East of West – Pastorale (4000 Records, 2025) Instrumental trio East of West returns with Pastorale, their third studio album and a first-time collaboration with…
East Of West Collaborates With Romano Crivici On New Album Pastorale
Author: Tyler Bennet
Mahotella Queens Make a Majestic Return
Mahotella Queens – Buya Buya: Come Back (Umsakazo Records, 2025) After nearly two decades without original material, South Africa’s iconic mbaqanga group the Mahotella Queens…
Big Dreams, Intrepid Fusion: WDR Big Band Tackles “Bluegrass”
WDR Big Band – Bluegrass (MCG Jazz, 2025) A dramatic dream sparked the collaboration behind Bluegrass, the ambitious crossover project from Germany’s WDR Big Band.…
Balalaika Sisters Act: A Folk Revival From Sokolniki
Valentina Kostyukova feat. Vera Chekunova – Made in Sokolniki: Russian Balalaika Music (Antonovka Records, 2025) This album offers a curated selection of delightful traditional Russian…
Dionysian Rites and Rhythmic Spells: The Voodoo Drummer Duo Casts a HELLaS of a Trance
The Voodoo Drummer Duo – HELLaS SPELLS (2025) At first glance, HELLaS SPELLS might appear to be an experiment born of whimsy, a cello, a…
Makgona Tsohle Band Reclaims the Groove on Makgona Tsohle Reggi
Makgona Tsohle Band – Makgona Tsohle Reggi (Umsakazo Records, 2020) In the lexicon of South African music, few names carry the sheer weight of legacy…
Áššu Rekindles Sámi Fire on Luohtenlegut
Áššu – Luoteniegut (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025) Áššu, the trio led by veteran Finnish Sámi singer Ulla Pirttijärvi, intertwines traditional joik with contemporary sounds…
Soundplaces Weaves a Bowed Dialogue Across the Aegean
Derya Türkan & Sokratis Sinopoulos – Soundplaces (Seyir Muzik, 2020) Soundplaces, the 2020 release by Derya Türkan and Sokratis Sinopoulos, offers a contemplative, transcultural conversation…
Dal:um Explore Vast Emotional and Conceptual Terrain with Korean Zithers
(headline image: Dal:um – Photo by Jaeyoung Park) Dal:um, a Seoul-based duo composed of Ha Suyean and Hwang Hyeyoung specializes in traditional Korean zithers, the…
Femi Kuti’s Next Act: Journey Through Life Balances Protest With Personal Insight
Femi Kuti – Journey Through Life (Partisan Records, 2025) On his 2025 album Journey Through Life, Nigerian Afrobeat stalwart Femi Kuti turns inward, pairing his…