Folklore and spirituality abound in Sounds of my Breath, the new long player by Kiko Navarro, issued on Afroterraneo Music. Inspired by the voice and breath-work techniques of qigong teacher Nader Behravan, Sounds of my Breath explores a broad palette of musical colours, painted large and bright by Navarro’s bold and assured brushstrokes...

There's a power coursing through the veins of Kiko Navarro's new album, Sounds of my Breath that's hard not to get swept up by. The LP consists of 10 tracks (1 hr, 19 min, 55 sec) of chill out ambient music that gets under your skin. This is a release that you'll love from the first playthrough, and that appreciation won't diminish no matter how many times you revisit it... Of course, some might not enjoy it, but I'd say those people will be in the minority.

Oddly enough, I'd argue that the album's title track 'Sound of my Breath' is the weakest piece here. While I appreciate what the song is aiming for, I felt that Nader Behravan's voice was a little too flat, taking the listener out of the vibe the music was trying to create.

This was also a problem, although to a lesser extent on 'You Take Over'.

As a chill out album, this ticks most of the boxes.

8

Nick Smithson