its third album, Døgnville, on Norwegian label Hubro. The record explores the feeling of being “døgnvill” – a Norwegian term describing the sensation of being out of sync with time and reality, like during jet lag or insomnia. The music inhabits this liminal space between structure and freedom, consciousness and dream. Half of the compositions were written while pianist and composer Liv Andrea Hauge was bedridden with a high fever – in a sem…
Minnesota
Norwegian coastal culture meets American dreams in Trond Kallevåg’s most cinematic work yet. Imagine Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, and David Lynch sharing a rowboat on a misty West Norwegian morning – that’s the world of Minnesota. With Minnesota, guitarist and composer Trond Kallevåg deepens his image-rich sound – a warm, wistful universe where the atmosphere of Norway’s rugged west coast drifts seamlessly into the wide horizons of the American Midwest. Drawing inspiration from traditional music, j…
Himmel Over Hav
Over the past 15 years, Hanna Paulsberg has established herself as one of the most vital and heartfelt voices on the Norwegian jazz scene. A highly sought-after saxophonist, Paulsberg moves effortlessly between musical genres in her many projects — from the pop/soul/jazz trio Gurls, which she co-founded and writes for, to the quartet Flukten, whose sound blends free jazz and folk influences. She’s also part of a Dexter Gordon tribute with Karin Krog, and has contributed to numerous projects with…
Almadies
*50 copies limited edition* Franz Kirmann returns to Bytes for his eighth solo album, available exclusively on Bandcamp from October 29 on cassette and download (released on all platforms on November 5). The “Almadies” are long wooden boats used by Senegalese fishermen. It is also the name of the neighborhood where Franz grew up, in the suburbs of Dakar near the Atlantic Ocean.
"These new compositions are the result of sound experiments conducted over the past few months and reflections on the c…
Krásno Mé Rozpolcené
Deep into inner struggle to find harmony… Abstract noise, spooky atmpspheres and sparse melodies from South Czechia by the restless M.B. ( Chevallier Skrog, Cosmic Cause Productions….).
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Instrumental Smoothie. What is Grid? is: sax, bass, drums. Recorded @ boto's Farm by Alberto "Boto" Dutto on August 2024.
Farewell to the Night
Farewell to the Night by Ethan Syann is an immersive album released through the IIKKI label, offering a contemplative journey through ambient and cinematic textures. Spanning six tracks, it gently blurs the boundary between experimental soundscape and evocative minimalism, creating a space for reflection and nocturnal introspection. Its subtle layers and atmospheric depth exemplify Syann’s refined and measured approach to sound design.
Poco Prima dell'Aurora
Poco Prima dell'Aurora represents a significant collaboration between Ivano Fossati and Oscar Prudente, released in 1973. This transitional album weaves together folk-pop textures and progressive echoes, reflecting the vibrant creativity of Italian songwriting in the early seventies. Marked by solid arrangements and lyrical depth, its enduring freshness lies in both its authenticity and the synergy between two distinct musical voices.
J’Accuse... Amore Mio
J’Accuse... Amore Mio marks a pivotal moment in the career of Faust’O, standing as a radical and ambitious album within the Italian new wave scene. The work delves into urban alienation and existential discomfort through avant-garde sounds, nihilistic lyrics, and an intense metropolitan atmosphere. Its experimental approach and emotive currents secure its place as a distinctive and influential release in Italian pop-rock history.
Encounters of a Loving Kind
Nadia Cassini’s album Encounters of a Loving Kind delivers a distinct blend of disco, funk, and pop, vividly reflecting the stylistic tides of the late 1970s. Despite a muted commercial reception at the time, its catchy rhythms and Cassini’s charisma earned it a cult following, securing its status as a notable crossroad for fans of sensuous, groove-oriented European pop.
Jewels
Kitchen. Label is proud to present Jewels, the debut album from Tokyo-based composer Ryuuta Takaki, emerging from a new chapter in the city’s alternative wave. His music opens realms of mysticism, memory, and imagination, unfolding like radiant mosaics that echo symbolic traditions, Eastern esotericism, and a neo-Orientalist dreamworld. Takaki shapes music that moves between sacred stillness and ornate intensity. Though his creative path once passed through experimental hip hop and electronica, …
Hanu Hansa (Bangkok Blues)
Hanu Hansa is the nomme de guerre of TJ Blake, a visual artist and musician based in Atlanta, Georgia. Known for his work in various mediums, he is perhaps best associated as a member of Lotus Plaza (Kranky) and Lyonnais (Geographic North, Hoss). Sonically, his music explores the intersection of ambient and electronic modes, often drawing inspiration from the contemplative nature of his visual work. Sonically, his music explores the intersection of ambient and electronic modes, often drawing ins…
The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby
This is the sixth album by Dorothy Ashby, a Detroit born jazz harpist who passed away in her early 50s in 1986 way before her time. She left us a rich legacy of music with this 1965 release being one of her milestones. The music is pure bright and swinging with a joyful mood. Dorothy Ashby performs her lines big time with her harp and captures your soul with the melodies she picks from its strings. She is always there upfront while the brass section mostly fills the background with colour if the…
Collectors' Items
When Ira Gitler, jazz journalist and producer at Prestige, curated this album, the term "collector" was already well-established among music enthusiasts. The pursuit of out-of-print recordings, old 78 rpm discs, and unreleased material had reached an intensity comparable to the fervor seen in the vinyl-collecting market decades later. Gitler aimed to offer jazz fans unreleased Prestige recordings while meeting expectations for the amount of music on an LP. Initially dismissed as a mere compilati…