**** - Songlines Magazine
"The latest release from Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player and vocalist Amir ElSaffar and composer and sound artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, Inner Spaces is a mercurial slice of ambient jazz that finds the long-time collaborators back, and using an Iraqi maqam as the jumping off point for an engrossing, excitable dialogue." - Olivia Cheves, Songlines Magazine (May 2025)
"The interaction between both artists works to perfection. This is not free improvisation - readers should be warned - but carefully planned compositions with significant room for improvisation. ElSaffar has created a unique microtonal language that merges the Arabic maqam modal system with jazz and Western harmonies. To ElSaffar's credit, he keeps searching for new sounds and presenting them too. His eclectic knowledge of different musical traditions, his brilliant instrumental technique and his compositional power make it stand out as music with a unique voice, difficult to put into any musical category. Bianchi Hoesch's live electronics create more than just depth or background to ElSaffar's trumpet and singing, driving up the intensity, building walls of sound full of rhythm, or quiet flowing sounds that set the slow pace for some of the most beautiful moments of the album." -Stef Gijssels, Free Jazz Collective
Inner Spaces invites audiences into a transcendent musical journey—a fusion of ancestral and futuristic, acoustic and electronic, local and global. Through this synthesis, the duo creates a soundscape that celebrates diversity, innovation, and the limitless possibilities of music.
Inner Spaces is a cutting-edge musical collaboration between Amir ElSaffar, a celebrated trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and composer, and Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch, an innovative composer and electronic music performer. Together, they create a modular musical work that integrates electro-acoustic soundscapes, maqam, microtonal harmonies, and a dynamic blend of improvisation and composition. This project transcends traditional musical boundaries, exploring form, musical language, and the interplay of electronic and acoustic elements.
The music blends jazz, contemporary classical, maqam, raga, and other traditions, embracing their unique richness without oversimplification. Each performance becomes an immersive journey through sonic spaces, guided by modular structures and improvised sections. This work invites listeners into a transcultural world where musical idioms converge in a seamless exploration of boundary-less sound.
The Artists:
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Amir ElSaffar, described as “uniquely poised to reconcile jazz and Arabic music” (The Wire), is a pioneer in blending microtonal elements of maqam with jazz. A Doris Duke Performing Artist, he is both a steward of Iraqi maqam and an innovator in contemporary composition.
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Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch is a trailblazer in 3D sound and electroacoustic compositions. His works span interactive installations, theater, and dance, with collaborations across global music traditions and commissions from prestigious institutions such as IRCAM and the Venice Biennale.
Key Features of Inner Spaces:
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Modular compositions that combine structured elements with live improvisation
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Exploration of microtonal environments and electro-acoustic dynamics
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Fusion of diverse musical languages, from maqam to contemporary classical
ON TOUR IN US - Summer 2026
Touring group: 2 artists
US/Canada bookings: Ankur Malhotra
Contact: ankur at auralgrooves dot com
INNER SPACES
MUSIC
Inner Spaces released their debut album on March 21, 2025.
Featuring: Amir ElSaffar : Voice, Trumpet, Santur and composition.
Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch : Live electronics and composition.
Recorded at PS21 Chatham. NY and Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY. Produced by Ornithology Productions and Magam Records.