Minimal and radiant nu jazz, “Outerstate” is the debut of the British duo Kessoncoda, formed by drummer Tom Sunney and keyboardist Fil Sowa, who arrive on the Gondwana catalog this year. In line with the sound by GoGo Penguin and Mammal Hands, the album also recalls the hypnotic and additive matrix of Nik Bärtsch's jazz, especially in the progressive construction of songs like “Hammers”.
Inspirations such as Squarepusher, Radiohead and Clark can be felt in the painstaking rhythmic structure and in the suspended atmospheres that alternate between melancholy and luminous openings. Pieces like “Amaya” are close to the lyricism of Ludovico Einaudi, while “Talk To Me I'm Sleeping” and “Spaceliminal“ they refer – surprisingly and effectively – to dream house by Robert Miles, with a dreamlike aesthetic that combines contemplation and dynamism.
A refined debut, which moves on the border between jazz and electronics with measured elegance.
07/11/2024
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
