It’s safe to say that if we’ve learned anything over the last decade when it comes to Greg Foat, who has established himself as one of the most forward-thinking composers and pianists, is that you can “box him in” musically. It seems like each release has it’s own concept or identity, and that is certainly the case on his latest solo effort, titled Photosynthesis, which trades in jazz-funk grooves for meditative soundscapes.

This brilliant 14-track album, which was recorded during the 2020 Lockdown as a follow-up to his 2019 Photosynthesis album (released on Athens Of The North), is a beautiful blending of spacey synths, cosmic textures, lush ambient tones, and electronic beats. There are definitely some upbeat moments like on “Psychosynthesis Part 1 & Part 2”, “Riding into Battle”, and “World of Tiers”, however as one of the songs suggests most of the album has the listener floating safely above the clouds. Float handles the majority of the instrumentation with contributions from drummer Morgan Simpson (Black Midi).

With each remarkable and unique release, the London-based artist continues expand his musical palette and cement himself as one of the leading artists of his generation. This is another one to snatch up quickly as it continues to fly off the record shelves fast. Highly recommended!

Greg Foat — ‘Psychosynthesis’
(Blue Crystal Records)

1. Baby Boy
2. Tropical Love
3. Above the Clouds
4. Underwater Fantasy
5. Psychosynthesis Part 1
6. Artic Cavern
7. Psychosynthesis Part 2
8. The Green Odyssey
9. Riding into Battle
10. The Investigation
11. World of Tiers
12. Subterranean Lake
13. Fatherhood
14. Crystal Gardens

BUY RECORD

• Cosmic
• ELECTRONIC MUSIC
• Spiritual Jazz