Fugu Quintet Craft Elating Jazztronic Spheres With ‘Interweavement’

Have you ever thought of the dimensions, the thin spaces that exist between light and darkness. These transient areas have incredible potential, always in the state of being and becoming. A simultaneous constant that makes sense only as an oxymoron. It just so happens that the band, Fugu Quintet are inquisitors of this space. Having traveled to these spheres often, they emerge with great ideas, that at the very least is incredibly refreshing. If you enjoy music that is contemplative in a way that evokes deep thoughts, then this band is for you. It’s not just cerebral but also ambient and highly aesthetic. 

‘Interweavement’ is the album with which it all began. The six track collection explores nature themes, giving them absurd fringes, jazz-tronic affectations, and a sonic atmosphere that lets you suspend. Suspend in a way that feels both tethered and free. A duality emerges here where you feel like you’re part of nothing and everything at the same time. Which is the essence of Interweavement. 

In tracks like ‘Firefly’, ‘No One Had Come’, and ‘Where Flamingos Fly’ this feeling is especially pronounced. With the saxophone melody flowing singularly through a soft toned atmosphere, the levity you experience is surreal. It is slow and dazing, never disrupting the forming stillness. Perfect for daydreaming or feeling melancholic, it is best enjoyed in solitude, perhaps at dawn or twilight. It is also the soundtrack that makes you feel like you’re in an old French movie. 

‘Worry’ has a comparatively dynamic rhythm. The sax sways between monotonal and vibrantly evolving arcs. Elements of funk and rock are infused into the jazz radiance. It transports you to an underground jazz club, dim yet bubbling with conversation and life. ‘Duck of War’ is animated. The funk here is whimsy, like in an elating cartoon. Smooth and charismatic, it is effortlessly engaging. 

Finally, ‘Krakatoa’. The track has a somber cinematic flair to it. It rises with incredible drama, unending passion, and a slow tragedy that consumes you. It is as if the band have put into music the intricate happenings and evolving ecosystems of the volcano itself. Mid-song, the instrumentals rise to a grand climactic high. A finale almost, before it all settles down. Mellow cello lines, earthy beats, cast in an eastern aesthetic trickle through the soundscape. The period of rise and fall, steep and gradual strokes. There’s duality all around, interestingly expanded into a series of frames we can experience them in. Listen Now! 

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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘Interweavement’ by Fugu Quintet here -