Clocking in on A Tribe Called Kotori with his hypnotizing latest single, ‚The Journey‘, Italian vibist Matteo Rivetto turns in two cuts oozing pure life-affirming escapism.

Born during his stay in South Africa, which „resonated deeply with me, serving as a creative spark for the entire project and using the lessons learnt as a canvas to express my thoughts and emotions“, ‚The Journey‘ is Rivetto’s attempt at capturing the „essence of life’s fleeting moments and the beauty of vulnerability“. Running the emotional gamut from melancholy to joy, through hope and resilience, the lead track burns slow but stings deep.

Subtle arrangements of brittle piano chords and vaporous vocals out a cottony dreamscape overarch an earthly mix of rattling percussions and languid pad motion, fusing spiritual ethereality with an earthly sense of belonging.

A further stripped-down and highly cinematic piece of electro-acoustics, ‚African Melodique‘ merges post-balearic guitar riffs with typical polyrhythms from Alkebulan, slowly evolving into a synth-folk type of contemplative hybrid. Two songs cut from the same cloth, vibrant and poignant, moving in between sheer soul-healing abstraction and ancestral remembrance.

A fascinating voyage in sound.