Manchester-based label Gondwana Records has championed a distinct style of cinematic jazz since its founding in 2008. Blending sweeping melodies with downtempo rhythms, artists such as Portico Quartet and Mammal Hands have developed imaginative improvisations that are as likely to include handpans and synths as saxophone or piano.
London duo Kessoncoda are the label’s latest signing, and their debut album, Outerstate, adds to its catalogue of mood music. Across 10 tracks, drummer Tom Sunney and keyboardist Filip Sowa display their knack for emotive swells and undulating orchestrations. The Sum of All the Parts sets the tone, developing an ethereal melody, sung by Caoilfhionn Rose, into a rattling drum groove punctuated by sparkling synths. Greyscale continues the motif, slowing the groove beneath more shimmering vocals and a plaintive piano refrain.
Other highlights include the uptempo crescendo of Dreambend, featuring Gondwana saxophonist Jasmine Myra. Quieter moments such as the tape crackle and sampled vocal of Talk to Me I’m Sleeping are too sparse to stand out, but the record peaks on closing track Amaya. Here, Sunney and Sowa fire on all cylinders, interweaving complex piano phrases with thunderous drumming to produce an expansive and fully fledged sound.
