There’s a specific thrill that record collectors feel: not while digging through crates for classics, but when intuition leads you to pick out something as-yet-unknown. You take it home, put it on the turntable, and are bathed in spectacular sounds that become new favourite sonic destinations. You have discovered rare and beautiful treasure.

On Lophae’s debut album Perfect Strangers, they carry out the performing equivalent of that crate digging: we are treated to world-class musical explorers searching for (and very much finding) sounds that both hit home with familiarity and bestow that thrill of discovery.

Don’t be fooled by the title: though it is their first time recording together in this particular line-up, these four are no strangers, neither to each other, nor to the singular art of sculpting sound through collective improvisation. Their enthusiasm for the process is palpable on every track, taking many forms and expressing many moods.

Guitarist and composer Greg Sanders – known for his work with Juanita Euka and Teotima – brings a unique aesthetic and an unmistakable feel to every musical setting he appears in. His writing and playing combine melodic elegance with rhythmic complexity, and provide a lush foundation for improvisation and dialogue. He also has a tried and tested talent for bringing together specific constellations of extraordinary musicians to interpret his original music.

To form Lophae (pronounced Lo-fi), Sanders calls on three of his favourites:

Drummer Ben Brown brings wide-reaching rhythm expertise, honed while performing with Ethio-Jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and leading his own group Waaju. Brown’s intricate playing propels the band with absolute confidence and fierce energy.

Bass player Tom Herbert is a mainstay of the UK jazz scene, known for his work with The Invisible, Polar Bear, London Brew and Acoustic Ladyland. Herbert is much in-demand for his unparalleled ability to ground any musical situation with his massive sound, beautiful tone, highly-tuned sensitivity and unceasing musical curiosity.

Saxophonist Sam Rapley possesses a lyrical flair and a relaxed mastery of his instrument in the vein of tenor giants such as Stan Getz and Sonny Rollins. Rapley weaves seamlessly between textural and melodic roles with understated skill and grace.

“They’re all amazing and versatile musicians,” says Sanders. “Some of this music is quite unusual to play, and I know these three can all make difficult material sound really relaxed, swinging and melodic. I liked the idea of a quartet where each player has a beautiful and immediately recognisable sound, and how the combination of those creates a really strong band identity. They are also incredibly sensitive and instinctively serve the bigger picture. I love listening to whatever they’re playing, so having them interpret my compositions is a dream.”

The album was recorded live at the Fish Factory studio in London, straight to 16-track, 2-inch analogue tape, with Benedic Lamdin (Nostalgia 77) engineering. “It was really important for me to have us all in the same room, so we could interact on a very detailed level, using all of our senses to communicate musically,” says Sanders. “I think there’s a level of ‘in-sync’-ness that you can only achieve when people can pick up on the micro movements that communicate intention: how loud someone is about to hit a cymbal; how far ahead of the beat someone is playing something on purpose; or whether someone wants to stay on the same section or move on to the next.”

The sonic landscape of this record is rich and often belies the small group size. “I used a lot of pedals with the guitar to create washy, floaty loops using just a couple of notes that would give a sense of ambience and atmosphere without pinning us down harmonically,” says Sanders. “And recording to tape gives a certain sound that I really love.”

The strength of the melodies on Perfect Strangers is indicative of Sanders’s intention to move away from the ‘performance piece’ realm of much of his previous work in favour of exploring the ‘songs’ end of the compositional spectrum: “I wanted to write tunes that could stand up 70 years later (like the Great American Songbook standards), be read off one A4 sheet by any musician anywhere, and be received and understood. I love music that is melodic without sacrificing groove, groovy without sacrificing sensitivity, harmonically rich without sacrificing melody or groove, floaty and ethereal without sacrificing intention and directness. I also love Ben, Tom and Sam’s playing on ‘classic’ repertoire, so I liked the idea of hearing them interpret my take on ‘standard’-style compositions.”

The opening track ‘Fallout’ pairs the busy rush of the underlying drums with a laid back melody and easy flowing harmony, creating that juxtaposition between motion and stillness that is one of Sanders’s compositional signatures. Weaving together modern jazz harmony reminiscent of Brad Mehldau, bluesy references, hints of the Frevo dance style of Recife, Brasil, and West-African Mande guitar vibes, 'Fallout' is a favourable omen of what's to come.

On ‘Perfect Strangers’, melody and harmony dance in and out of a rich, complex groove. Overlapping solos and an acrobatic chromaticism give a sense of untethered propulsion. Sanders’s title plays with double meaning, evoking “how we often see someone at the beginning of a romantic relationship: as a perfect (flawless) stranger. This song also explores ambiguity, blurring boundaries between improvisation and composition, and the constant shifting between key centres gives it a slightly uncanny feeling - like when we know intellectually that a new love interest is not actually flawless, but some part of us wants to believe otherwise.”

‘Family Tree’ evokes the classic sound of perhaps Sanders’s best-known prior project, Teotima. The chorused-out yet punchy sound of the guitar solo is a powerful vehicle for him to express his take on the moment, through beautiful assemblies of both linear and angular motion, with stop-offs in textural territory. The melody is thickened and enriched by a cameo from flying ace Cuban trumpeter Yelfris Valdés, harkening back to the classic Blue Note jazz catalogue.

Few songs succeed in sounding like they have always existed, while at once being a world unto themselves. ‘Greatfields’ inhabits that sweet spot, fresh with a playful spirit of creation, yet built on timeless melody and harmony. Dare yourself not to dance to this groove at peril of an ankle *twisting itself* out of sheer refusal to sit still.

From its first moments, Perfect Strangers delivers compelling, danceable grooves, yet it is a record that will reward multiple listens and deep engagement. The inflections you hear will depend on the music you know and love, but this record is full of moments that will resonate, creating that feeling that you have indeed discovered rare and beautiful treasure.

Healthwise, bringing this album to life presented a challenge to Sanders, who has the energy-limiting chronic illness ME/CFS. “The demands of this project caused massive crashes and periods of days or sometimes weeks where I needed constant rest. But if you have an idea for something that you can see existing in the world, ignoring it is sometimes impossible. I had wanted to do a small-ensemble project playing my compositions with these musicians for years, so it is extremely gratifying to have this music recorded, released, out there and available forever!”

- Greg Gottlieb, September 2024
credits
released January 24, 2025

Greg Sanders - Guitar
Ben Brown - Drums
Tom Herbert - Bass
Sam Rapley - Tenor Sax

and Yelfris Valdés - Trumpet on 'Family Tree'

Engineered & recorded by Benedic Lamdin

Recorded to 16-track 2" analogue tape.

Produced by Greg Sanders

Mixed by Benedic Lamdin & Greg Sanders

Mastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones at Gearbox Records

Additional engineering by Luke Harvery & Ellis Stagg-Neal

Recorded at the Fish Factory, London, September & October 2023

All underlying compositions by Greg Sanders, featuring improvisation, arrangement & further composition from Ben Brown, Tom Herbert & Sam Rapley

Artwork by Sarah Jarman

Design & Layout by Pedro Velasco

SPECIAL THANKS TO PRS FOUNDATION