One theme emerging from the music I’ve featured in 2026 is that of immigrants coming to the UK and bringing the traditions of their homeland with them.
By Graeme Smith
Only this week I reviewed the beautiful debut of Rihab Azar, and the Roma-Indian fusion act Rootless springs instantly to mind.
Roma traditions seep into Justyna Jablonska’s latest release Unforeseen too, as well as those of Poland and Ukraine. Jablonska is now based in Edinburgh, and explores her own immigration story as well as those of others in the record.
Unforeseen brings together structured composition with spontaneous performance and that might explain the eclectic feel of its early running. The first three tracks, Unforeseen, If You Can Hear This, and 9 Daughters, give us cinematic classicality, drum & bass, and traditional folk, respectively. I’m not sure you’ll hear that combination anywhere else.
The pieces are tied to Jablonska’s cello which ranges from the mournful and nostalgic in Unforeseen and Procession to the plucked and percussive in Levi & Nadia and Wayward. The latter is a highlight and marks a movement to a folksy groove for the later part of the album, including the transient Bloki, named for the concrete housing blocks of Eastern Europe.
Fabryka is tense and severe while The Pact relieves the tension through a soft, haunting collaboration with Monika Niemczynowicz. Another collaboration, 10 Shchdryk proves another highlight thanks to the ghostly vocals of Sofiia Fylypiv.
Skye Boat Song provides the album’s final impression. A gentle finale, the sound of lapping waves supports Jablonska’s reflective cello. The artist cites her mother’s lullabies as a formative musical influence and that comes through most strongly here.
Unforeseen isn’t just a record. It’s part of a multimedia experience that includes live loops, film, spoken word, and improvisation. It also feels part of an oral history, preserving stories that some elements of the world would rather be forgotten. It’s an important project, one that reminds us of the richness of artistry across the world, and how it enriches us here in the UK.
Justyna Jablonska has recently completed her PhD in Creative Music Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and I’m excited to see where her story goes next. If you want to keep up to date with all she’s doing, you can by heading to her website, and by following her on Facebook, Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, and Instagram.
Unforeseen is out now, and you can listen to it below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator
