istimtā’ – a romanticised take on the Arabic word ‘إِسْتِمْتَاع’, meaning ‘jouissance’ or ‘enjoyment’. The instrumental album from composer Horny Cricket explores this concept wholeheartedly.
Albums
Creatively unpredictable, imaginative and perhaps undefinable in the same instance – Ten Years Without Rami Holding depicts an array of stories relating to a photographer’s long-awaited return to Cheap City.
Captivating listeners with a supreme balance of finely-honed musicianship and outright creative expression – the UK’s own Kanoo set the mood beautifully, with the instrumental rock album Deleted Years.
An ideal album for the blues-rock fans as much so as the deep thinkers and those who need a little nudge in the right direction sometimes.
Inspired by the seventies and eighties, Pennan Brae’s Arcade stands tall on its dedicative musicality, yet also makes sure to weave in a clear sense of identity.
Audio exploration at both its most purely human and vastly experimental – composer and artist Rosemary Bensko (Sound Animal) takes on the creative realm with fearless originality, for By Voicelight.
Returning to the limelight after a brief hiatus, with both the passion and skill required to set the vibe, songwriter and artist Jacob Chacko’s album Better Now Or Never presents a hopeful, inspiring and heartfelt approach.
The California sound is alive and well, and there’s no better time to delve in and appreciate the uplift and musicianship of this professionally crafted, largely cheerful collection.
Introducing an album with a sensational opening track that naturally creates an addictively rhythmic, poetically captivating and creative realm of appeal.
Introducing a musically exuberant album, from a rapper and songwriter with a uniquely recognisable voice in both story and sound.
Free from the confines of expectation or even genre, guided entirely by a heartfelt connection to the therapeutic process of making music – Darren Middleton’s album HOME makes for a sublime and striking listen.
Capturing affection from the outset with a cleanly-mixed and hypnotically rhythmic vocal lead; somewhat akin to the sound of The Cat Empire, but with a twist of classic indie rock.