A master of melody, and a poet of prose, Herald K, a Norwegian singer-songwriter and a composer par excellence, is a musical force to be reckoned with. Herald K is now laying the groundwork for his follow-up album, which he plans to release later in 2019. The album's five tracks, together titled "Mythologies," have already started to create excitement among international music sites. 'Folk Noir' is...

Seishin Takeno's "Echoes," a sonic postcard from Kanagawa. Nine instrumental pieces, I've been told. Not nine songs, mind you – more like nine shaded windows into a particular kind of quiet. This isn't music that yells; it leans in, like a friend confiding a secret you half-hear on a summer porch. Immediately, you're not so much listening as remembering. Or maybe anticipating. It feels...