Jazz /
Dark Days
Stirring with poetic force, Dark Days by Neil Charles sets the bass as both anchor and insurrection, channeling the spirit of James Baldwin into a contemporary jazz crucible. Here, searing improvisation and taut spoken word entwine, yielding an album that radiates both urgency and gravitas.
HobbyHouse
HobbyHouse is the self-titled debut album by the Berlin-based duo featuring Mia Dyberg (DK) on saxophone and Axel Filip (ARG) on drums. Rooted in avant-garde improvised jazz, HobbyHouse explores diverse musical structures and sonic playgrounds, crafting spontaneous compositions with a strong focus on timbral nuance and authenticity. The duo weaves these elements into vivid, evolving sound narratives that reflect their commitment to exploratory expression and creative immediacy.
A Reflection Distorts Over Water
"Whether Camila Nebbia is freely improvising or playing originals that toggle between poetic rumination and fiery blowing, she is all in. With "A reflection distorts over water" she’s formed one of the most febrile, elastic ensembles in a very prolific career, uniting with two of the strongest improvisers in the US: veteran pianist Marilyn Crispell and rising percussionist Lesley Mok.
The new trio set up at Nevessa Studio without any prior rehearsal. They played Mok’s composition “Longing” while…
The Art Of Sound(s)
"In times like ours, such an absence of the ordinary, of the real, may not exactly be a political statement. But as a social concept, this kind of music might be a beginning—a step toward a different, perhaps better, perception of the world around us. And that’s precisely what “The Art of Sound(s)“ is: Because as soon as the molecules start dancing in this chamber of reflections, art is becoming a true and selfless act of existentialism." - Rudolf Amstutz
Just Gravity
Haeun Joo Unveils a Bold, Free-Spirited Debut on 577 Records with Just Gravity, Capturing the Immediacy of Improvisation and the Beauty of Intention.
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…
Live from the Drunken Boat (LP)
Original French edition on Europa of the second 1981 album by Evan and John Lurie's band, produced once again by no less than Teo Macero.
Big Heart (LP)
Original UK edition on Island of the third album by Evan and John Lurie's project, featuring Marc Ribot.
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…
LP
*100 copies limited edition* This Molar record was created in a few stages. First it was substantial to find creative means which would spark the new material. The Polyend Tracker was perfect for that as it is both simple and surprisingly fresh. Only after that I applied my favourite environment and comfortably sat in my digital domain. The next stage was to find kindred spirits who share the same mental and musical sensibility. Michał Fetler and Jacek Prościński seemed to fit like a custom-made…
The Köln Concert
The Köln Concert (50th Anniversary Edition) by Keith Jarrett celebrates one of the most legendary solo piano performances in jazz history. The 2025 special release includes remastered audio on double LP, newly curated liner notes, archival and contemporary photos, and exclusive bonus materials. Marking half a century since its epochal live recording in Cologne, the edition underscores the enduring impact and emotional allure of Jarrett’s improvisatory genius.
Naissoo Freeform Quintet
Naissoo Freeform Quintet is a vivid exploration of jazz improvisation and collective creativity, recorded by Estonian keyboardist and composer Tõnu Naissoo and a handpicked ensemble of accomplished local musicians. Captured during two highly spontaneous sessions in Tallinn in July 2024, the album foregrounds the chemistry of the quintet - with Naissoo’s Rhodes, Moog Source, and ARP Odyssey providing the core, and enhanced by the agile bass work of Mihkel Mälgand, the resonant bass clarinet of Me…
The Bottle Tapes
Selections from the Empty Bottle Jazz and Improvised Music Series (1996-2005) is a six-CD anthology that captures the vibrant, unpredictable pulse of Chicago’s improvisational scene. Meticulously compiled from over 500 performances curated by John Corbett and Ken Vandermark, this box set chronicles a crucial era with recordings from nearly 100 international artists, immersing listeners in the fearless experimentation that defined the Empty Bottle’s celebrated Wednesday nights.
Let the Spirit Out/Live at 'Mu' London
Big tip! This is it! Chicago spiritual jazz master Kahil El'Zabar delivers one of the most powerful live recordings in recent memory! Captured over two unforgettable nights at "mu" in London - July 15th & 16th, 2024 - this is music as ancient ritual, as communion, as healing force. El'Zabar created new material specifically for these performances, alongside reimagined arrangements of classics like Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", Gershwin's "Summertime", and Duke Ellington & Juan Tizol's "Caravan".…
West and East Baying
West and East Baying by Oakland Reductionist Orchestra investigates the porous boundaries between acoustic improvisation and electronic sound, favoring the subtle friction and microdynamics of “lowercase” performance practice. Across two extended pieces—one live, one studio-crafted—this Bay Area supergroup reveals the intricate textures, restrained intensity and deep listening that define the West Coast reductionist scene.
New Conference Call
New Conference Call brings together Gebhard Ullmann, Uwe Oberg, Joe Fonda and Dieter Ulrich for an engaging session rooted in deep listening, spirited interplay and exploratory textures. Their varied compositional voices and dynamic rapport yield music that stretches from reflective lyricism to intricate rhythmic conversations, underscoring their ability to blend innovation with ensemble empathy.
The Bliss of Bliss
With The Bliss of Bliss, Pat Thomas distills four decades of radical pianism into a transcendent live improvisation. Recorded in Geneva in 2024, the album transforms the solo piano into a realm of shifting densities and ecstatic form, where each note seems to create and erase the space it inhabits.