Apifera’s new album is Keep The Outside Open, out now on Stones Throw.
The new record is like switching between radio stations: a dash of prog, a twist of post-rock, and a heavy dose of psychedelia, with the members’ shared background in jazz tying it all together. While Apifera’s debut Overstand was instrumental, on the new record the group – Nitai Hershkovits, Yuvi Havkin, Yonatan Albalak and Amir Bresler – adds lyrics, telling personal stories from everyday life and creating fantastical characters.
Stream: Apifera – Keep The Outside Open
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Nitai, Yuvi, Yonatan, and Amir all have deep roots in their musical community: Yuvi releases electronic jazz as Rejoicer; Yonatan is frontman for post-rock/psych jazz band Geshem; Amir’s group Liquid Saloon blends afrobeat with jazz funk; and Nitai is best known for his solo piano records, with a 2023 album on ECM. They call on their friend, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, for the album’s closing track, “Sera Sam”.
Apifera’s new album title surfaced after “we’re closing the outside” was yelled after shows at their favorite local jazz club. They decided to give the words a “surreal twist” for the record: “Over the last few years, we’ve felt the walls closing on our everyday lives, our culture and music. Keep The Outside Open is a call for the world to be open – to return to its free and wild state.”
