‘Back to the core formation of Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Mikel Patrick Avery on drums, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, and composer/multi-instrumentalist Joshua Abrams on guimbri, for one continuous 37 minute composition across a single LP.
‘This time around, Abrams has pushed post production techniques found only sporadically on earlier NIS records deep into the heart of the music, distorting and reshaping instruments to mutate timbre and texture, color and time.
‘Refracting the band’s signature mesmerizing chains of overlapping rhythmic patterns through the sonic funhouse of dub makes Perseverance Flow the most formally experimental NIS album to date.’

“I imagine Perseverance Flow like a live extended realization of a Jaylib lost instrumental as remixed by Kevin Shields,” says Abrams. “Or vice versa. I also think it has sympathies with some of the more rhythmically intricate dance musics out of Chicago and Lisbon… Perseverance Flow is skipping rope in slo-mo. A dance of co-operation to rally guts and humors and keep marching through pouring tears.”

‘Classic vinyl series.’

‘The deeply moving second LP by Portland’s The Cosmic Tones Research Trio. A follow up to last year’s beloved All Is Sound, this one sees the Tones adding more percussive elements and pushing their sound into more melodic song-based territory while keeping the ambient / spiritual effect. It’s pretty amazing.
‘Blending cello, alto sax, piano, flutes, and an eclectic palette of textures and percussions, the album channels a sacred energy that feels both ancient and forward-reaching. It is music for reflection, for movement, and for inner travel. Tracks unfold with patient grace, yet pulse with deliberate rhythms that ground the listener—echoing the ceremonial spirit of cosmic jazz and deep improvisational traditions.
‘This is not background music—it’s an invitation to engage fully, to breathe with the instruments, and to explore the liminal space where sound becomes prayer. With The Cosmic Tones Research Trio, Norfleet, Silverman, and Verrett continue to map sonic territories where the mystical and the musical converge.’