Géraldine Eguiluz/Michel F Côté

hORs TempS

Ambiances Magnetiques, 2025

9/10

Listen to hORs TempS

These pieces by Géraldine Eguiluz originally resided on cassettes in Paris in the early ‘90s, and after being presented to Michel F Côté they were restored and reworked into these expressive 16 tracks.

“Territoires perdus #1” opens with raw vocals and plenty of percussive sounds that carries a tribal spirit, and “La montaná el agua” follows with hazy synth and a slow groove that emits a haze of warmth.

Further along, “La jeune fille et la vie” pairs dissonant ideas with unpredictable keys and wordless vocals, while “Despedida” throbs a bit amid the melodic keys and ethereal vocals alongside much intimacy.

Close to the end, “La montana dorada” uses distinct vocal inflections and plenty of background noisesmakers, and “Territoires perdus #5” exits with a mesmerizing quality that blends brass into the adventurous finish.

The duo handle so many instruments here it’s dizzying, where the 4 larger pieces surround farewells, migrations, spirits, loss, finitude, and even joy, and it comes from a very artistic, spiritual and acoustic and electronic angle that’s fascinating.

Travels well with: Dory Hayley- i love evil; Valley Voice- Stars, Engines

Naseem Alatrash

Bright Colors On A Dark Canvas

Self-Released, 2026

8/10

Listen to Bright Colors On A Dark Canvas

The Grammy Nominated cellist, composer and educator Naseem Alatrash blends modern classical and jazz ideas with his Arabic heritage across these diverse 7 tracks that welcome many players for the occasion.

“Prelude” starts with the layered strings emitting mystery and warmth, as Alatrash’s skilled cello guides the ambience, and “Riwaya (Narrative)” follows with George Lernis’ playful percussion and Chase Morrin’s well timed keys adding much color to the animated climate.

Halfway through, “Lifta” finds a soft place to reside amid the cautious strings and dreamy mood, while “Echoing In The Hollow” allows for poetic keys to unfold alongside the heartfelt string manipulation.

“Risala (Message)” exits with 2 parts, where a meticulous and busy finish blends the strings with Bruno Raberg’s animated bass lines that complements much rhythm and worldly flavor.

A highly technical debut album from Alatrash, every moment here is enlightening, eloquent and worth repeated listens.

Travels well with: Bijan Taghavi- Cactus Sessions; Tim Jago- Time Shift

Arbre-Dieu

Nuit Noire

Bitume, 2025

9/10

Listen to Nuit Noire

An outfit that transforms essential and primitive violence into sound, Arbre-dieu flesh out 4 tracks that stem from the night of a bad trip resulting from Argyreia nervosa.

“Graines de la folie” starts with murky guitars and dense drumming that swirls with metallic and grungy ideas, and “Tourbillon chaotique” follows with lightning quick drumming and thick waves of guitar that’s abrasive but not without a sense of melody buried under the fury.

On the back half, the technical and pounding “La vieille femme et le soleil pále” uses throaty vocals amid both punk and black metal nods, while “Mort et renaissance” injects a harmonic guitar tone to complement the noisy textures of intensity.

An effort that reshapes pain into a passage, Arbre-dieu churn out Occult Black Metal that’s really startling, powerful and an engaging experience.

Travels well with: Superchained- Symbolic; Thy Apokalypse- Fragment quatriéme (Metacosmos)

Arid Landscapes

Arid Landscapes

Signal Chain, 2025

9/10

Listen to Arid Landscapes

The electro-acoustic duo of Dan Pitt and Noah Franche-Nolan, as Arid Landscapes the pair flesh out a stunning debut of texture, harmonics and sonically experimental ideas.

“Prelude” starts soft and melodic, where Pitt’s agile guitar is met with a light ambience, and “RTMK” follows with the mesmerizing keys and droning effects radiating mystery.

“Summerhill” and “Union” arrive in the middle. The former lands in intimate territory via the hypnotic guitar and warm mood, while the latter is a more playful moment of cinematic qualities.

Arriving near the end, “Blink II” glimmers with some post-rock dynamics that are rich in tone, and “The Optimist” exits with a strategic minimalism that’s reflective and impactful in its gentle waves.

Both Pitt and Franche-Nolan have training in jazz, which is evident, and the very skilled use of synth, audio processing, looping, keys, guitar and piano make for an often delicate experience unlike few others.

Travels well with: Valley Voice- Stars, Engines; Nick Storring- Mirante

Mark Zaki

The Turning Frame

Composers Concordance, 2026

9/10

Listen to The Turning Frame

The multi-instrumentalist Mark Zaki blends classical, electronic, jazz and minimalism into these very distinct 8 tracks that spans many moods and emotions.

“Moving Parts” opens with the strong attention to tonality via gripping strings and electronic ambience, and “Nocturne Oblique” follows with the emotive violin amid the gentle keys that creates a cinematic appeal.

The title track resides in the middle and emits eloquent piano and cozy percussive ideas in a mesmerizing climate, while “Hands Full Of Air”, the only track with vocals, enlists Mara Zaki’s mezzo-soprano that helps illuminate the beauty and poeticism of the album’s best.

“Curves In Blue” and “Parting Moves” exit the listen. The former radiates sublime guitar playing via introspection and warmth, and the latter pairs a chilling atmosphere with playful electronica for an organic versus synthetic finish.

A really unique effort that blurs genres with an abstract and textured vision, Zaki balances reflection and adventurousness superbly.

Travels well with: Daniel Wohl- Artificial; Jeremy Gignoux- Odd Stillness

Benji Kaplan/Rita Figueiredo

Benji & Rita

Self-Released, 2019

8/10

Listen to Benji & Rita

A multi-cultural affair, New York’s Kaplan and Brazil’s Figueiredo come together with an all star ensemble where Kaplan arranged the tunes while Figueiredo handles lyrics and much of the singing.

“Sao Francisco E Brasileiro” starts the album with elegant strings before Figueiredo’s classically trained vocal acrobatics sweep in as the music takes on a cinematic quality, and “Piocera” follows with melodic flutes and playful percussion as the singing gets just as frisky.

With 20+ musicians on hand here, each tune offers fun surprises, such as the horn fun of “Santa Efigenia”, where Kaplan also sings, and the fluid, groove filled setting of “Impetuosa Atracao”, where horns, brass and keys all blend together beautifully.

Near the end, “Passatempo” is one of the most bare offerings with just a nylon guitar from Kaplan accompanying Figueiredo’s expressive pipes, while “Bryant Park” is one of the most orchestral moments, where cello, violin and a synth sitar back up Kaplan’s storytelling. The album ends on “A Moura do Maracaxa”, a sophisticated exit where tension and mood are both manipulated strategically.

Though this is their debut together, the pair’s chemistry is undeniable and the delivery flawless. Full of Brazilian rhythms, modern day chamber sounds, jazz and classical ideas, the strings, reeds and vocals are used here in cultured, timeless and creative ways that few could replicate.

Travels well with: Baden Powell- Images On Guitar; Guinga- Casa de Villa