- The new Warp Records artist delivers a calming, restorative and mind-expanding blend of jazz and ambient.
- Nala Sinephro excels at building tiny worlds. On her Warp Records debut, Space 1.8, the Caribbean-Belgian composer crafts lush spaces that teem with feelings of rejuvenation and creativity. It's a collection of warm, freeform sessions that combine jazz and ambient—strummed pedal harp, horns and modular synth work, all arranged and performed with an impressive fluidity. Ranging from field recording-dusted tranquility to synth jazz to manic bursts of noisy energy, the instrumental LP shows raw talent paired with a deep emotional intelligence.
Sinephro recorded Space 1.8 after overcoming a tumor, which ignited a passion to create curative, joyful music—to cherish life while we still have it. That intertwining of warmth and recovery is palpable on opener "Space 1." The chirping of crickets and the feeling of cool evening air are touched carefully by luminescent harp and measured keyboard runs. The song creates its own miniature ecosystem of electroacoustic peace, about as welcoming an introduction as any album could have.
Sinephro's fascination with blending electronic and more conventional sounds expands on "Space 2," where she trades verdant nature sounds for the smoky atmosphere of a jazz performance. A low, enveloping sax washes over the soundstage, with billowy piano and light drums rounding out the ensemble. But Sinephro's modular synths take over in the end for a hypnotic outro, solidifying the acoustic and electronic duality that defines Space 1.8.
Each new track reveals a different facet of Sinephro's work. "Space 6," in particular, is unexpectedly intense in the middle of such a calm record, where pulsating sax trills gradually build and intertwine into an imposing crescendo. And on the playful "Space 3," wobbling synths mingle with galloping jazz drums (performed by Sons Of Kemet percussionist Eddie Hick). Though they're the most daring and interesting moments on the album, they end abruptly, just as they gain momentum—especially "Space 3," which clocks in at just over a minute long. It feels like right when Sinephro is about to go somewhere unexpected, she cuts the experiment short, afraid to harsh her own delicate mood. But these moments hint at exciting future directions for Sinephro, as if Space 1.8 was just a launching pad for louder, greater things.
At the other end of the spectrum, closing track "Space 8" is a stunning, meditative masterpiece. At over 17 minutes long, it soaks in the mountain-hot-spring environment that Sinephro constructs so skilfully. Lullaby-like sax vibrations, gentle electronics and misty harp strums linger and percolate, the clearest example of her quest to make comforting, healing music. But the greatest moment of clarity on Space 1.8 arrives in the much shorter "Space 5." In this sax and harp-focused sound bath, the sound of an amplified, steady heartbeat keeps time. Its position at the very center of the album feels intentional: Sinephro's spaces not only feel full of life, they're built with the very sounds of it, too, reminding us not to take it for granted.
Tracklist01. Space 1
02. Space 2
03. Space 3
04. Space 4
05. Space 5
06. Space 6
07. Space 7
08. Space 8