By choosing to go with the broader concept of recording ‘outside’, i.e., a regular, fully-equipped studio, Radford was able to hit on the sweet mood music spot that many other artists quite often miss.

It is smooth jazz that involves both things involved in the term itself – jazz and smooth (as silk).

Such music, and that includes Lumiere, is the one that deserves this expanded treatment; quite a few other albums don’t.

It all sounds like it is going to fall apart any second, but never does, creating music that you can easily label as a truly beautiful mess.

The trio shows full respect for all the musical references and inspirations they cite here, but really ignite some serious fire, as was obviously their intention.

Next time music critics try to build up and then discard a certain sub-genre, this album might show them that things don’t always work the way they think they should, and that it turns out to be the right way anyway.

Trappes seems to have picked the exact guest artists that will do exactly that – keep her original ideas intact while bringing their own vision of her work on the ‘Requiem’ album.

There’s no useless meandering here, and again, it is all about creating spaces that can recreate a vast, cinematic whole that puts meaning both into country and ambient at the same time.

It is quite interesting that something so easy on the ears turns out to be something of an exception among piano-driven albums.

Bognár was able to retain the authenticity of those original sketches by adding high-quality personal musical elements that still have retained its original impact.

Yet, all that music that inspired Rob & Ellen to pick up their instruments and microphones is heard through their own ears, giving it a personal, and at the same time, new and fresh outlook.

Yes, it is an experimental album all the way, but experimental with a sense of purpose, making it music with substance.

They have done a great job, not missing an original musical thread and giving it the exact shine and lustre that fits into what the new century had to offer.

In the case of Magic Castles, with their new album, they actually do introduce that magic element that they saw fit to include in the band’s name.

And while Sun Raven’s genre-hopping could sound a bit complex on paper, Stephen Murray, its creator, makes it sound as if these sounds were always bound to be together.

Vargkvint might have put a tough goal in front of herself for this album, but she comes through this task with flying colours.

It is more of an acoustic take of the original, full of the electronic side of trip hop, and if it was out of  Kiiōtō’s comfort zone, maybe they should stay out of it for a while.

This ‘Arizona’ might not be full of sand, but it is these seemingly small grains of music that make it sound quite big, actually.

It seems that Conic Rose has further perfected their craft of bringing some fresh air to current modern jazz trends.

It turns out that on ‘Time Out of Mind, ’ Pritchard composed a detailed summary of what trip hop was (and still is) all about.

Sabel and Vildgren wrap it all up in some gentle and subtly complex songwriting that makes it all sound like it is worth the effort of turning it all into music, as well as keeping that search for the right path going.