Otoroku Vinyl & CDs

Review: South Africa's first widely known multiracial band, Blue Notes, was formed in Cape Town, 1962. 'Blue Notes For Mongezi' is their opus; it's a sprawling, courageous and rough n' ready jazz album by a quintet unafraid to add discordant notes and odds-and-ends instruments to their repertoire. Formed under apartheid, they eventually settled in London in 1965, culminating in a diasporic sound informed by survival, division and tenacity. Four long movements coalesce to produce an freewheeling free jazz ode to their former bandmate, Mongezi Feza.

Review: Loren Connors and Alan Licht's performance on The Blue Hour is a rare and stunning exploration of sound and emotion. Celebrating thirty years of collaboration, the duo's first-ever set with Connors on piano is captured in this live recordings from May 5-6, 2023. The album surprises with its spacious warmth, showcasing the duo's dedicated expressionism and vast spectrum of emotion. The opening notes shimmer, leading into a stunning exchange of melodies and chords. As Connors transitions to guitar, the music deepens, creating sharp, glassy edges and a dramatic, organ-like feedback. The duo's chemistry is palpable as they lock into refrains, creating a melodic and harmonious sound reminiscent of their early days. Licht's ability to delicately place fractures of a Jackson C Frank song among Connors' blues is remarkable.

Review: After the success of their 2021 release 'The Bent Bow Must Wait to Be Released', musician, writer and filmmaker Sunik Kim is back with more brilliance. This time this second crucial album comes as two side-ing pieces that pair playful synth innovation with "a touch of slapstick humour, a la Henry Cow." It has been crafted using MIDI instrumentation and is about the art of fining beauty and order in chaos. Complex structures and regularly breaking rhythms intertwine with harsh clusters of keys and sweeping orchestral manoeuvres all making this as intense as it is rewarding.

Review: Pat Thomas returns to Otoroku with The Solar Model of Ibn Al-Shatir, a fourth solo piano improvisation album that was recorded at London's Fish Factory. It takes inspiration from the Islamic tradition of astronomical invention and finds Thomas continuing his practice of honouring Arab polymaths whose contributions have been overlooked. His unique, Sufi-inspired playing style is evident throughout and he blends rhythmic staccato bass notes with shimmering upper-register melodies. Tracks like 'For George Saliba' and 'The Oud of Ziryab' showcase Thomas' innovative approach to merging jazz with spiritual expression. The album closer 'The Birds are Singing' is a celestial and contemplative finale that underlines the cosmic beauty of Thomas's work.