Force of the Wind

SOYUZ, which translates as ‘Union’ is a creative collective from Belarus, and this third album is definitely true to the project's name, with songs in both Russian and Portuguese, instrumental compositions and a heap of contrasting musical influences. Sporting appearances from Sessa, classically trained composer Simon Hanes, Cem Mısırlıoğlu on percussion, Gabriel Milliet on flutes and multi-instrumentalist Kate NV, the album unifies Belarusian roots with a focus on Brazilian MPB influenced by the like of Milton Nascimento among many others.

Bandleader Alex Chumak describes his first encounter with Brazilian music as ‘a kind of concentrated emotion that felt as if it were familiar to him from childhood,’ and this connection is definitely audible through the nine tracks. ‘Offscreen’, despite the name, is cinematic in flavour, with whirling strings underpinned by piano comping and bass stabs. This is immediately offset by ‘I Knew It’ featuring Kate NV, which has hints of Brazilian jazz in swinging ride cymbal rhythms and octave jumps characterising the piano groove. A personal favourite for me is ‘How Are You’ (Como é Que Vai Você) featuring Sessa. A clever collaboration, as the floaty, vintage style of this album links well with Sessa's sonic aesthetics in his last release (reviewed in August/September 2022, #180).