La Sape Records introduces an exciting new name amidst their hallowed walls with the latest single from Larry Crestani's Standing Circle, 'Liftoff'. With their debut single having been released in 2024 via the excellent 'Big Swell', Crestani's efforts with his dynamic take on spiritual jazz have genuinely found the perfect home in La Sape as his brilliance now sits amidst the company of contemporary Australian luminaries including GODTET, David Versace and Horatio Luna. With the full-length due out later in 2026, guitarist, band leader and composer Crestani has already set the bar incredibly high with the phenomenal nine-minute opus that has been bestowed upon listeners in the form of 'Liftoff'. Known for showcasing a revolving line-up of Melbourne-based musicians, Standing Circle represents a fascinating embodiment of La Sape ideals that continue to nurture the notion of unrestricted and unhindered perspectives when it comes to making music. A mind-blowingly incredible introduction to the La Sape faithful that is sure to see Standing Circle deliver one of the highlights of the year.
With a long-standing affiliation as a collaborator with Leon Michels and Big Crown Records, pianist and producer Marco Benevento marks his official induction into the label's threshold with the fantastic new singles, 'Frizzante' and 'Turandot'. Boasting an incredible career that has seen the New York-based Benevento helm releases that date back to 2002, his distinctive psychedelic and cinematic soul soundscapes have become something of a trademark for his music to date. 'Between The Needles & Nightfall', released back in 2010, captured his musical perspectives perfectly and the trademark dusty analog aesthetic has carried through to his debut with Big Crown. Even as a collaborator, Benevento has leant his talents to some incredible names having notched up session work with Lady Wray, El Michels Affair, Amy Helm and Kali Uchis. While 'Frizzante' offers up an excellent slice of infectious and vibrant Benevento composition, the undeniable charm, sweet soul and superb production that is 'Turandot' was the definitive winner for us. Featuring an exquisite vocal from Italian singer Marianne Mirage, 'Turandot' proves as perfect as any song could hope to be.
Bathurst has long served as a phenomenal musical playground for the label's architect, David Hanke. Under the litany of his guises which range from the jazz-meets-broken-beat aesthetic of Renegades of Jazz to the neo-classical sounds of The Motion Orchestra all the way to his downtempo, electronic-styled compositions through Keno, Hanke inspiringly affords himself the luxury of exercising every musical muscle he can access. This year seems to find Hanke presenting new ideas for himself through the introduction of two new series: Soul and Jazz Sessions. Eagerly disclosing through his Bandcamp page that no AI was used in the creation of either track (it's looking like that may need to be a prerequisite now!), Hanke re-engages with his affections for sampling to create two fantastic tunes as part of the 'Lehto' moniker. The horn-assisted 'All Night' (Soul Session #1) and the swagger-fuelled 'There She Goes' (Jazz Session #1) mark for two fantastic introductions to hopefully two thriving new avenues for Hanke's musical prowess.
Known for drawing upon a diverse range of influences for their music - which to date has revolved around everything from 90s golden era hip-hop to the fuzzy mass on food that is mycelium - the Polish quartet Błoto have consistently managed to find the nuance in the unexpected. By providing dynamic musical interpretations of subjects, Błoto's charismatic and unhindered takes on contemporary jazz sees the Polish quartet continue to grow from strength to strength, as well to deliver projects that find them reconstructing the essence of what makes jazz, jazz. Following a series of recording sessions in Romania, Błoto were proud to induct Future Nuggets representatives into the fold, namely Ion D and Plevna. Proudly showcasing their own perspectives on electronic fusion, the now-expanded ensemble delivered a fantastic two-track release born of their improvisational tendencies of making music together. As diverse as Błoto music releases have now become known to be, the recordings with Ion D and Plevna may have taken the quartet further away from the tether of jazz than they have ever been before. Infectious and highly imaginative.
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