Gondwana Vinyl & CDs

Review: Following the re-release of his 2013 album The Swimmer, Cinematic Orchestra's Phil France provides the delicate parts of his modern classic piano composition "Joy Of Brass" to card-carrying Gondwana fan Mr Scruff and gets two exceptional remixes in return: the main remix shuffles with a soft, slow lolloping jack and some beautiful yearning chords soaring over the top in an almost Nordic cosmic style. His Bumpy Dub, meanwhile, taps into the bruk renaissance with a smoky halftime break and a bassline that borders on KOAN territory. In a nutshell? Scruffy's turned in two blinders here.

Review: Matthew Halsall's Gondwana label is seeing a busy August what with the imprint flooding our jazz charts with reissues and, of course, new releases such as this wonderful collaborative effort from The Gondwana Orchestra and Dwight Trible. Trible's voice is like silk, running up and down the delicate waves of melodies from the collective, with "Colors" and "The Creator Has A Master Plan" both capable of making the toughest of audiences feel utterly uplifted. On the flip, "Love Is Everywhere" shines bright amid a flurry of flutes and intricate drum percussions, while "You've Got To Have Freedom" rides off a much smoother, deeper sort of vibe that's got a little funk at its core. Wicked.

Review: 
Manchester trumpet playing virtuoso and new school jazz leader Matthew Halsall is back on his own Godwana with more of his spiritual incantations. The special, limited edition, no repress 12" has two never heard before tracks in 'Joyful Spirits of the Universe' and 'Floating Island' as well as a special bonus edit, exclusive to vinyl, with beautiful artwork by Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic. As always with this artist, there sounds are soul soothing but also deeply awakening, with soaring leads and airy grooves all lifting you off your feet and taking you up into the clouds.

Review: Nestled comfortably into the cosy surroundings of his own Gondwana label, Matthew Halsall takes flight once more with a limited 12" EP of exquisite, jazz-informed musicality. As ever, the accomplished British composer, trumpeter and ban-leader knows how to balance the traditional with the experimental, sounding consistently inspired and equally immediate. Halsall's appeal lies in his ability to channel the free-flowing, impulsive energy of spiritual jazz into soothing, mellow harmonic constructions, and so this gorgeous EP unfurls in flurries of piano, flute, brushed drums and meandering bass. If you crave the warmth of acoustic instrumentation pitched to lighten the mind and take you somewhere else, this is exactly the record you need in your life.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Torn sleeve, otherwise in excellent working condition***


Nestled comfortably into the cosy surroundings of his own Gondwana label, Matthew Halsall takes flight once more with a limited 12" EP of exquisite, jazz-informed musicality. As ever, the accomplished British composer, trumpeter and ban-leader knows how to balance the traditional with the experimental, sounding consistently inspired and equally immediate. Halsall's appeal lies in his ability to channel the free-flowing, impulsive energy of spiritual jazz into soothing, mellow harmonic constructions, and so this gorgeous EP unfurls in flurries of piano, flute, brushed drums and meandering bass. If you crave the warmth of acoustic instrumentation pitched to lighten the mind and take you somewhere else, this is exactly the record you need in your life.

Review: There's no doubt that Matthew Halsall is a modern British jazz great. Like the giants of jazz who came before him, Halsall is also prolific - a creative whirlwind who releases at least one album a year without fail. His latest release, The Temple Within, is not a full-length but rather a mini album - and one composed with his latest collective of Manchester-based musicians, during improvisations and rehearsals for their weekly residency at Yes. It's an utterly lovely four-tracker all told. It sees Halsall and his contributing musicians opt for a sultry, summery sound rooted in spiritual jazz and progressive jazz, with (very) occasional nods towards deep electronic music. From start to finish, it's a thing of great beauty.

Review: Reissued on Gondwana after an unexpected sea-change, Matthew Halsall's Bright Sparkling Light was originally conceived as a tour-only exclusive, its three exquisites, averaging seven to ten minutes per suite, serving only the most loyal and dedicated of fans eager enough to clasp their mitts around the limited edition at the time of his EU and UK tour in October-November 2023. Now, its rarefied airs get dropped; so too do the folk scramble to lend it a second listen, discovering Halsall's preference for hypnotic drones, tenor sax progressions crafted around lush flute loops, and portrayals of the artist's favourite rural location: Newborough Forest, both at daytime and nighttime. 'The Tide And The Moon' is the closing highlight, nicely closing the gap between dewey morning and crept-in crepuscule.

Review: Manchester's Gondwana Records, run by Matthew Halsall, has been a constant source of good vibes and inspiration. Leaning on a jazz note, most of the material is centred away from the dance floor and yet there is always plenty of movement and joyous rhythm, particularly from Halsall's appearances. Here, we have a reissue of 2015's "Journey In Satchidananda", a majestic wave of jazz flutes, seductive piano keys, in what is an altogether dreamy sort of setting, which is further evolved on the supremely euphoric waves of the unbeatable "Blue Nile". At last, some contemporary jazz on 12" that has left us blown away..!

Review: As far as we know, Norwich has never been renowned as a hotbed of quality jazz. Norfolk trio Mammal Hands, then, could well be the city's greatest jazz export to date. They've already released three impressive albums in the last four years, and this fine EP will surely enhance their reputation further. The real killer is A-side "Becoming", a wonderfully positive, gently rising affair that sits somewhere between studious spiritual jazz and giddy, thrill-a-minute jazz-dance. That said, we're also enjoying the undulating horn lines, twinkling pianos and soft touch beats of "Refuge", not to mention the smoky, early morning lament of beguiling closing cut "Shimmer".

Review: Phi-Psonics, a contemplative jazz ensemble from Los Angeles, is helmed by bassist Seth Ford-Young and features the talents of Sylvain Carton on woodwinds, Mitchell Yoshida on electric piano, and Josh Collazo on drums. Their music, rich in soulful depth, weaves together influences from jazz, classical, and Ford-Young's personal journey through spirituality, yoga, and philosophy, creating a soundscape that is both unique and profoundly meditative. Hailing originally from the Washington D.C. area, Ford-Young relocated to California in the early '90s, where he developed a deep affection for the upright bass and the works of jazz legends like Charles Mingus, John and Alice Coltrane, and Duke Ellington, alongside classical composers such as Bach, Chopin, Part, and Satie. His musical journey has been one of continuous exploration, marked by collaborations with artists like Tom Waits and Beats Antique. The recently announced limited 12" 'Morning Sun/Arrival', drawn from sessions that produced Phi-Psonics' second album Octava, showcases the group's introspective and innovative approach to meditative jazz. These tracks offer a space for serene reflection, encapsulating a spiritual journey through warm melodies and intricate instrumental dialogues, embodying Ford-Young's vision of personal evolution and higher vibrational states.

Review: Sometimes the simplest ideas are those that get the greatest results. This split 12" from East London cinematic jazz combo Portico Quartet and Polish pianist Hania Rani is a fine example. The two artists exchanged tracks, with the resulting reworks appearing on this superb seven-inch. The Portico Quartet's version of Rani's 'Nest' is simply superb: a dreamy, otherworldly drift through sunrise-ready jazz in which waves of undulating analogue synthesizer sounds, immersive chords and flotation tank vocal samples flutter attractively on a breeze of languid jazz drums. Rani's interpretation of Portico Quartet's 'With, Beside, Against' is arguably even more impressive. Sparse and minimalistic, it sees her add twinkling piano motifs and her own evocative vocals to a slowly unfurling, widescreen jazz workout. In a word: stunning.

Review: The split 12" from East London's Portico Quartet and Polish pianist Hania Rani exemplifies how simple ideas can yield remarkable results. Each artist reworked the other's track, with impressive outcomes. Portico Quartet transforms Rani's 'Nest' into a dreamy, ethereal jazz piece, featuring undulating analogue synths, immersive chords, and floaty vocal samples carried by languid jazz drumming. Rani's take on Portico Quartet's 'With, Beside, Against' is even more striking. Her version, minimalistic and sparse, introduces twinkling piano motifs and her evocative vocals, creating a slowly unfolding, cinematic jazz experience. Both interpretations are nothing short of stunning.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The split 12" from East London's Portico Quartet and Polish pianist Hania Rani exemplifies how simple ideas can yield remarkable results. Each artist reworked the other's track, with impressive outcomes. Portico Quartet transforms Rani's 'Nest' into a dreamy, ethereal jazz piece, featuring undulating analogue synths, immersive chords, and floaty vocal samples carried by languid jazz drumming. Rani's take on Portico Quartet's 'With, Beside, Against' is even more striking. Her version, minimalistic and sparse, introduces twinkling piano motifs and her evocative vocals, creating a slowly unfolding, cinematic jazz experience. Both interpretations are nothing short of stunning.

Review: Polish pianist Hania Rani has been on prolific form since signing to Gondwana in 2019 for the Esja album which broke her to a wider audience. Rooted in classical approaches to piano but with a modern outlook which touches on electronic processes and pop vocals, she starts 2022 with an arresting new live recording captured in the iconic Studio S2 in Warsaw. Embellishing her traditional piano approach with a Roland Stage Piano and a Prophet 08 synth, the four-track EP shows Rani in full flight, playing at her arresting best.

Review: Polish pianist, composer and singer Hania Rani has already impressed on Mathew Hallsall's Gondwana label this year with her superb modern classical album Ghosts back in October. Now she returns (well, the album was recorded last year but only now makes it to vinyl) with Recounting: Live From Studio S2, recorded live in the Polish radio studio it is named after. It is another mesmerising performance from her in which she wanted to use "not only an upright piano, but also a grand piano" as well as various other keys such as a Prophet 08 synthesizer and a Roland stage piano. There is plenty of the sound of the room itself also included in this most captivating album.

Review: The celebrated 'Live from Studio S2' performance is now available on vinyl once more featuring all four tracks from the session, including the unreleased 'Hawaii Oslo' and 'Glass'. Premiered on the Gondwana Records YouTube channel back in 2021, this session has since picked up over three million views and captivated fans worldwide in the process. It was recorded this session at the Berlinale Film Festival's EFM sessions in Studio S2 in Warsaw, where Hania Rani had previously recorded for her debut album Esja. The set includes new arrangements of beloved tracks that are all sumptuous and beautiful.

Review: A cinematic sensation and an instant classic and record breaker, Disney's animated movie 'Frozen' celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year with this special zoetrope double picture disc featuring scenes from one of the, now, most iconic movies of all time moving before your eyes. Included is, of course, Idina Menzel's award-winning score 'Let it Go' which charted around the world and wormed its way into the ears of parents to this day. Not to be slept on, though, is Demi Lovato's rendition that plays over the credits sequence or 'Fixer Upper', the jovial chorus musical number.The perfect Christmas gift for the fan in your life, and trust us, there is statistically one somewhere, no matter how old.

Review: Released earlier this August, Brighton-born jazz musician and producer Chip Wickham's four-track EP 'Love & Life' is a multi-instrumental easy-listening record that has a subtle depth to its sloozy production. The opening track 'Space Walk' sets the bar right out of the gate with an incredible flute-driven story, backed by some gentle, brassy drums and jazz lounge piano. There's a distinct lo-fi quality to it in its vibe, but the sound of the xylophone is just so crisp against the tenor sax - it's like you're right there in the studio with Wickham.