Eyal Maoz, Edom - Blinding (2026) [Hi-Res]

Israeli-born American guitarist and composer Eyal Maoz releases Blinding with his ensemble Edom on Adhyâropa Records (ÂR00210). Long known for genre-bending, Maoz works here with bassist and producer Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, keyboardist Brian Marsella and drummer Yuval Lion. The result is a blend of progressive jazz, rock, experimental electronic music and traditional Jewish and Arabic elements, with angular time changes and gritty instrumentation.

The album’s conceptual core is “hope and destruction.” Maoz arrived at it after watching the documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: he was struck that Europe’s Jews saw what was happening yet stayed, clinging to hope until it was too late, and he feels deep rage about this. He believes the same can happen to anyone, in any country, and shows how the optimism of marginalized peoples can be weaponized against them. The theme began with the song “Hope and Destruction” on the first Edom album, and the title track Blinding continues it: people often fail to see what is right in front of their eyes. Titles come to him by free association, and the fifth track, “June 28th,” was named after a date as a placeholder that stuck; in instrumental music, Maoz says, there are no wrong interpretations.

He composes melodies in an unusual way: humming the “worst song” he can think of into his phone, then transcribing it without correcting the detuned notes, and sometimes ending up with surprisingly catchy and original themes. Growing up in Israel gave his music a lasting Jewish and Middle-Eastern imprint, though he suspects he may be the only one who can still identify it. He and Marsella were both inspired by the avant-garde composer John Zorn, whose freedom pushed Maoz toward his own experiments, and Maoz encourages the keyboardist to go as extreme as he likes with electronic sounds. Lion’s special sense of groove defines the Edom sound and brings a noticeable pop sensibility, while Blumenkranz condenses the compositions into cohesion and, in Maoz’s words, without him none of his music would be complete. The album’s variety mirrors Maoz’s career, from classical pieces, acoustic music and film scores to projects such as Hypercolor, The Lie Detectors, his duo with Eugene Chadbourne, Lemon Juice Quartet and 9 Volt.

Tracklist:
1. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Blinding
2. Eyal Maoz, Edom - TV
3. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Go
4. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Trucks
5. Eyal Maoz, Edom - June 28
6. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Bleak City
7. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Bonna Bonna
8. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Loose
9. Eyal Maoz, Edom - Hinne Hinne