New EP from Sasha Shlain

Sasha Shlain is a Swiss-based pianist, composer and producer whose virtuoso skills and endless creativity have created a thrilling musical output unlike anything else. Born in the Far East and a perpetual global nomad, Sasha Shlain’s compositions distils the influences he’s absorbed throughout his life. From classical piano training to exploring jazz, fusion, ethnic and electronic music, Sasha Shlain’s creations are truly original and entirely multidimensional.

In 2019 he unveiled his debut studio EP with Silber im Gold which he followed up with last year’s debut full-length record Devotion. Now he brings us his first release of 2023 with the EP titled Jaz. A Moment of Clarity, a five-track release that captures a snapshot of Sasha Shlain’s unique and constantly evolving sonic vision. Produced over three years during the pandemic, Sasha Shlain worked with various collaborating artists from around the world, recording online to bring the project to life.

Opened by “Our Freedom,” Sasha links with Andreas Bernitt to craft a spectacular instrumental exploration of new age music. Opened by the piquant flutters of Eastern-inspired strings, warm electric piano tones underpin the glitching percussive elements to craft a playful, jazz-tinged sound. As the Eastern influences emerge in the lead melodies, deep bass tones fill out the arrangement, resulting in an immersive and cinematic listening experience.

“Nigun” follows, this time serving up an experimental hip hop rhythm driven by a gently punchy electronic beat as the soft texture of trumpet leads carry a subtly melancholic aesthetic. With a stripped back fabric, joined by the grooving pulse of bass lines, the song offers up a hypnotic sound in collaboration with David Woodtly and Jake Pissak.

On “New Dimension,” a host of featured artists including Heidi Alsabban, Patricia Draeger, John Lumpkin, Sandro Friedrich, Jonathan Baptiste, Waldo Luc Alexander, Marcien Oyono and Ueli Gasser all combine to create an uptempo, dance-focused jam brimming with buoyant melodic leads riding an infectious rhythm. Eastern vocal leads intertwine with bouncy bass lines and slick woodwind and electric guitar flourishes to craft an energising sound across this epic seven minute adventure.

“A Ballad For Woody” follows with downtempo percussive shots as the sombre tones of brass and electric piano deliver a laid back outing that subtly builds with the tap of cymbals. It’s a hazy, mellow composition featuring the talents of Jake Pissak and Daniel Woodtly who add their own sonic flair to Sasha Shlain’s highly original sound.

The release closes with “I Hear You,” with Ueli Gasser, Scott Roller and Lukas Gasser joining Sasha Shlain for the final song. Starting out with plucked acoustic guitar notes, the rattle of drum rolls ushers in a kaleidoscopic jam driven by irregular rhythm that rises to an enveloping sound of staccato instrumentation capped by stretching melodic leads to create a truly engrossing finale to this sensational new EP.

Listen to Jaz. A Moment of Clarity below