Label: Intakt Records, 2026
Personnel - Alexander Hawkins: piano, synthesizer, sampler; Rhodri Davies: harp; Hamid Drake: drums; Nicole Mitchell: flute; Matthew Wright: turntables, live sampling.
With No Nation But Imagination, British pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins delivers a radical and fascinatingly complex work that may leave listeners wondering how its intertwining layers of piano, synths, harp, flute, drums, turntables, and samples fit together so naturally. Yet Hawkins—already proven capable of leading large ensembles (Togetherness Music) and engaging in adventurous duos with cellist Tomeka Reid, saxophonist Evan Parker, and vocalist Sofia Jernberg—continues to push boundaries, reshaping the language of modern improvised music through another ambitious and experimental undertaking.
“Solo Way Far Gone” opens the album in a restrained glide, its slightly distorted synth waves evoking obscure Sun Ra recordings. The real enchantment begins with “Resolution Each and Every”, a hypnotic Afro-jazz-rock excursion driven by a tight backbeat, magnetic groove, and chant-like flute lines. Drummer Hamid Drake constantly reshapes the rhythmic terrain, at times merging hip-hop-inflected pulses with echoes of global musical traditions.
“Mirror No Border” thrives on incisive abstraction and staccato-driven attacks. Expansive in its instrumental convergences, the piece gradually intensifies into an electrifying sonic buzz. In complete contrast, “Circles in the Celestial Garden” unfolds as a serene meditation on beauty and spirituality, pairing Rhodri Davies’ harp with Nicole Mitchell’s airy yet resonant flute.
“Lullaby Much Further” layers eerie humming drones, piercing synth textures, resonant toms and cymbals, and dreamlike flute passages into a haunting soundscape. Similarly flamboyant in its balance of restraint and excess, “Hocket Fierce Peaceful” rests upon celestial drones before shifting into a fanfare-like mode, carrying the listener through a dizzying carousel of hallucinatory sounds where spectral keyboards and propulsive drumming eventually give way to an exuberant march.
On “Joy Beyond Blazing”, Davies’ harp takes on the ferocity of an electric guitar against a backdrop of vigorous piano harmonies and tireless flute flights. “Open Sea Boat’s Land” returns to a hip-hop-driven boom-bap groove with funk undertones, incorporating Matthew Wright’s live electronics—including a muffled electric bass effect—alongside Hawkins’ sweeping piano gestures. The album closes with “Coda Over the Fence”, a soulful, gospel-inflected finale radiating the spiritual warmth of Abdullah Ibrahim’s South African-inspired chants.
No Nation But Imagination sounds unlike anything else—an avant-garde manifesto steeped in postmodern experimentation, unusual melodic logic, singular textures, and meticulous post-production detail. Hawkins, one of the most imaginative keyboardists in contemporary jazz, once again demonstrates how advanced technique and fearless creativity can yield music that is both intellectually challenging and deeply substantive.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Resolution Each and Every ► 04 - Circles in the Celestial Garden ► 06 - Hocket Fierce Peaceful ► 08 - Open Sea Boat’s Land