by Danny Wiser | Jun 29, 2022 | Interviews
One of the most successful acts to come out of the Real World Records label, Afro Celt Sound System have made musical fusion, inter-cultural exchange, and sonic innovation their hallmarks. We spoke with band members Simon Emmerson, N’Faly Kouyaté, and Johnny...
by Danny Wiser | Apr 23, 2022 | Reviews
Haunting, minimalist drone-folk may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but Katie Kim’s stunning voice and manipulation of sound makes the album worth pursuing… When reviewing music, it is important to recognise that we all have our musical predispositions...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 21, 2022 | Reviews
An unusual combination has once again born fruitful results with Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s Caribbean sounds merging with a wide range of genres… We have been working on this project and this website for a long time now. We’re coming up to two years...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 18, 2022 | Reviews, Top Picks
After two years of honouring musical delights from across the globe, we don’t have to search hard in our home nation to find a gem of our own… If one decided to try to pick objectively the best artist from any largely-populated nation, one would inevitably...
by Danny Wiser | Apr 5, 2022 | Interviews
Germany’s premier Balkan-jazz-funk-afrobeat-dub-reggae-Arabic-klezmer-folk-electro band Äl Jawala are not known for being easily categorised. Their esoteric back catalogue makes them a curious case, so we decided to sit down with percussionist Markus Schumacher and...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 3, 2022 | Reviews
Electronic music with several twists, this album takes the listener on a journey into the diverse musical stylings of its creators… Portuguese musician Benjamim and British electronic music producer Barnaby Keen look determined on the cover art of their 2017...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 18, 2022 | Reviews
Border-defying desert blues by way of Syria, Israel, and Europe is how this stateless rock duo express their musical free spirit… As a music review site based around covering all countries and as many territories as possible, our review of TootArd’s Laissez...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 3, 2022 | Reviews
Returning to a genre he helped inspire, Henri Salvador serenades the listener with charming bossa nova-inspired chanson… If I were to ask you what is France’s longest land border, what would you answer? Germany, maybe? No, surely it’s Spain, with that long...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 30, 2022 | Interviews
To mark two decades after the release of the first 1 Giant Leap film and album, we spoke to co-creator of the project Jamie Catto, filmmaker, musician, and author, to discuss the effort that went into making 1 Giant Leap, its considerable legacy, as well as Catto’s...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 4, 2022 | Reviews
This East meets West album does far more than introduce Westerners to the beautiful Baul music tradition – it enables both artists to truly shine… We recently featured an album showcasing one of UNESCO’s masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 29, 2021 | Reviews
Afro-Cuban music inspired pianist Kishon Khan as a young man, and the result is this epic album of Latin-South Asian fusion… While the music is always the most important part of an album, there are certain extraneous details that can be important as well. Things...
by Danny Wiser | Oct 25, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Iconic French singer Charles Aznavour has crafted a unique record with the capacity to provoke a sense of rather deep and beautiful self-reflection about dreams, desires, and direction… I have been dealt a hand of good fortune in life that I am wholly aware of....
by Danny Wiser | Oct 13, 2021 | Reviews
The brilliant Belgian dazzles with a chanson record that is more than just beautiful poetry… Having reviewed a mountain’s worth of albums from across the world over the course of the last 16 months, it is fair to say that there have been a fair number of...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 11, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Looking across the Atlantic for inspiration, the Swiss musician raputures and entrances her listeners with soft instrumentation and her beguiling voice… Though she may not sound it, Danit is from Switzerland. In fact, the album, which is sung mostly in Spanish...
by Danny Wiser | Sep 26, 2021 | Interviews
Poet and frontman of the Welsh-language folk rock band Bob Delyn a’r’ Ebillion Twm Morys sat down with us to talk about the music of Brittany and Wales, the inspiration he takes from Welsh poetry and verse, the revival of Welsh culture and language, as...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 20, 2021 | Interviews
Electronic music trio Owanj, formed of Isla Greenwood, Jemal Toussaint, and Isaac Westmore, spoke to us about the development of their debut album, embracing diverse music cultures and connecting to their precious natural surroundings… “You can spend a whole...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 7, 2021 | Reviews
The father and sons combo that form Trio Chemirani create a deeply spriritual sound, accessible for all humankind… When this project to listen to and review music from every country in the world begun, one driving force behind it was to test out whether the...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 18, 2021 | Reviews
Serge Tonnar & Legotrip provide a multi-genred extravaganza that celebrates the language and culture of the Grand Duchy… It is fair to say that Luxembourg is a country that punches well above its weight for one of its size economically. Over the years many...
by Danny Wiser | Jun 25, 2021 | Reviews
Not quite Prince, but Al Walser demonstrates similar musical vision… At NoiseNomad we are fortunate enough to speak to a range of artists for our interview section. One common theme amongst them is that most artists don’t like being pigeon-holed into a genre....
by Danny Wiser | Apr 18, 2021 | Reviews
Havea’s independently released debut album is a set of genuinely uplifting and engaging tunes… The sense of wanderlust and adventure that characterises many backpackers is something that shines through in Tonga-born Joel Havea’s wonderful debut...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 15, 2021 | Reviews
Charmingly eclectic, French gypsy swing musicians Opa Tsupa have created an album with an irresistibly fun atmosphere… Combining light guitar music with gypsy violins and rhythms, Opa Tsupa were one of the pioneers of the so-called ‘gypsy swing revival’,...
by Danny Wiser | Mar 15, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Serenity, spirituality and sanctity feature as strands of this phenomenal collaboration between two musical devotees… When many in the West imagine a monastic Buddhist life they often get confused and instead picture the deprivation of asceticism. Under this...
by Danny Wiser | Mar 10, 2021 | Interviews
Having completed the huge undertaking of bringing an artist from every country together to perform on a single track, we spoke to Emma Newman and Jude Dexter Smith about their achievement, the thought process behind it, and the challenges they encountered along the...
by Danny Wiser | Feb 21, 2021 | Reviews
It would be criminal to suggest that the record is simply a one-hit wonder as Thin Lizzy blow the roof off, allowing their audience to momentarily fantasise about the joys of being a rock star… Legends of hard rock Thin Lizzy undoubtedly elevated themselves to...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 3, 2021 | Reviews
Sun Glitters’ lo-fi beats and ambient interludes make for a unique listening experience that aim to relax as well as engage… Luxembourgish lo-fi electronica musician Sun Glitters’ album, from its very name, gives you a hint as to what the style of music...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 26, 2021 | Interviews
Stef Conner is a self-proclaimed dead language enthusiast, as well as a musician and singer whose passion had led her to some unique avenues of exploration; she sat down with us to speak about her latest Anglo-Saxon album and much more… “We’re dealing with...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 24, 2021 | Reviews
A seemingly solid indie pop record, reveals itself as more than that with its hidden lyrical depths… The brainchild of Swiss singer Valeska Steiner and German bassist Sonja Glass who together form the indie pop duo BOY, Mutual Friends initially appeared to me to...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 19, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Electro masters Justice bring darkness to disco in their superb debut album… Looking at the album cover of Justice’s debut album †, one would be forgiven in thinking it might be a metal album. Whilst on the surface that might seem far from the case when one...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 25, 2020 | Reviews
A celebration of the kora and Gambian music in general, Jobarteh manages to keep true to tradition while also managing to adapt the music for the times… The Gambia is mainland Africa’s smallest nation. Shaped snake-like, as if acting as a buffer for the Gambia...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 25, 2020 | Advent Calendar
IRELAND: Fairytale of New York – Christy Moore… Merry Christmas! For us, there was no doubt in our minds for what would be the king that sits astride the other World Music Christmas anthems in our countdown. Best associated with the original version...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 21, 2020 | Reviews
Perhaps the very definition of a problematic favourite, Let The People Sing poses the difficult question of whether an album can be loved despite its complicated and often reprehensible politics… Ahead of writing this review I have been tossing and turning in my...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 19, 2020 | Advent Calendar
THE NETHERLANDS: Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest – De Toppers… Though this song is full of festive fun, it serves to remind us of Dutch Christmas, and thus poses questions about the way in which Christmas is celebrated in The Netherlands today. Meaning ‘A...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 12, 2020 | Advent Calendar
GERMANY: O Tannenbaum – Ernst Anschütz… This carol is perhaps one of the most recognisable across the world. Whilst it is not explicitly about Christmas, it is about a fir tree and its evergreen nature, which is associated with Christmas. Different nations...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 26, 2020 | Reviews
A wide range of styles come together superbly in this wonderful album… What initially struck me about Dutch-New Zealander band My Baby (strange name for a band, I agree) is how retro and yet how modern they sound. They mix blues, funk, country and electronic...
by Danny Wiser | Nov 23, 2020 | Interviews
Distraught and dismayed by the brutality of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in his native Nigeria, solicitor turned singer/songwriter Jon Scott’s latest EP emphasises the need to unite and bring harmony, almost serving as a prophecy for recent events in his...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 31, 2020 | Reviews
French DJ Llorca’s debut album mixes in soul, jazz, bossa nova, and funk alongside electronica and house, and a sonic journey into his own musical origins… The French house musician Ludovic Llorca got his start releasing records in 1997 on a small record...
by Danny Wiser | Oct 28, 2020 | Reviews
Andorran singer Marta Roure provides a hugely enjoyable set of Catalan-language pop rock tunes… Whilst Marta Roure comes from a nation known internationally mostly for its skiing resorts, the Eurovision Song Contest should have been a perfect opportunity to show...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 1, 2020 | Reviews
Indie rockers with a French twist; look out for the track that features one of the British rock icons of our time… Illusion et Imparfait by the French indie rock band the Dandies is a pretty great album, but before we get into the nitty gritty of the album, I...
by Danny Wiser | Sep 27, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
If Golden Earring were from the UK or the US they would have reached legendary status and this album would be seen as one of the great rock albums of all time – here is why… I have always been someone who chooses to avoid labelling myself as a rock fan....
by Joel Dwek | Sep 18, 2020 | Reviews
We delve into the world of chanson music, with this strange yet compellingly mysterious and melancholic effort from Monegasque poet and musician Léo Ferré… Léo Ferré deserves one accolade despite anything else I might say about this album – this is hands...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 30, 2020 | Reviews
This electronic album, whilst fun and upbeat, could also be enjoyed as Nicola Cruz’s ethnographic tour of the spiritual hotspots of planet Earth… The Andes as a region is famed for its indigenous people’s spiritual cosmology and their belief in the sacred...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 27, 2020 | Reviews
Whilst this Bavarian album doesn’t encourage Schuhplattler dancing, The Poets of Rhythm’s fabulous funky beats forces its listeners to get down and boogie… If I did not know that this band was German, I would never have guessed it. So completely have...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 31, 2020 | Reviews
A truly timeless piece, famed electro synth-pop outfit Kraftwerk perfectly parody the doomed human dependence on materialism in the past, present and future… Never have I heard an album that is so of its time in some regards yet so ahead of its time in others....
by Joel Dwek | Jul 17, 2020 | Reviews
Far from being a rip-off of the soul greats, Ben L’Oncle Soul proves his worth as an authentic soul singer… Soul is a genre that I like a lot, but as an area of expertise, it’s more Danny’s area than mine. I love Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Aretha...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 8, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
Lamomali, a Malian-French collaboration, shows that traditional music can be incorporated into modern pop in a manner that breathes new life into the genre of world music… I have started to come around to the notion that the term ‘world music’ is, for the most...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 3, 2020 | Reviews
Hugely listenable and emotionally genuine, Damien Rice offers up a satisfying set of songs about sadness and love… O, Damien Rice’s debut album from 2002, mines a very traditional idea for inspiration, that of heartbreak, sadness, melancholy. What he may lack in...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 2, 2020 | Reviews
Though created for use in the Werner Herzog film of the same name, Popol Vuh have managed to create an ambient soundtrack that works without knowledge of the film… Danny: Unlike many film soundtracks, Aguirre genuinely holds up to the test as a standalone album...
by Danny Wiser | Jun 4, 2020 | Reviews
The Belgian jazz star proves that the harmonica is more than just a toy, it’s an instrument to be taken seriously… Where to begin when discussing the humble harmonica? Often seen as the butt of a joke within the world of musical instruments due to its...
