Following their acclaimed debut Spirits, New Zealand’s boundary-pushing jazz collective The Circling Sun return with their sophomore LP Orbits — a deeply layered fusion of spiritual jazz, analog electronics, and percussive groove. Where Spirits explored 1960s influences, Orbits shifts into the mid-’70s, drawing inspiration from Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef’s Atlantic era, and the Brazilian jazz of Azymuth and Airto Moreira.
The ensemble blends arpeggiating Prophet synths and modular electronics with acoustic instrumentation: saxophone, upright piano, vintage drums, and hand-played percussion. Tracks move seamlessly between danceable Afro-Cuban rhythms and expansive, ambient jazz meditations — with layered vocals and choral textures guiding the listener through an interstellar sonic journey. Lush yet accessible, Orbits appeals to both deep jazz heads and fans of ambient, soulful instrumental music.
