Reviews

Athamra

Lamia Bedioui & The Desert Fish

This musical tour of the Mediterranean works on a number of levels. Firstly, and most importantly, it works musically. Knitting...

Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: October/2015

Lagos Pepper Soup

Michael Olatuja

Nigerian bassist and composer Michael Olatuja has spent most of his life in three cities: first Lagos, then London, and...

Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: October/2020

Postfolklor

Ponk

As the album title suggests, Ponk, a Czech acoustic power trio of cimbalom, violin and double bass, take a powerfully...

Reviewed by Kim Burton in issue: December/2016

Ein Etter Mor

Raabygg

Raabygg are an adventurous trio of musicians who explore the folk music of southern Norway and, in particular, some of...

Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: December/2019

Makan

Driss El Maloumi

Driss El Maloumi’s previous solo album L’Âme Dansée showed him to be one of the most promising oud (lute) players...

Reviewed by Bill Badley in issue: March/2014

Transatlântikèr

Trio Bacana

Kèr, meaning ‘heart’ in Réunionese Creole and ‘village’ or ‘home’ in Breton, leaves the translation of Transatlântikèr up to some...

Reviewed by Lucy Hallam in issue: April/2021

Kokoda

Ilan-Ilan

Named for the flower that scents the air of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, the Ilan-Ilan band was created in...

Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: January/February/2022

Hidari Ude No Yume

Ryuichi Sakamoto

While most famous around the world as a member of the groundbreaking group Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ryuichi Sakamoto has been...

Reviewed by James Catchpole in issue: January/2021

Utopia and Wasteland

Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar

No prizes for guessing to where the ‘utopia and wasteland’ of the title refers. It comes as no surprise that...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: June/2018

Alo

Ajate

The second album from the Japanese ten-piece Ajate is full of surprises as leader John Imaeda and his group provide...

Reviewed by James Catchpole in issue: July/2020