WITCH - SOGOLO

Emanuel "Jagari" Chanda, Patrick Mwondela

WITCH ("We Intend To Cause Havoc") is a Zambian funk/rock band (with a brief dance with disco) regarded as among the most popular/influential of "zamrock" bands of the 1970's, a genre coined via their creations.  Formed about a decade after Zambian independence, the band is led/founded by Emanuel "Jagari" Chanda, who also took in influences from Europe, America, and rock/pop music of the West.  

Chanda left the band in 1976, after releasing four albums, to pursue teaching.  The band went through a series of member/genre switches afterwards until after 1984 when the band quit performing live.  The band revived in 2012 when their re-issued records started gaining traction to new audiences, with Chanda making new material alongside new members from the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland (as well as keyboardist Patrick Mwondela, who first joined the band in 1980).  They released their first album since 1984 in 2023 with their eighth studio album, 'Zango'.

'SOGOLO' is their newest 2025 release, and ironically I stumbled across this thinking it was a new album from J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) adjacent side-project 'Witch'.  The opening track "Kamusale" and following "Nadi" are the power combo and my favorites, but the entire album is solid.  After my introduction to 'SOGOLO', I have good reason to check out their previous eight albums; as mentioned earlier all of their older studio albums have been re-issued.

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Kira Skov - WHAT TIES US TOGETHER, WILL KEEP US APART

"Kira Skov's What Ties Us Together Will Keep Us Apart is an evocative and deeply personal album, rooted in themes of family, generational trauma, and the stories we inherit. Inspired by her own experiences and shaped by her collaboration on the DR1 TV series Generations, Kira explores the ways in which history, both real and imagined, shapes our identities.

The album's genesis began with Kira's reflections on family relationships, drawn from her father's vivid but often fictionalized stories. When writer and director Anna Emma Haudal approached her to compose music for Generations, a drama exploring family secrets across three generations, the timing was serendipitous. The themes of the series resonated deeply with Kira's own songwriting, resulting in a collection of emotionally charged, atmospheric compositions.

Recorded and produced with her longtime partner Silas Tinglef at Seabass Studios in Copenhagen, the album features a rich sonic landscape. Silas plays guitar, drums, keys, and bass, while Maria Jagd contributes sweeping string arrangements. Anders AC Christensen provides bass and piano, Ned Ferm adds haunting flute and saxophone textures, and Anders Trentemøller lends his signature synth bass to a track. The album was mastered by Brian Batz.

What Ties Us Together Will Keep Us Apart is a powerful statement on the weight of personal and collective memory. With Skov's signature haunting vocals and introspective lyricism, the album moves fluidly between raw emotion and melodic beauty, offering listeners a deeply immersive experience. 

credits

released May 16, 2025

Kira Skov (vocals/guitar), Silas Tinglef (guitar/drums/keys), Anders AC Christensen (bass), Maria Jagd (strings), Ned Ferm (sax/flute)."

- Via Bandcamp

Latest album from revered Denmark alternative/pop singer/songwriter Kira Skov.  I've enjoyed her voice since discovering her late with 2011's 'SPIRIT TREE', with standout tracks like "DUSTY KATE" and "BURN DOWN THE HOUSE".  Her latest album apparently was commissioned for the TV Series 'Generations', and while I haven't seen the show the music speaks for itself.  Just a dynamic solid album with one track I didn't really care for (I'll omit which one), but likewise some stellar standouts like "Scream It Out", "Calling The Grievers", and "It Ain't Pretty".  Overall just a very grounded album with some welcomed experimental/electronic flashes tastefully interspersed.

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Ulver - Liminal Animals

Tore Ylwizaker

'Liminal Animals was written and arranged by Ole Alexander Halstensgård, Kristoffer Rygg, and Jørn H. Sværen, mixed by Anders Møller at Subsonic Society, mastered by Vegard Sleipnes, and performed by Halstensgård, Rygg and Sværen with Stian Westerhus (guitar, bass, strings and backing vocals), Ivar Thormodsæter (drums), Anders Møller (percussion and choir), and with special guests Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet), Sara Khorami (choir), Astra Eida Rygh (choir), Sisi Sumbundu (choir) and Torgeir Waldemar Engen (choir).

The album was recorded and produced at Lupercal in the Old Town, Oslo. Additional recordings were done in Pitch Black Star Spangled Studio, same city, different location.

The cover art features The Senseless Seven, a 1911 drawing by Austin Osman Spare. Design by Paschalis Zervas, + wolframgrafik, Athens.'

- via Bandcamp

Just thought I'd shoutout Ulver's latest release (November 2024), the first album without their longtime keyboard player Tore Ylwizaker, who passed away in August of 2024.  From what I can tell, the album had been in the making for a couple years, but it never featured Ylwizaker, who was pursuing other projects.  'Liminal Animals' is a continuation of their further exploration of electronic driven pop, and their diverse continuation of experimenting in styles, from the black metal/folk elements they started from.  I mostly posted this because I think "Hollywood Babylon" might be my favorite Ulver track ever made; without knowing the bands intentions behind the song (I'm guessing the obvious leaning more on the cynical side), it works as both a rah-rah anthem and a pointed criticism that I think few bands/songs have encapsulated -- even if unintended.  All the more that it is wrapped up in a glamourous/commercialized sheen in contrast to the subject matter of the song.   

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Nankai TRIO - Antarctica

Shoya Kitigawa (guitar), Senri Kawaguchi (drums), Masatoshi Mizuno (bass)

This video popped up in my YT algorithm recently, introducing me to Japan's Nankai TRIO.  Around the time Senri Kawaguchi hit the drum phaser during her solo (also composing the entire song), I realized I was discovering an incredibly talented drummer and band.  Senri has been taking drum lessons since age 6, and by age 8 her current teacher recommended she begin taking lessons from renowned drummer/instructor Kozo Suganuma (whose Wikipedia is entirely in Japanese...and his albums/bands are very hard to find or listen to outside of Japan, I'm realizing).  Under Suganuma's wing, she began playing with him and other musicians, which would be the first of her vast and expanding musical projects accompanying her later 'solo' records under her name -- the debut of which Kozo featured on (2013).  Like her instructor, she learned and has always played on Yamaha drums; she supported and featured for Yamaha Drum's 50th Anniversary in 2017, sharing the stage with other jazz mavens Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and Akira Jimbo. 

If you haven't figured it out already from the YT video, the band (and most all of Senri's projects) are centered around jazz/jazz-fusion/progressive rock.  She has two albums with the band 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS', five albums in 'Kiyo*Sen', four solo albums, three live releases, featured and recorded with Bootsy Collins' 'World Wide Funk' album in 2017, performed at the Super Mario 30th Anniversary concert in Tokyo, etc (lots of et cetera)....she is a busy lady.  

Because of said depth, I wasn't really sure what project of hers to post, but figured the album of my introduction ('Antarctica') was as good a place as any, also that it is the most recent (April 2025) recording in her discography and the first/only release of this trio.  Just super tight jazz fusion, that effortlessly glides in the heir (c wut I did there) of the greatest bands to do it, while also having its own unique edges and valleys.  Both Shoya Kitigawa and Masatoshi Mizuno elevate the musicianship as well, making for my favorite album I've heard so far in her discography (*I definitely haven't heard all of them).  I'd also really recommend checking out her two albums under 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS'.

None of her projects have a Bandcamp page, but I know most all are available on the iTunes/music store.  Going to take a guess they're also on Spotify.  I don't believe any of her releases are on vinyl but CD's are available through Amazon or wherever -- I don't think she has her own website.

Nankai TRIO

Solo

Kiyo*Sen

THE JAZZ AVENGERS

YEYEY - Last Blush

Stumbled across this album 'Last Blush' from YEYEY (Ben Shepard), knowing nothing of the artist (Utah to New York) but was pulled in from the album art.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear a solid album from start to finish -- a very soulful R&B/indie hybrid that has a lot of interesting/experimental instrumentation taking place in the background.  Most songs have a light/airy composition propelled by his falsetto vocals, while also having a very dense framework; the synths and percussion especially stand out, even at times when subtle in the overall mix.  I played all ten tracks then gave it a repeat listen, and it grew on me fast -- picking up a lot of things I missed initially.  As I understand it he is a one-man band (aside violin and flute by Meg Webb), which I think helps explain the fluid cohesion of all the different instruments/styles he blends.

'Last Blush' is his second full-length album, the first being 'The Vision' in 2015, which I'm excited to check out.

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Billy Nomates - Metalhorse

Billy Nomates (Victoria Ann "Tor" Maries) is a U.K. punk/indie/new wave/pop songwriter, whom I first became aware of with her feature on Sleaford Mods' "Mork n Mindy".  I became a quick-fan, and have enjoyed everything she has released so far.  Today marks the release of her 3rd full-length album, 'Metalhorse', which is in large part a concept album/theme about the "carnival", and more metaphorically the carnival of life itself.  

Her sound is often compared to a whirlpool of 80's influences, with my overall opinion that she is a glorious pairing of (mostly post) punk and pop.  And this is coming from someone who would rather listen to myself falling down stairs than most anything dubbed 'pop punk'; the difference here is that Nomates does an amazing job of never leaning too far in either direction, often leading you on a detour of synthy new wave (notably Hugh Cornwell contributes on "Dark Horse Friend") or moody ballad.

Definitely check out the rest of her discography if you like what you hear.  Her debut album is probably the most punk prevalent of the three, with an overall dynamic range exhibited across/within all her releases.  She also recently did the soundtrack to the theater play of Mary & The Hyenas.

Bandcamp

Stranded Horse - The Warmth You Deserve (with Boubacar Cissokho)

Yann Tambour / Boubacar Cissokho

I was perusing new music releases when I came across a new album from 'Stranded Horse', reminding me of Yann Tambour's folk project 'Thee, Stranded Horse' from 2007 ('Churning Strides') and by extension his earlier project 'Encre', quickly realizing it is the same artist just dropping the 'Thee'.

Clearly I haven't kept up with his work since his debut, but it was nonetheless exciting to see that Tambour has released a steady output of releases for me to catch up on.  His second album (reworked songs of his debut) was a collaboration with renowned kora player Ballaké Sissoko, the last album of which before re-naming himself/the project to 'Stranded Horse'.

His most recent album 'The Warmth You Deserve' features another Sissoko (or Cissokho), Ballaké's younger cousin Boubacar, likewise a kora player.  The pair initially collaborated on the 2016 album 'Luxe'.

Have only had a chance to listen to this once, but the sound and style from his debut 18 years ago still seems largely intact, with the added accompaniment from Boubacar Cissokho's kora playing.  Tambour seems to be the sole provider of the vocals, alongside his other instrumentation output, namely as a kora duo.  The last three of his/their releases are available on vinyl.

Bandcamp