international
These are the fifty albums of 2022 that have meant the most to us, alongside our compilations & archives of the year
Stephen Pastel tells the story behind the Geographic label as they embark upon reissues by The Pastels, Maher Shalal Hash Baz and Lightships
Mr Bongo bring the heat with this 12″ reissue of serious late night Balearic business from 1980s South African fusion group Stimela
A sonically adventurous compilation of underground sounds from 1980s Japan curated by Optimo’s JD Twitch on his Cease & Desist imprint
Gilles Peterson tells the story of his life in radio as we celebrate his Lockdown FM book and the new STR4TA single
These are the seventy-five albums of 2021 that have meant the most to us, alongside our compilations & archives of the year
Chicago-based duo Mind Maintenance discuss their devotional new album for Drag City Records with Gareth Thompson
Lebanese singer-songwriter Rogér Fakhr tells the story of Fine Anyway, his remarkable lost 1970s album now reissued by Habibi Funk
Italian DJ and producer José Manuel tells the story behind Janara, his astonishing LP of ritualistic electronics for Optimo Music
A quick roundup of short reviews from Concrete Islands HQ, with releases from International Anthem, Soma, Ghost Box, Strut and Jazzland
We asked Laurent Fintoni about the musical foundations behind his Bedroom Beats book, including mid 90s hip-hop, Mo’ Wax, Dilla and Madlib
A timely reissue of the George Otsuka Quintet’s 1975 live set by Wewantsounds is Japanese jazz as lockdown palliative
Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders’ hybrid jazz odyssey is a meditative symphonic work that delights in immersive beauty
The latest in Jazzman’s Spiritual Jazz series takes the vibrational pulse of the current era with two sets of forward-thinking excursions
Border hopping European exports from Augenwasser, Cyril Cyril and Rats on Rafts arrive with some bracing sonic cross-blending
These are the seventy-five albums of 2020 that have meant the most to us at Concrete Islands, alongside our archive releases of the year
Jim Becker tells Gareth Thompson about sharing compassion, putting the ego down and collaborating with Tibetan healer Lama Lobsang Palden
Surprise Chef’s Lachlan Stuckey tells Stewart Gardiner about cinematic soul, naming their HQ after a prison and making a deeper second LP
Healing energies and mystic overtones unite on Jim Becker’s long player with Lama Lobsang Palden for Drag City
Nubya Garcia’s debut long player on the Concord Jazz imprint is vital international music from the beating heart of the city
Andrew Wasylyk’s Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation is another visionary record with plenty room to dream
pq of Nihiloxica discusses debut LP Kaloli and the group’s unique sound, a mix of the hypnotic repetition of Bugandan drumming with abstract techno
Witch ‘n’ Monk’s boundary pushing eponymous second LP playfully explores fourth world landscapes, cosmic jazz boundaries and no wave rhythms