Interweavement is not, in fact, a new album. Saint Petersburg, Russia group Fugu Quintet released it three years ago to the day. Yet, it’s stayed very much under the radar until now.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Varvara Lovkova

It’s something of a bittersweet discovery for me as Fugu Quintet are now on hiatus as a result of Putin’s war in Ukraine. However, Interweavement is such a wonder I had to share it. Conceptually, it dwells on themes of creativity, cultural stagnation, and whether our universe is really a simulation created by a more advanced race.

The music is jazz, but not just jazz. Darker undertones create an all-encompassing atmosphere while swells of progressive rock keep things lively. Sauntering album opener Firefly sets the early pace before No One Had Come takes us on a slow-burning odyssey. Pensive percussion underpins contemplative horns in a moody tale that unfolds over seven and a half minutes.

Sitting at the heart of the album is the duo of Worry and Duck of War. The former is a soaring and stirring number that pairs juddering bass with funky horn improvisations. With some cosmic overtones, it’s a highlight. The latter brings with it some pacy drums and a playful sense of whimsy punctuated with some heavier moments.

Thing are then rounded off by a dreamy and psychedelic reinterpretation of Gil Evans’ Where Flamingos Fly, and Krakatoa. The album’s final track is perhaps its best. Opening ambient and atmospheric it builds dramatically to a crashing and powerful climax before finding a long, lingering finish.

I must confess to not always being the biggest fan of jazz, but when it’s done right it can be sublime. That’s exactly what we get with Interweavement. Fugu Quintet fully understand the genre’s capacity to challenge and reinvent, and their 2021 collection remains a timeless and sterling modern great.

You can check out Interweavement below.