Adventures in the Now

This is the fourth instalment of genre crossing ethno-jazz fusion from Finnish multi-instrumentalist Ilkka Arola and his band Sound Tagine. The main man plays striking bouzouki and trumpet parts, plus synth passages and the odd vocal across the set. The band lean in multiple directions, often drawing on influences from Turkey – particularly its 1970s disco scene, but also folk traditions. ‘Whispers’, a high point in a sonically thrilling album, gives one of the best demonstrations of their wild imagination and versatility. Exploratory jazz trumpet lines, cycling bouzouki parts, skittering drums and psych-inflected guitars come in and out of the mix on what is a multi-phased epic. Elsewhere, opener ‘Ice Cream Is’ sets the tone for the wide-ranging set with its funky grooves and easy-going atmosphere. Drawing on many influences, this album always manages to be more than the sum of its parts. Singular and fun.