New Music Friday: Cushla, David Murray and More
Each week, Babylon Radio brings you a handpicked selection of five songs, spotlighting standout tracks from new and upcoming albums, overlooked gems, and fresh singles. Expect a wide range of sounds from around the world and across genres, with a special focus on unique artistry and multicultural collaborations.
Cushla, Tech Duinn (Foehn)
Release date: April 25
Cushla is an artistic collective blending Irish folklore, electronic music, and psychedelia into a distinctive sound, anchored by the timeless beauty of sean-nós singing. Today, they unveil their debut album Tech Duinn, a deep dive into the mythic, linguistic, and emotional terrain that has shaped their sonic identity. The album features lead single “7 Years,” a reimagining of a traditional broken-token folk ballad, where Cushla fuses pipes, fiddles, and drones with pulsing drum machines and ethereal ambient textures. Listen to this track via the player below.
David Murray Quartet, Birdly Serenade (Impulse!)
Release date: April 25
Jazz icon David Murray makes his Impulse! Records debut with Birdly Serenade, a spirited tribute to birds and the natural world that channels their energy through bold, deeply rooted compositions. Recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, the release also marks the latest chapter in the acclaimed Birdsong Project, which has emerged in recent years as a leading and vibrant cultural initiative in bird conservation. Capturing the raw, intuitive interplay of a seasoned quartet, along with a guest performance from vocalist Ekep Nkwelle, Birdly Serenade is a powerful testament to Murray’s rich legacy and ever-evolving artistry.
Jamael Dean, Oriki Duuru (Stones Throw)
Release date: May 9
Known for blending jazz with hip-hop and ensemble work, pianist Jamael Dean returns to his roots, weaving original compositions, spontaneous improvisations, and reimagined standards into a cohesive and deeply personal hour-long solo piano set captured live in performance on May 2024 at 2220 Arts + Archives in Los Angeles, California. Titled after the Yoruba phrase for “piano poems,” Oriki Duuru reflects Dean’s spiritual and cultural lineage, drawing on ancestral traditions while forging a forward-looking path, including via its lead single, “Paradox,” which you can listen to via the player below.
Nainita Desai, Tessellation – The Fiber Optic Symphonic Orchestra (Silva Screen)
Release date: April 11
Composer Nainita Desai has released Tessellation, the official soundtrack for the Fiber Optic Symphonic Orchestra (FOSO), a new immersive light-and-sound installation by artist Bruce Munro that debuted at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California, on April 11, 2025. FOSO fuses art, STEM, and nature through 31 illuminated towers, modeled after the iconic Australian Hill’s Hoist, that react in real time to Desai’s score via thousands of fiber optic strands. Inspired by mathematical principles like the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio, Tessellation transforms numbers into an audiovisual experience, mapping each of the 12 musical notes to shifting colors and kinetic light.
Richard Poher, Constellations (self-released)
Release date: May 30
“Aboriginal Gypsies” is the debut single from Constellations, the forthcoming self-released album by Paris-based keys and didgeridoo player Richard Poher, out May 30. Poher’s music is a genre-defying journey, drawing from diverse, wide-ranging influences and genres, including jazz and improvisation, classical influences, and a mystical fusion of electronic and ancestral sounds. The new track, which you can hear via the player below, blends the raw, earthy timbre of the didgeridoo with the swirling elegance of tango-infused piano, bridging ancient and modern soundscapes, weaving electronic textures with rich acoustic layers.
