What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘space’? Jazz, right? No?? Yeah, me neither. It’s not even the eighth thing I’d think of. It’s unsurprising to say the least, however, that Nala Sinephro might just be the reason, I have started to create a more immediate association between the two terms. I actually can’t believe it’s already been three years since the release of Space 1.8, which I absolutely adored at the time of its release. An incredibly strong debut from an up-and-coming musician, which could stand proud with ease, even as a later part of a far more seasoned artist’s repertoire.
First and foremost, Endlessness capitalizes on the great recipe established throughout the course of Space 1.8. Why fix something if it isn’t broke, right? While part of me yearns endlessly for something, we call in a very plastic manner as, ‘progress’, in music, a good part of me is undeniably replete with reusing a splendid recipe. However, Endlessness isn’t simply something you could refer to as a benign reiteration of a recipe. It’s quite substantially more than that. It looks at everything that was right about the first incarnation, and somehow, magically, figures out a way to one-up basically every aspect of it.
These types of maneuvers are still a matter of mystery to me, as the particularities of how it can all happen still elude me. Sometimes I’m tempted to keep it that way: it allows for a sense of ludic wonder to persist through my listening experience. Maybe some things should never be demystified. In this case, this feeling acts as a lovely catalyst, given the tunes at hand.
So, what even is Endlessness, then? It’s a kind of record which follows a type of structure where all the songs blend into one immersive, cohesive whole, making it feel not so much as a mere collection of songs, but as a vast monolithic sound sculpture, ever changing and shifting as you breathe in every minutia. In addition, It skirts along territories adjacent to ambient music, jazz, electronica, and modern classical music. It picks up along the way all kinds of infectious yet very subtle grooves, extremely lush textures, distant yet pleasing crackles and pops, swooning and shimmering bows, and all sorts of beautiful bits and pieces which it ultimately coalesces as the soundscape of the album.
All in all, we also witness a spectacular show of elegance, refinement, subtlety, and nuance. There is a lot being told across this sonic journey, however, even those patient enough to grasp it in its entirety might be left slightly befuddled at the end, comprehending no more than at the start. I’m also in that situation, and I’m not sure what to make of it, although I also don’t worry too much about it. I feel like this is the type of music meant more to feel rather than to understand in a proper sense. For me it was an enthralling trip through corners of my heart and of our cosmos, which I haven’t seen before. For the sake of a comparison, I’d say that emotionally, Endlessness, lives in a space also shared by Promises, that outstanding Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and the London Symphony Orchestra collaboration.
I do have an outstanding soft spot for anything that crosses paths with space in any manner, so that makes me much more inclined to be partial towards those things. Despite that though, I would recommend Nala Sinephro’s sophomore album as a must listen, dare I say, no matter what your favorite genre is. Endlessness is easily one of the best albums released this year so far.
