Reclusive Rituals, released in December 2021 on Batov Records, finds Tel Aviv-based Shay Hazan fusing the rubbery pulse of North African Gnawa with spectral jazz horns and hip hop-tinged beats. The eight-track set assembles a small ensemble of collaborators: Tal Avraham’s trumpet colors four tracks, while Eyal Netzer’s saxophone appears on “Bob Dealer.” Percussive textures come courtesy of Nir Tom Sabag, and electronic flourishes by Doron Segal and Milton Michaeli add further depth.Hazan, a bassist and bandleader, recorded the album remotely throughout 2020, capturing a raw immediacy amid the constraints of home studios. Mixed and mastered by Asaf Shay at Halal Studio, the record treads an experimental jazz terrain rooted in gnawa’s cyclical guimbri rhythms. The result is an artifact of contemporary global grooves, affirmed by acclaim from figures such as Gideon Coe and Jonathan More, and a fitting addition to Batov’s catalogue of international groove explorations.

Reclusive Rituals, released in December 2021 on Batov Records, finds Tel Aviv-based Shay Hazan fusing the rubbery pulse of North African Gnawa with spectral jazz horns and hip hop-tinged beats. The eight-track set assembles a small ensemble of collaborators: Tal Avraham’s trumpet colors four tracks, while Eyal Netzer’s saxophone appears on “Bob Dealer.” Percussive textures come courtesy of Nir Tom Sabag, and electronic flourishes by Doron Segal and Milton Michaeli add further depth.Hazan, a bassist and bandleader, recorded the album remotely throughout 2020, capturing a raw immediacy amid the constraints of home studios. Mixed and mastered by Asaf Shay at Halal Studio, the record treads an experimental jazz terrain rooted in gnawa’s cyclical guimbri rhythms. The result is an artifact of contemporary global grooves, affirmed by acclaim from figures such as Gideon Coe and Jonathan More, and a fitting addition to Batov’s catalogue of international groove explorations.