Nala Sinephro is readying her debut LP, Space 1.8, for release via Warp Records on September 3rd. The London-based Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer, and musician self-recorded the album during 2018-2019 while only 22 years of age. Performing on modular synthesizer and pedal harp, she collaborates with a host of players from the UK jazz scene, including James Mollison, Shirley Tetteh, Nubya Garcia, Eddie Hick, Dwayne Kilvington, Jake Long, Lyle Barton, Rudi Creswick, Twm Dylan, and Wayne Francis.
Space 1.8 is preoccupied with the notion of sound itself, in particular its healing properties. Suffering from a tumor during her early 20s, the album’s journey to self-healing offers listeners the sonic fruits of her discoveries. While the eight tracks were recorded in single takes, the album itself was intentional in many respects, combining meditation, visualizations involving color, aural frequency exploration, astrological alignment, and communal surroundings into a ritualized experience. Turning the wound of her illness to “gold,” the artist reports:
“Recording the album was deeply medicinal and what my body needed at that time. I became more focused on the inner workings of the body and created a sonic world that helped me heal.”
Today we preview “Space 3.” We are told that the short instrumental was drawn from a 3-hour improvised session with drummer Eddie Hick and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Kilvington (Wonky Logic, Steam Down). The cut finds Sinephro’s modular synth radiating cosmic rays of warmth as arpeggiating tones ripple thru a stratosphere of simmering percussion and solar ambiance.
