BLOG | JUN. 3, 2025

New Music From Rafiq Bhatia

We had Rafiq Bhatia as a guest on our DISCussion podcast in June of 2023. His new release, a collaboration with pianist Chris Pattishall, Each Dream, A Melting Door, is a mind-melting work that pushes the boundaries of "jazz". It takes me back to albums like those from Marc Johnson's Bass Desires, which featured Bill Frisell, Peter Erskine, and John Scofield. The album's opener, "Occlusion," is atmospheric and swirling. It sounds like leaves, long dry, floating and dancing in an old stone grain silo. Lifting and resettling, only to be lifted again by a late winter gust. Haunting synth-like guitar drones and pads, circular and hypnotic piano, and distorted and angular guitar lines run throughout the EP's five songs, and although some of the tunes could be catagorized as "ambient", they are simply patient improvisational compostions, played out by two musical virtuosos that have seemingly little desire to be flashy or virtuostic. On the album closer, "The Voice of Love", the juxaposition of the sound of sonic sheets tearing, married with a repetitive Gershwin-meets-Radiohead piano figure, is a perfect example of this duo's compsitional and sonic prowess.

EDAMD

The "New Jazz" genre is an exciting space right now, and Each Dream, A Melting Door should be on every fan of the genre's list of albums to check out. Take this one for an evening drive on an open road, or get the headphones on and let your mind drift off into Rafiq and Chris' sonic psychedelia.

Produced by Rafiq Bhatia, recorded by Todd Carder at Sear Sound, mixed by Todd Carder and Rafiq Bhatia at The Bunker Studio. Mastered by Alex DeTurk.

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

Or Learn More

MORE ENTRIES

New Fruit Bats Album: Baby Man

BLOG

New Fruit Bats Album: Baby Man

By Geoff Stanfield

September 16, 2025

Fruit Bats, the moniker of Eric D. Johnson's musical endeavors, has just released Baby Man. The album is follows the 2023 release, A River Runs...
New video from Yeemz on recording her track “No Trace”

BLOG

New video from Yeemz on recording her track “No Trace”

By John Baccigallupi

September 14, 2025

Yi-Mei Templeman is friend of Tape Op who records under the name Yeemz. She’s a songwriter and composer who plays cello, piano, banjo, guitar, and...
Larry Crane on the Revolutions Per Movie Podcast

BLOG

Larry Crane on the Revolutions Per Movie Podcast

September 4, 2025

Larry Crane and the Revolutions Per Movie podcast host Chris Slusarenko chat about Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii!They discuss the genesis and all the...
Justin Gray: Immersed

BLOG

Justin Gray: Immersed

By Matt Anderson

August 31, 2025

Justin Gray’s new album, Immersed, was created specifically for immersive surround formats, such as Dolby Atmos, with considerations beginning from...
About The Cover Art for Issue #167

BLOG

About The Cover Art for Issue #167

By John Baccigallupi

August 31, 2025

When we published issue #167, we, of course, credited Hazel Morishige for the cover art, but I forgot to credit the individual pieces of art that...
New Deftones LP: Private Music

BLOG

New Deftones LP: Private Music

By John Baccigallupi

August 26, 2025

The first time I saw Deftones live was at the Cattle Club, a small 250 person capacity club in Sacramento, CA, in the early 1990s. The Cattle Club was...
New Jeff Tweedy song and video,  “Feel Free”

BLOG

New Jeff Tweedy song and video, “Feel Free”

By John Baccigallupi

August 25, 2025

Larry interviewed Jeff Tweedy of Wilco back in Tape Op#132 along with his son, Spencer Tweedy, and engineer Tom Schick at the band’s The Loft Studio...
Superchunk's new album, Songs in the Key of Yikes, is out now!

BLOG

Superchunk's new album, Songs in the Key of Yikes, is out now!

By Larry Crane

August 22, 2025

The new Superchunk album is here, and – no surprise – it rocks. I interviewed singer/guitarist/songwriter Mac MacCaughan way back in 2009 [Tape...
New Album from Raymond Antrobus and Evelyn Glennie: Aloud

BLOG

New Album from Raymond Antrobus and Evelyn Glennie: Aloud

By Geoff Stanfield

August 19, 2025

Raymond Antrobus and Evelyn Glennie [Tape Op#154] return with a new album, Aloud, part two of their spoken word poetry collaboration. Produced...