One of the things that I did not realise before I started this site is the sheer number of submissions I would get from people eager for me to feature their music. Over time this has caused me to pass on any number of albums that I probably could have written about, but just not found the time to listen to properly. I guess I will never know with most of them. however, one that did immediately catch my attention over the summer was this debut release from Qarafa, a collective of musicians from Toronto’s heavy and experimental scenes. ‘Tape 1’ is a pretty immediate listen featuring elements of psych, drone and jazz in fairly equal measure.
There is something wonderfully fluid about the two tracks on offer here, simply named ‘Side A’ and Side B’. They draw you into their universe with consummate ease and let you just sit there is a sort of stasis as you are given complete carte blanche to explore your thoughts and consider the nature of things. It would be very difficult for me to say which side I prefer. ‘A’ is like velvet as you brush along the delicate fibres of it’s luscious soundscapes; while ‘B’ sounds a little darker to my ears. Together though they provide a sonic suite that remind me of such as Kungens Män, especially in their latest incarnation with a sax in play.
All in all this is a top recommendation from me, and since this is the first outing for this group of musicians I really looks forward to seeing where they go next. Very promising indeed.
Qarafa are:
Anthony Abbatangelo – Bass/Analog Synth
Tyler Bontje – Guitar & Effects
Jason Chow – Drums
Alex Howard – Tenor Sax & Effects
‘Tape 1’ is available to download here, I understand that there will be a physical release shortly.
-o0o-
Hey,
Thanks very much for reading my blog, I really appreciate this. I write it as a labour of love to help me enjoy music, and to give something back to the many talented people who put out these incredible sounds.
To make it as enjoyable as possible for others I do pay extra so there are, for instance, no ads on these pages; but it would be great if I could recoup that money back.
So, if you’ve really enjoyed your visit here and have found some music that you think is amazing, why not buy me a coffee (I write in independent cafés a lot) by clicking the “make a donation” button on the sidebar or footer depending on your device.
Cheers…
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The Fragmented Flâneur 