Madre Vaca - A World That Bears a Question (2026) [Hi-Res]

Florida-based musical collective Madre Vaca, led by composer and drummer Benjamin Shorstein, released the 28-part conceptual album A World That Bears a Question. The project is an expansive literary jazz suite inspired by Haruki Murakami's acclaimed novel 1Q84. Rather than delivering a literal plot adaptation, the ensemble articulates the book's psychological tension, atmospheric doubled realities, themes of memory, and surreal unease. Employing rich woodwind textures—notably interwoven flute and clarinet lines—the music translates core motifs such as the iconic two moons and the deep connection between the protagonists. The fluid, improvisational structures of modern jazz and chamber jazz serve as the primary artistic vehicle to reflect Murakami's shifting, uncanny world.

Tracklist:
1-1 Madre Vaca - Janacek's Sinfonietta [3:31]
1-2 Madre Vaca - Aomame [2:12]
1-3 Madre Vaca - 1Q84 [0:46]
1-4 Madre Vaca - Fuka-Eri [1:59]
1-5 Madre Vaca - Tengo [2:52]
1-6 Madre Vaca - Komatsu [1:28]
1-7 Madre Vaca - Irretrievably Lost [0:25]
1-8 Madre Vaca - The Professor [2:21]
1-9 Madre Vaca - Buzzcut & Ponytail [1:20]
1-10 Madre Vaca - Refreshing Iced Barley Tea [0:19]
1-11 Madre Vaca - Sakigake [1:00]
1-12 Madre Vaca - If you can't understand it without an explanation, you can't understand it with an explanation [3:08]
1-13 Madre Vaca - Town of Cats [0:46]
1-14 Madre Vaca - The Little People [1:08]
1-15 Madre Vaca - Chekhov's Gun [1:19]
1-16 Madre Vaca - Strong Green Tea [0:19]
1-17 Madre Vaca - On Top of the Slide [1:12]
1-18 Madre Vaca - There are two moons in the sky [1:42]
1-19 Madre Vaca - The Dead Goat [1:41]
1-20 Madre Vaca - The Keeper of the Beat [1:56]
1-21 Madre Vaca - Air Chrysalis [1:09]
1-22 Madre Vaca - Leader [0:57]
1-23 Madre Vaca - We can no longer hear the voice [1:17]
1-24 Madre Vaca - Calming Roasted Hojicha Tea [0:32]
1-25 Madre Vaca - Tamaru [2:15]
1-26 Madre Vaca - Ushikawa [2:08]
1-27 Madre Vaca - The Bottom of the Sea [1:22]
1-28 Madre Vaca - Willow House [2:07]