Imagine More by Lophae ("lo-fi")

Loving an album at first listen may generate spatio-temporal conundrums. You’ll never get that first listen back, no matter how much deeper you dig into that music over the years; the gentle awe is a one-time deal. The closest you can get to scoring another fix is when the artist who warped your timeline gives you a lifeline: the sequel.

Thusly primed was I to press play on Imagine More, the follow-up to London quartet Lophae’s debut Perfect Strangers (January 2025). In the grand tradition of parallel universes, this is a companion piece to its predecessor, harvested from the same recording sessions.

A strong second album is always something to celebrate, the continuation of a joyful thing. Imagine More is especially meaningful given that, as Aodren Pecnard (of djolo.net ) writes, Lophae’s music, “tells the story of the obstinacy of Greg Sanders, who suffers from a chronic illness [ME/CFS] and refuses to keep quiet about the music he plays. [It’s a] work of resilience, in which every note becomes an act of belief.” *

This music is one of Sanders’s ways of finding and making meaning against the low-level hum of absurdity in the background; and while the album as a whole (and the composition in particular) bristles with wry wit and deep intelligence, the joy abounds.

The musical chemistry between these master improvisers is on full display once more, creating delicious continuity with the world built by the first release. The eight tracks offered up here at once take us deeper down that yearned-for rabbit-hole and yet depict fresh and unanticipated scenes along the way.

The music has layers that dish out a full range of experiences: from background vibe creation to the kind of close listening that unveils the details. Sanders, Rapley, Herbert and Brown pull together a constellation far greater than the sum of its stars, a brilliant splendour that is no easy feat for improvised, instrumental music to conjure up.

Sam Rapley’s tenor sax tone swings pendulously from smoky blues to poignant meditation; drummer Ben Brown has a thrilling knack for juggling groove, texture and interaction such that the ear perceives them as one seamless swirl; and Tom Herbert’s electric bass touch and tone are so personal that they achieve the grounding feat so often entrusted to double bass - gluing the sound together while contributing a distinctive voice. In, on and around it all shimmers the mesmerising, crystal array of Greg Sanders’s guitar wizardry, each tune a tone that portals towards a new, deep feeling.

Choice of guitar sound plays a big role in crafting each tune’s identity. “I’m often thinking about the role the guitar is going to be playing”, says Sanders. “Is its main purpose to provide energy and momentum, or the melodic focus, or an oil-paint impressionistic background, or some combination of all three? Or maybe it’s an agent of chaos providing moments of acid and spice. For example, on Little House, I wanted the guitar to be providing steady momentum and energy, danceable-ness, and a kind of fizzy texture (like cold soda poured into a fresh glass).”

Sanders’s pedigree as a composer and arranger shines through in the way the diverse sensibilities of each track weave together across the album. “I’ve always loved Radiohead (and now The Smile), and the way they use texture and sound to ‘world-build’ is super cool. It’s also about note choice and harmonic movement, which my favourite arrangers, like Gil Evans and Claus Ogerman, use really effectively.”

Those compositional influences merge with a refreshingly wide array of rhythmic and sonic approaches. The dank groove of opening track ‘Little House’ is full of tone and swagger, summoning a big funky energy reminiscent of jazz guitar luminaries like John Scofield and Charlie Hunter. It’s an energetic and catchy opening statement that immediately pulls you in, a prime example of how each musician’s personality flowing into a signature composition floods into a larger-than-life sound.

The album’s path is satisfyingly winding, and the forests are full of flavourful favourite fruits ripe for each listener’s personal picking. Those looking to take it down a notch will be soothed by the coy understatement of ‘Another You’, with sultry saxophone swirling around the track’s wide and woozy guitar tone, while drums and bass hold down a low-key groove tasting of D’Angelo’s Voodoo. Anyone seeking a little chair-dancing will enjoy the more driving rhythmic palettes from which tracks like ‘Imagine More’ (inspired by Ghanaian highlife) and ‘To Friends’ (Brazilian Ijexá propelling South African township jazz harmony) draw their hues.

When the lights are low, nine out of ten yoginis recommend the gentle Cameroonian bikutsi-infused pulsations of ‘Fry Before You Buy’ for pleasing rumination. For those looking for love, the out-and-out lyricism of ‘Ball In a Street’ sets a fine mood for a first dance after a candle-lit dinner.

Everywhere you turn on Imagine More, there are pocket universes waiting to be stepped into. As a full listen-through experience, it is an extremely satisfying journey to go on, with a continuity that permeates the twists and turns. As an added bonus, once you know your way around, those environments are there to be individually selected and matched to any given moment.

The fine print: please be warned that even repeated listening of these first two albums may not be sufficient to provide the desired daily intake of Lophae. It is highly recommended that you keep an ear out for future releases from this prolific source of musical pleasure.

- Greg Gottlieb, June 2025

*Quote from Aodren’s article ‘Perfect Strangers de Lophae, jazz piquant et negative blues’ published on 25/04/25 at djolo.net/perfect-strangers-lophae-jazz-piquant-negative-blues/ [translated from French to English using Deepl]

Jazz / World / Psychedelic

Four uniquely expressive and sensitive improvisers play the unmistakable compositions of guitarist and bandleader Greg Sanders.

Featuring drummer Ben Brown, bass player Tom Herbert and saxophonist Sam Rapley.

greg-sanders.com