Confluence by Greg Dallas & Jan Esbra

If you are going on a 7 day voyage to unexplored territory, sonic or otherwise then friendship & trust are fundamental. Fortunately Colombian Jan Esbra & American Greg Dallas’ decade long personal affection, musical admiration, electronic curiosity and improvisational leanings born from their jazz guitar roots were all steady hands on the rudder during this intense & unpredictable creative outpouring. Remarkably they travelled light, only utilising a synth, an old piano and two guitars - all fed through various effects pedals which largely disguise their identities. Even more remarkably this is Greg’s debut and Jan’s sophomore LP.

After the 7th day they rested, divided the recordings equally and retreated to their respective St. Louis and New York studios to contemplate what had just happened. Listening back to the various 20-30 minute long sonic outbursts that were the basis for each track, they painstakingly distilled the essence of each session & staying true to the improvisational guiding spirits immortalised in the recordings, arranged those "duende" moments into the tracks you are now hearing. Greg then embarked on his first foray into mixing - treating it as an extension of the artistic process and further elevating the tracks to create the jazz rooted electronic collages you have before you.

The album is certainly a communal triumph and a welcome antidote to today’s fast-paced and increasingly divided world. It’s a safe space where North & South America unite, New York and St. Louis nod approvingly at each other, improvisational embraces intentional, sonic density sits comfortably next to barely tangible musical meditations and jazz teams up with electronica to push the boundaries of ambient music. It’s certainly a trip and a half.

Ultimately though a long, well nurtured friendship has born some pretty mind-blowing musical fruit and they’d like to share it with you.

Disorderly digging in an algorithmic world. Lesser known, independent & alternative artists. Lazy & hazy vibes.

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