Reviews

Philos

Park Jiha

On her 2018 debut Communion, Park Jiha played an array of ancient Korean instruments including the piri, a double-reed bamboo...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2019

Times of Maharajas

Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan

Led by tabla player Rahis Bharti, the Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan are one of the busiest ensembles touring Rajasthani music...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2019

Joy!Guru

Debashish Bhattacharya

‘Here Comes the Moon King’, the 12-minute opening track, sets the mood. It begins with a prelude of tingling stillness;...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2019

Baluchistan: The Instrumental Tradition

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Ocora has released many fine recordings of lesser-known musical traditions and this album, featuring the instrumental tradition of Balochistan, is...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2019

ONDA

Jambinai

Four years ago, a trio of South Korean musicians played in London as part of the K-Music Festival and provided...

Reviewed in issue July/2019

Kizaki Ondo

Kizaki Ondo Preservation Society, Clark Naito

‘Kizaki Ondo’ is an Edo-period folk song that originated in the bustling post town of Nitta Kizakicho, Gunma Prefecture. It...

Reviewed in issue July/2019

The Tapi Project

Tapi

Tapi put their best feet forward on opener ‘Paigam’, with a surando (folk fiddle) sample introducing a reflective vocal refrain....

Reviewed in issue July/2019

Kyogokuryu-Sokyoku ‘Shinshunfu’

Kohei Amada, Sugai Ken

The latest instalment of EM Records' archive series focuses on a single piece by Japanese composer Kohei Amada (1892-1985). A...

Reviewed in issue July/2019

The Art of the Chinese Guzheng

Wu Mengmeng

This album is a tribute to the main regional styles of guzheng (21-string zither) music in China. Having worked with...

Reviewed in issue June/2019

Jiuta & Kotouta

Ensemble Yonin No Kaï

Ensemble Yonin No Kaï were formed in 1957, when each of the four members was awarded a gold medal at...

Reviewed in issue June/2019