Jupiter and Okwess Work on a Larger Scale Than Ever Before on ‘Na Kozonga’
Na Kozonga is Jupiter and Okwess at a larger scale than ever before. They rise to those new heights in front of them, drawing on styles from around the world.
Adriane Pontecorvo
Adriane Pontecorvo is a native San Franciscan with a penchant for global beats. She is a music programmer for community radio station WFHB and studies ethnomusicology at Indiana University.
‘Sound Storing Machines’ Boldly Assembles Some of the Earliest Japanese Recordings
A veritable rainstorm of temporal noise pours down between sounds of early 20th century Japan and the audience on Sublime Frequencies’ Sound Storing Machine.
‘Mien’ Showcases Powerful Cascades of Canon Singing From Southeast Asia
Sublime Frequencies’ Mien Yao may be a work of preservation and posterity, education, or meditation. Its careful production allows for all of these things.
Senyawa Subvert Industry Conventions on Apocalyptic ‘Alkisah’
Alkisah is DIY from top to bottom, from means of distribution to the homemade instruments Senyawa build and play.
Nubiyan Twist’s ‘Freedom Fables’ Is a Jazzy Cosmopolitan Celebration
Nubiyan Twist’s Freedom Fables maintains a sense of fun and of engagement among the ensemble and with their invisible audience, that’s as important as the high quality sonics.
Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points Find Solace in Open Space on ‘Promises’
Perhaps it’s reverence for the power of the expansive that makes Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders such a dynamic combination on Promises, their breathtaking collaboration.
Femi Kuti’s ‘Stop the Hate’ Reminds That Optimism Doesn’t Have to Mean Compromise
Unity and positivity in the face of widespread corruption and oppression continue to be key aims of Femi Kuti’s music on Stop the Hate.
IKOQWE’s ‘The Beginning, the Medium, the End and the Infinite’ Is a Sublime Debut
IKOQWE’s The Beginning is a compact yet and complete package, a fearless debut that promises to keep finding new and imaginative ways to assemble fascinating sonic stories with unique aplomb.
Dom La Nena’s ‘Tempo’ Feels Organic Even With Its Polished Perfection
On multilingual Tempo, the cosmopolitan experiences of Dominique Pinto’s life thus far come together in musings on the depths of time.
Altın Gün Shift Toward Contemporary Synthpop Sounds on ‘Yol’
Yol proves Altın Gün’s versatility, reassuring listeners that the group can walk down many paths and still take us on a fabulous trip.
4 Mars’ ‘Super Somali Sounds from the Gulf of Tadjoura’ Highlights Djiboutian Popular Music
These are recordings prematurely aged, but their grit belies fresh sounds that speak to Djibouti's history as a port region connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to the Horn of Africa.