len leise: lingua franca

Respected balearic imprint International Feel introduces its series of mini-albums with Len Leise's Lingua Franca. The series consists of six-to-eight-track albums, allowing each artist to show more of their musical identity without the constraints of the traditional album format. Lingua Franca precedes a beautiful release from Canada's CFCF, an ambient album from Jan Schulte, and the return of Gatto Fritto. Len Leise is Australian -- that is known. Does he exist? Maybe in the mind of his creator. Lingua Franca follows three beautiful EPs centered around a natural musical theme built on emotion, times, and spaces. Lingua Franca, his first long-form work, shows the varied palette of his listening habits, from ambient jazz through Afro disco; the likes of Yasuaki Shimizu, Jake Sollo, and Ike White. Rare names for a rare sound. Lingua Franca is all about travel and progression, in both physical and emotional senses. It's an imaginary journey based on real experiences, though, as with his name, what is real and what is not doesn't matter. Morocco appears in the deep ride of "Forlorn Fields," Spain in "Leaving Llucmajor," and Russia in "Route to Reutov." Ever on the move, trade language is necessary -- a lingua franca. India finds its way here via the chimes of "Madala Maksim," Brazil in the disco sound of "O Camino," and Africa in the slow, thoughtful pace of "El Modelo." Sometimes a visual element brings the music to life; sometimes a thought or feeling. It's music to keep and get lost in, a spiritual ride across the world's paths and percussions. These sounds are true to Len Leise and Lingua Franca has been designed to delve inside his mind. A spreading of wings, changing pace for a chance to indulge in those wispy, smoke-filled thoughts. Artwork comes courtesy of The Material Collective, responsible for International Feel's switch back to full cover art. Each mini-album in this series has a similar look, as part of a diverse series of interlinked journeys through the sonic spectrum of each artist's imagination.