Aaron Parks – Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man (Ropeadope, 2020)
Rob Luft – Life is the Dancer (Edition Records, 2020)
Luke Norris – Northernsong (ears&eyes Records, 2020)
Gary Husband & Markus Reuter – Music of Our Times (MoonJune, 2020)
Blaer – Yellow (Ronin Rhythm Records, 2020)
Giorgi Mikadze – Georgian Microjamz (RareNoise 2020)
![Sirkis Bialas IQ – Our New Earth [MoonJune, 2019]](https://i0.wp.com/www.musicforwatermelons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/a0891798293_10-e1584829163471.jpg?resize=540%2C304)
Moving between soft-spoken jazz ballads to European folk and then coming back to Indian classical music, take the pinnacle of the tension in the closing Picture from a Polish Wood, Our New Earth keeps its promise to drive us in a journey through the world with highly crafted compositions, a cohesive intimacy between the musicians and catchy harmonic progressions. Soothing and meditative at same time, never self-indulgent, this recording is a portrait of a new Earth.
![Raffaele Matta Trio – Sounds of Human Activities [2020]](https://i0.wp.com/www.musicforwatermelons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/71Bj4vgJT1L._SS500_-e1584215487654.jpg?resize=500%2C300)
Raffaele Matta crafts a world of multiple influences, like jazz, fusion, Indian classical music, in Sounds of Human Activities, where his vision of a collective creation is still predominant. His style is clear, refined and his voice is very undistinguishable. Yet he always strives for playing music for the others and with the band in mind. The listener benefits from that, no matter the travel is fourteen or two minutes long. Still the music retains a ritual aspect, subly combined with the intensity of the moment, that catches the attention
There’s not much of the pompous, almost outgrageously Dionisyan, spirit of this folk music, made of riotous brasses and dancing heels here. Quoting the words by Amsler “the term ‘Guggenmusig’ is a reference to an ensemble that includes a group of people playing simple folk tunes, pop and children’s songs on a variety of percussion and brass instruments”. Lasfaria is, instead, a revisitation of the guggenmusig, filtered through the lens of dadaism, industrial, electronic, metal and ambient music.
![Ivo Neame and Jim Hart – Multiverse [Edition Records, 2020]](https://i1.wp.com/www.musicforwatermelons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/EDN1147_Multiverse_Packshot-100-e1582972893224.jpg?resize=540%2C304)
Even if Multiverse is the kind of work that offers a different side of two renowed musicians like Ivo Neame and Jim Hart, still is not to be considered minor at any reason. Potentially it sheds a light on another side that would be desirable to listen again from the two (or better three). No matter how much time it takes to develop a new chapter that has the same degree of innovation.
![Uros Spasojevic – Winter Tales [2020]](https://i1.wp.com/www.musicforwatermelons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Winter-Tales-Front-cover-e1582390953497.jpg?resize=540%2C304)
Winter Tales is a reflective, pensive and insightful travel through sonic possibilities that strive for an unusual use of basic means. Through a set of smart pedals, sparse notes and few themes Spasojevic is capable of creating a world of dreamy mirrors and haunting landscapes.
Harnessing the immense skills of three montser musicians at ease in improvisation like few others, MoonJune’s 100th landmark recording could be no different than taking no-compromises and daring a leap forward. Once again Markus Reuter brings more open minded thinking about where to go next in music.