Reviews

Escapology

Duende Indian Collective

As a bansuri (flute) rises from a bed of flamenco guitar on album opener ‘Escapology’, any listeners who last heard...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Revolutionary Birds

Wassim Halal, Erwan Keravec, Mounir Troudi

Revolutionary Birds is a striking new collaboration between Tunisian jazz and Sufi singer Mounir Troudi, Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec, and...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Makindu

Makindu

Formed by tabla player Randeep Kaur Bilkhu and clarinettist Timothy Wall, Makindu are named after a town in Kenya where...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Laissez Passer

TootArd

TootArd have finally released their debut album, Laissez Passer, seven years after forming the band. Although the members of TootArd...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Tapestry

Navá

There are more connections between the musical traditions of Persia and Ireland than one might think at first. These four...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Blue Maqams

Anouar Brahem

This is a gently exquisite album, in which the finest and most innovative oud (lute) player and composer in Tunisia...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Drifters & Vagabonds

Black Market Tune

With one foot in Scotland, the other in Austria and a few other limbs in Sweden and Vienna, Black Market...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Stone Horse

Indotranceltic

Former Killing Joke bassist Youth launches his new global beats label Suriya Recordings in fine style with Indotranceltic's satisfyingly uncategorisable...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Live at Ronnie Scott's

Nitin Sawhney

One of the most compelling aspects of Nitin Sawhney's work is its conceptual nature. More off en than not, his...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018

Groovy Guzheng

Phønix featuring Sangka

The fluttering tones of the guzheng (Chinese zither) will be recognised as every lazy soundtrack composer's go-to sound for an...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2018