Album Review
Endlessness
by Nala Sinephro
Words By Joe Vickrey // Photos by Tofjan
Endlessness Album Art
Nala Sinephro has arranged a masterpiece that illuminates a solitary path through the far reaches of space. Filled with peace and light, this is your ticket to the trip of a lifetime.
Nala Sinephro is a jazz-harpist and synthesizer connoisseur who has gone to extreme lengths to not reveal anything about herself. Only a few out of focus pictures of her can be found on her socials, she offers no explanation to her art, her album credits don’t list what instruments she did and didn’t play, and after releasing the first single for new album Endlessness, her Spotify biography updated to simply say, “new album out september 6th.” I couldn’t even dig up enough evidence to convince myself she’s human (but she is).
Nala’s first album Space 1.8 was a beautiful ambient-jazz collection that fused elements of electronic music with traditional jazz. Her sophomore release ventures even further into the far reaches of the final frontier. Calling her music experimental would be a bit cheap. Nothing about this album is structured traditionally, but it does not sound like a poor man’s Jackson Pollock of noise. There is purpose and reason in this free-flowing work.
Each song is simply titled Continuum 1-10. By not placing any unnecessary emphasis on what songs are named, each listener is given an extra measure of their own interpretation with this album.
Endlessness is too interesting to be labeled as meditation music, but there is so much space in the mix that it does possess some meditative qualities.
That space isn’t defined by vast echoes or moody pauses between busy sections, but rather a drifting instrumentation that isn’t grounded on any one element.
I haven’t been this excited by drums on an album in a long time. Rather than a kick drum or bass line maintaining a pulse at any point in the continuum, the drum kit is just as expressive as any of the melodic instruments featured here. When there is percussion, it bounces, swells, and dances around freely. How can a drum part constantly move without feeling showboat-ish or obnoxious? I don’t know, but the gentle touch of cymbals, rims, and a rolling snare add so much to the mix.
Beginning in Continuum 4, there is a motif of arpeggiated synthesizer that ducks and weaves playfully throughout the arrangements.
It frequently morphs with the tempo of each track, while also rolling through a series of high and low pass filters. The movement on the only metronomic element of the collection truly does feel endless. Slowly modulating from an 8-bit arcade game to a legato violin soundalike makes this a million dollar synth tone.
Trying to comprehend how this level of soundscape virtuosity can be achieved is reason enough for why I could not meditate to this album. It’s far too thought provoking.
The journey Endlessness takes you on is a beautiful lazy river ride through the cosmos. The tour continues as the album’s finale guides the listener on to a realm beyond the final frontier. The tempo ramps up as the string section crescendos, and the synthesizers speed until there is only a warm ambience. Ending with a gentle moment of piano, the next part of your adventure welcomes you as you take your next steps into the unknown.
Nala Sinephro has arranged a masterpiece that illuminates a solitary path through the far reaches of space. Filled with peace and light, this is your ticket to the trip of a lifetime.