Yazz Ahmed // Shinrin-Yoku

Shinrin-Yoku finds Yazz Ahmed trading the sweeping jazz-fusion statements of her recent albums for something more intimate, reflective, and restorative. Drawn from commissions and recordings created during the uncertainty of 2020, the four-track EP takes its name from the Japanese practice of forest bathing and explores humanity's connection to the natural world through a blend of jazz improvisation, electronics, field recordings, and Ahmed's distinctive quarter-tone brass work.

Each composition is tied to a specific landscape or moment of contemplation. "Dawn Patrol" evokes an early morning surf session, its flowing melodies and gentle rhythmic pulse moving like waves at first light. The title track strips things back even further, unfolding as a meditative improvisation inspired by time spent in the forests near Ahmed's home. Elsewhere, "A Moment To Be Free" draws on birdsong recordings captured in Ahmed's own garden, manipulating them into grooves and melodic motifs that become inseparable from the composition itself. The closing "Questions No Answers," a sparse duet with trumpeter Noel Langley, channels the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic into a quietly moving conversation.

At just under 25 minutes, Shinrin-Yoku feels less like a traditional EP than a collection of musical reflections. Yet Ahmed's singular voice remains unmistakable. Her fusion of Arabic musical vocabulary, jazz improvisation, and atmospheric electronics has rarely sounded this understated or focused. Rather than reaching for grandeur, she embraces stillness, creating a record that offers a rare invitation to pause, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the world beyond the noise.