Shofar - Before It Started [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Scheduled for release via Polish imprint Gusstaff Records on May 14th, 2k21 is "Right Before It Started", the latest album outing by Raphael Roginski's Shofar project which has been dealing with the mystical Jewish tradition and Hasidic music ever since it was founded back in 2007. Based around the performance of mostly unchanged and unaltered traditional music which, when used in a ritual / ceremonial context, is meant to elevate listeners into a state of trance and hypnosis, the eight pieces on this album - presented on guitar, saxophone, bass clarinet and drums - provide a meandering, oftentimes thundering and well fever'ish undertone paired with, coming from a well uneducated perspective when it comes to traditional Jewish music, bits of Jazz and FreeJazz, a certain melancholic tendency and elements roughly reminiscent of ever so slowly evolving PostRock using a slightly descriptive rather than analytical angle here. And with bits like "Shovel Pigon No. 20" and "Baromether Gadol No. 97" one might even find some lowkey bangers and seductive grooves for traditional Jewish formal dancing on this one. A sneak peak into a world more or less unbeknownst to us, yet a well interesting and somehwat educational listening experience which is also recommended to all Jazz fans out there.