Copenhagen-based artist Zeki Jindyl crafts an enveloping sound throughout his debut solo album, STRETCH//RELATIONS. A gripping atmosphere unfolds, weaving together ambient textures, jazz-laden instrumentation, and experimental rock impulses. A fully memorable listening experience ensues, propelled by the talents of Jindyl, Þór Arnarsson (guitar, vocals), Laust Moltesen Andreassen (guitar, vocals), and Oliver Nehammer (drums, vocals).
A climactic showcase in atmosphere, album opener “Stairway Conversation” swells with cinematic flair — eventually maneuvering between pit-pattering percussive intrigue, late-night brass mystique, and key-laden effervescence. Heady vocals, alternating between spoken word and singing, follow an initially sporadic orchestration. The final minutes enthrall with an eclectic yet cohesive soundscape.
The ensuing track, “Lake of Hurt,” captivates with its dynamic range, venturing from ghostly folk introspection into a lovely fusion of twinkling keys and heartfelt strings. “Two Dogs” is commanding in its journey as well — hazy pulses swell into a culminating, ardent raucousness, where sweltering high-pitched vocals and a foreboding rock spirit evoke fond comparisons to Sigur Rós.
Another stirring success comes via Jindyl’s debut single, “Only Me.” The album is full of striking, eclectic shifts, and “Only Me” is particularly masterful in its vision, maneuvering from free-flowing folk and jazz intrigue into a delectably raucous avant-metal invigoration. Chilly guitar trickling and strumming give way to glimpses of strings and a ghostly, wordless vocal haunt. “The sun is hitting my face, but I feel numb,” Jindyl’s opening line declares with radiant, higher-pitched enthusiasm — with touches of Arabic jazz evident in the vocal tone and mystique-filled instrumentation. The second half dazzles in its heightened intensity, injecting droning distortion amidst sweltering vocal passion.
Album finale “Wounded” is another showcase of masterful structural momentum. “I am wounded,” Jindyl’s airy vocals ring out amidst a buzzing warmth. The midpoint approaches with enveloping immersion, as soaring, expressive tones lead into serene saxophone gorgeousness within the final minute. An emotive vocal push pairs with inventively beautiful instrumentation. Jindyl describes the track as “a composition built around the interplay of two monophonic sound sources: voice and EWI expanded through effect pedals.” A fascination with the possibilities of wind instruments inspired an innovative technique: “By setting the breath input on my EWI to zero, I found a way to sustain a constant tone without blowing. This became the foundation of ‘Wounded,’” Jindyl says. A remarkable debut, STRETCH//RELATIONS continuously compels with its genre-defiant, emotional core.
