Mischa Blanos shares new single, ‘Busted’, off forthcoming Take Control LP

10 November 2025

Take Control, the upcoming new release from Romanian pianist, composer and producer Mischa Blanos is out later this month and last week we were given another striking glimpse into the stunning album. Following the sublime and exhilarating ‘Basilica’, Blanos has shared ‘Busted’, a contemporary classical piece for prepared piano that shows yet again Blanos’ extraordinary talent, transcending the limits of his instrument.  Now part of a release for the first time, ‘Busted’, originally composed a decade ago, sees Blanos embracing his roots, drawing from Romanian folklore and musical tradition. Blanos recalls being caught without a bus ticket, as a catalyst for the piece:

“I was young, broke, stubborn. Wouldn’t play weddings, wouldn’t sell out for a quick gig. The ticket inspector stared: ‘Aren’t you that piano kid from TV?’ He let me go. No fine, no speech, just a shrug, like he’d seen enough of this city to recognize a broken young artist when he met one. I walked home and played what hurt. The notes had Romanian folk bones. Art doesn’t always pay the bills, but it still saves you.”

‘Busted’ is offered with an accompanying live video, filmed in Bucharest, and you can watch it below.

Take Control is out on November 21st through Longcut Records

Watch Ciao Kennedy’s video for Foire du Midi’

06 November 2025

Earlier this year, Brussels-based quintet Ciao Kennedy released their debut album, Solarium, marking the fruition of two years’ worth of musical experimentation. Now the outfit of childhood friends Samuel du Fontbaré (guitar), Léopold de San (guitar), Louis Gaillard (keyboards), Gaspard de Bellefroid (bass) and Simon Boonen (drums) have unleashed a video to accompany ‘Foire du Midi’, lifted from the album. As the press release describes, ‘Foire du Midi’ “captures that hazy, late-summer nostalgia of Brussels’ iconic funfair — somewhere between bright lights, cotton candy melancholy and soft synth warmth”. Ciao Kennedy made the video and you can watch it below.

Solarium is out now through Sdban Ultra

Erik Hall announces new album, Solo Three; shares first single ‘Music for a Large Ensemble’

05 November 2025

Photo: Nolis Anderson

We’re over the moon to hear that Chicago-born and Michigan-based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Erik Hall has a brand new album on the way, following his 2023 Canto Ostinato, which was one of our Album Picks of the Year and remains an absolute favourite. The eagerly awaited follow-up has been announced, Solo Three, marking the third and final release in his groundbreaking trilogy of reinterpretations of contemporary classical works. Like in previous releases, 2020’s Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich) and 2023’s Canto Ostinato (Simeon ten Holt), the upcoming Solo Three finds Hall reimagining iconic pieces from visionary composers, this time expanding to several composers: Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, Laurie Spiegel, and a return to Steve Reich.

As we’ve come to expect from Hall, his process is inspiring and incredible. He performs and records every part himself, with focus and feeling, layering keyboards, guitars, and synths, with no loops, programming or sequencers. “It’s just so much more compelling to actually play every note,” Hall explains, “Those micro-differences between takes create a sort of living, breathing magic.” And that’s exactly what we hear throughout Solo Three, an utterly rich and evolving sound that feels deeply human, even as it explores complex minimalist structures.

Solo Three will see the light of day on January 23rd through Western Vinyl, and ahead of it Hall has shared the first single, a majestic, dazzling and exuberant reimagining of Reich’s ‘Music for a Large Ensemble’, clocking in at over fifteen minutes. Speaking about it, Hall comments:

“‘Music for a Large Ensemble’ is another treasured composition by Steve Reich and the closing piece on this record. I wanted to conclude this series of albums the way it began, as a sort of bookend and an ode to the process of making them. Beyond the interest of his concept or experiment, Reich’s music also simply imbues a gratifying emotional arc that’s accessible to any ears; something akin to a pop sensibility. The CD of his 1980 recording has lived in my car for years, and it was a total joy to transport this work into the sonic world of my studio.”

January can’t come soon enough. Now lend your ears to ‘Music for a Large Ensemble’.

 

Ocenpsiea release brand new single ‘Noite Acústica’

31 October 2025

Formed in 2014 whilst studying at the Conservatory of Music in Braga, Ocenpsiea are a Portuguese band comprising João Nuno Teixeira Vilaça on drums, Gonçalo Cravinho Lopes on bass, Francisco Carneiro on violin, and Tomás Alvarenga on keyboards and production. Weaving elements of jazz, funk, Portuguese folk, rock, hip-hop, electronic music, and a good dose of humour, the quartet explores different sonic territories while remaining remarkably cogent. With three albums under their belt, including Cónega 103 (2017), Sabão Rosa (2018), and Oceano-Mar (2021), Ocenpsiea have carved out a space as one of Portugal’s most forward-thinking and exciting acts in contemporary music.

Today sees them releasing, ‘Noite Acústica’, a brand new single straddling that perfect line between blissful and exhilarating. The track captures Ocenpsiea’s unique blend of acoustic and electronic textures that build in intensity, and is a testament to their ability to fuse intricate rhythms with melodious grace. Listen to ‘Noite Acústica’ below.

Levitation Orchestra share new single, ‘Imladris’, off upcoming new album Sanctuary

28 October 2025

Led by trumpeter and musical director Axel Kaner-Lidstrom, Levitation Orchestra are a ten-piece collective bringing together some of London’s most dynamic young musicians, including vocalist Plumm, harpist Maria Osuchowska, drummer Harry Ling, flautist Lluís Domènech Plana, and tenor saxophonist James Akers. Hailed as one of the most exciting forces in London’s jazz scene, they formed through connections between Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Tomorrow’s Warriors, and Brainchild Festival, with an ethos rooted in community and collective composition, as Kaner-Lidstrom explains:

“The band was founded because collective music making is a beautiful thing which nourishes the soul and helps you grow as a person as well as an artist. Our outreach work with educational programmes such as NYJO and Tomorrow’s Warriors is important for us, as we can show young musicians how easy it is to write music collectively when it is rooted in respect and not the aggrandising of ego.”

Comes November 14th, Levitation Orchestra will release their new album Sanctuary through 5dB Records, following their previous records Inexpressible Infinity (2019) and Illusions & Realities (2021). In the works for the past three years, the upcoming album explores the idea of sanctuary as something built together, a space of openness and mutual understanding. Musically, and as the press release describes, it “blends orchestral instrumentation, cinematic soundscapes, and fierce improvisation”, and draws inspiration from artists like Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, Stravinsky, and Ravel.

Ahead of the album’s release, Levitation Orchestra have shared their new single ‘Imladris’, a warm and joyous track blending bright horn melodies, harp, and piano in a flowing musical conversation, elevated by Plumm’s earthy vocals. Of the track, the band says:

“Imladris is a celebration, a revelling in splendour and good times. As such, it represents the joy of finding one’s sanctuary, the destination that lies at the end of a search for everything beautiful in life. This piece has also gone through many revisions, with the challenge being how to weave together many different themes, all of which we were enchanted by.”

Watch the video for ‘Imladris’ below.

Levitation Orchestra will launch Sanctuary with a headline show at London’s Islington Assembly Hall for the EFG London Jazz Festival on November 17th.

Fabiano Do Nascimento set to release new album, Cavejaz

24 October 2025

Based between Los Angeles and Tokyo, Brazilian-American guitarist, composer, and producer Fabiano do Nascimento is known for his imaginative blend of Brazilian traditions with modern sounds. He has announced a new album that sees him continuing to explore new musical landscapes. Entitled Cavejaz, the title was suggested by his friend Sam Gendel, who is also credited with the album’s artwork. “Kind of sounds like music coming from a cave with water and organic elements,” Fabiano commented.

Cavejaz sprouted from a conversation with Minas Gerais singer and songwriter Jennifer Souza, who suggested that Fabiano record with Paulo Santos, a founding member of the influential Brazilian group UAKTI. In August 2024, Fabiano and Santos recorded at Studio Ilha do Corvo in Belo Horizonte with producer Leo Marques. The sessions took place during a difficult moment for Brazil, as widespread wildfires filled the air with smoke and forced the musicians indoors. “But,” Fabiano says, “we managed to have a good time still, and to enjoy recording the open and free ideas that would come up. Leo would just hit record, and we would just play.”

The second part of Cavejaz took shape in Japan, where Fabiano performed and recorded with U-zhaan, a renowned tabla player. Their live performance in a noh-gaku-doh theater in Tokyo was recorded and included on the album, alongside additional recordings Fabiano completed solo at SALO studio in Oiso. Fabiano explains:

“So the project became a selection of what I recorded in Minas Gerais in studio with Paulo and Jennifer in August 2024, and the rest live in Japan, with one exception being live recording from a concert I performed in Los Angeles with my longtime bandmate, the percussionist Ricardo ‘Tiki’ Pasillas (Salvador). The material made sense together.”

Cavejaz was recorded across three countries, but it has a natural flow throughout, with the music centred on guitar and handmade percussion, augmented by U-zhaan’s tabla and Tiki’s hybrid percussion setup. The album arrives on November 21st through Leaving Records and ahead of it, Fabiano has shared the magnificent and soothing opener ‘Aguas Serenas’ as the first single. Take a listen below.