Telemakus - Eight Ring Revival (2026) [Hi-Res]

Los Angeles-based Indian American pianist and producer Telemakus wears eight silver rings on his fingers; after an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome diagnosis, they support joints prone to hyperextension. The condition forced him to rethink how he makes music after the release of The New Heritage (2021). He dictated compositions over the phone note by note and worked out harmonies with his feet. These limitations led him to an entirely new creative method, embodied in the album Eight Ring Revival.

The record has 12 tracks and runs just 26 minutes, yet it is packed with music: jazz fusion, neo-soul and instrumental hip-hop coexist with rich harmonies, funky grooves and a hip-hop approach to rhythm and arrangement. The beat scene and jazz are blended equally, and it all sounds effortless.

The spirit of the album is captured well by “2054”: drummer Karriem Riggins plays with authority, bassist Chino Corvalán anchors the low end, and Telemakus darts in with brief, playful keyboard lines. “Five Hands Pt. 1” features Swarvy and South Korean vocalist SUMIN, while on “Electric Lady” the powerful vocals of London-based Mauritian singer Rouhangeze stand out.

The closer, “The Center Eye,” is an unhurried, hypnotic jazz fusion piece with swirling delays, wandering keys and intricate instrumental interplay. Flying Lotus plays acoustic piano, while Telemakus handles Rhodes and synth bass, joined by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s electric violin. There is something poignant in a pianist handing over the piano, given the story behind the record.

The short running time sometimes leaves you wanting more, but like J Dilla’s Donuts, the album works as a whole made of fleeting ideas and is best heard from start to finish; repeated listens reveal its depth. Eight Ring Revival is an inventive, soulful work in which a new way of making music does not take away the energy that distinguished Telemakus’s earlier records.

Tracklist:
1. Telemakus - Everyone In The Sky
2. Telemakus - Five Hands Pt. 1
3. Curran - Electric Lady
4. Telemakus - Toes and Rings
5. Telemakus - Hands Rejoice!
6. Telemakus - By Any Feet Necessary
7. Telemakus - 2054
8. Telemakus - Holy Matrimony
9. Telemakus - June’s Peace
10. Telemakus - Last Divine Phoenix
11. Telemakus - Revival
12. Telemakus - The Center Eye