Global Sounds – New Music From Around The World

Plenty of excellence for the eclectic ear this week, starting with a new video release from JINJ – an intriguing project by French-born Sevana Tchakerian and Armenia-born Gor Tadevosyan, who mix rap, Amernian folk and hip-hop. From their bio: “Conceived in the sleepy post-industrial city of Vanadzor, Armenia during the backdrop of a devastating war, this boundary-pushing duo began making music together as an emotional release from the pain of death and destruction.”

JINJ are a class act, with high-production-value mini-films which are a treat to watch. More importantly, their music is fascinating. Contemporary beats and sounds brush up against traditional melodies and instruments in a wholly organic-sounding manner. The new video, “Cheat Code,” will be unveiled October 24th. Having had the privilege of an advance screening, I can say that it’s something worth looking out for.

In the meantime, you can view their other works here.

Also released this week, a new album by pianist, keyboardist and producer Công Minh Pham, who records as Matekita. Công has been playing since the age of seven, learning both classical and jazz styles. He embraces sonic experimentation and electronic sounds, sculpting his own, floating universe. Công’s latest record, And Then The Sun Rose In The West, available October 22nd, is a thrilling blend of fast, processed beats, live instrumentation and avant garde edges. Fans of progressive music will find plenty to savour.

Last, but not least, we have Promised Thing, the beautiful new album by talented talented finger-style guitarist, Nicolas Blampain. Blampain’s technique is astonishing and deceptively simple. There’s no showboating here, the guitarist paints lovingly-crafted, immersive pictures which can’t help but pull you in. Another who started young (aged 11), Blampain is a veteran of over 1500 concert appearances. Perhaps the most striking aspect of Promised Thing is how easy it is to forget that this is a solo album. The tracks here possess such width and depth that Blampain’s guitar offers an entire band’s worth of output.