Let the music take your mind, we mean really take you on a journey to where ever you want. Such is the case with Ronin Arkestra, who have put together some inspirational compositions on this release. First Meeting, out on Albert’s Favourites, is a four song EP that you’ll find yourself visiting over and over. Formed in Tokyo in ’17, the band is comprised of some of Japan’s best and most creative musicians out of the jazz and electronic music scenes. This clique of players includes members of members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81, WONK, and Kyoto Jazz Massive. It also features the band leader Mark de Clive Lowe. First Meeting, recorded in the Red Bull Studios is a great look into this band, and is an incredible piece of work. Electronica meets jazz on the opener “Stranger Searching”, which contains lush horn work from Shinpei Ruike, Kohei Ando and Wataru Hamasaki. This is a perfect intro and push to delve deeper into the EP. “Redeye Reprisal” is next, and it’s chock full of drum work from Hikaru Arata who stands tall on this piece while de Clive Lowe works the keys nicely and a thunderstorm frenzy of horns gives way to another wild ride. “The Silk Road Prelude” is a Japanese jazz piece that grooves. More of those incredible horns, electronics from Sauce81, exquisite guitars from Tsuoshi Kosuga, and in the pocket drums and bass from Nobuaki Fuji and Shinju Kobayashi respectively. Finally, this record ends up with one of the best reinterpretations of “A Love Supreme”. This is where the journey ends on the EP, but will continue to go on and on. Nodding their head to the jazz legends, they put their own sound to it. It is simply breath taking to say the least. Close your eyes, Ronin Arkestra take you there and beyond.

Buy the record here.

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