ASPAKLARIA
A s p a k l a r i a - 2 0 1 8
aspaklaria
press release
Having charted new territory with her first album Hashgachah, and its ‘sophisticated soul-bearing vision’, Jarmila Gorna is now pushing her own musical boundaries even further. The critics were so dazzled by her genre-defying album, that it was cited for nomination by the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. With Hashgachah reviewers struggled for words to describe the indescribable – rather appropriate for an album of wordless songs. Kate Bush, Chick Corea, Ennio Morricone, ‘an entire Bulgarian choir’, ‘The Beach Girls’ were just some of the comparisons made.
Where do you go from there?
Gorna's new album is the elegantly named 'Aspaklaria' (Aramaic for ‘clear lens’). This time, inspired by a lifetime’s spiritual quest for Hebraic mysticism, self-penned lyrics poured forth. ‘My songs on Aspaklaria are songs of love and fear, of one's personal shattering and self-reconstructing, of questions asked and perhaps answers given, of getting connected and staying connected, of reaching to the heavens and reaching for the stars'. Wanting to push beyond the luxury and safety of the abstract, Jarmila is gathering the clouds into concrete form.
All the things reviewers liked most in the debut album are still present. The magic of her almost extraterrestrial voice and the emotionally gripping way she uses it - combined this time with contemporary beats, electronic sounds, stirring grooves and refreshingly unexpected song structures.
Aspaklaria is almost single-handedly the work of one woman – written, performed, produced and engineered by a true ‘Polly Math'! She is assisted by the inimitable David Farren, founder member of Bad Manners. Farren also created the album artwork and graces the music with his electric guitar brushstrokes. The music was recorded in her studio which was originally set up with the kind assistance of old friend and mentor, Philip Bagenal of Eastcote Studios (Adele's ‘21’). Mixed by Grammy award-winning engineer Matt Lawrence (Mumford & Sons' ‘Babel’), mastered by the multiple Grammy-nominated Stuart Hawkes (The Guardian’s number 1 album of the century - Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’, Lorde's ‘Pure Heroine’). Larry Holcombe added his production flair.
You may hear a vocal-dominated art pop, pop crossover, electronica and IDM, rock and a trip-hop vibe… You may detect warped echoes of drum & bass, deep house, or even grime as well as an occasional bass wobble… phew!... but Jarmila Gorna once again eludes all attempts at easy classification. All those eager for fresh musical experiences will not want to miss out on this. Here is a multi-talented artist in her element doing what she likes best.
Click the links below to view the lyrics and INSIGHTS INTO the songs from Aspaklaria:
hashgachah
H a s h g a c h a h - 2 0 0 4
hashgachah was presented for nomination by the bbc radio 3 world music awards in 2003.
“THE HERALD, April 16, 2005.
Jarmila Xymena Gorna, Hashgachah (Jarmila Music)
The flip strapline to Jarmila Xymena Gorna’s wordless singing might be Kate Bush meets Flora Purim jamming with Bobby McFerrin, but dropping these names only begins to describe her music. Gorna comes from a Polish Jewish family and it’s as if she gathered her own history and oppressed peoples’ traditions globally - Native Americans, rainforest-dwelling tribes and Balkans for starters - into her sophisticated, soul-bearing vision. Add a touch of Chick Corea’s Spanish dances, rangy oud licks and flugelhorn-french horn chorales to Gorna’s keyboards and audacious one-woman ‘Beach Girls’ harmonising and the picture gets bigger. If the stunningly cathartic My Hope and A Seal Upon My Heart’s dizzying choir didn’t sway this year’s Radio 3 World Music Awards judges, we can only marvel at the quality of artists who did.”
hashgachah
PRESS RELEASE
Jarmila Xymena Gorna's [Yarmeela Kseemena Goorna] Hashgachah is a classic album of the new century. A bravura combination of musical brilliance and soulful expression, it heralds the arrival of a unique singing, composing and piano-playing talent.
Taking advantage of her four-octave range, the multi-layered and improvised voice is accompanied by her fluid piano playing and subtle arrangements for double-bass, brass, percussion, oud and violin.
Born into a musical family in Lodz, Poland, London-based Gorna brings a wealth of musical experience to her work. She combines a thorough classical piano training with deep research into European folk traditions, and a love of jazz, which she studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.
The result is a music that is stylish and daring, wordless songs that express more emotion than lyrics can describe, delivered in a personal voice that takes the listener on a musical journey full of passion, soul searching and celebration.