Eriksson Kaner and Sascha Create collaborate on the explorative “Ithaca”

This slow-build and development of “Ithaca” is reflected in its name, taking inspiration from a poem by Constantine Cavafy, along with Homer’s Odyssey - an epic about journeys and accepting what happens along the way, as well as at the destination.

The double single exemplifies the collaborative nature of London’s jazz scene, featuring James Akers from Levitation Orchestra, who contributes tenor sax to “Ithaca”. Kaidi Akinnibi, who has previously worked with Tom Misch and Blue Lab Beats, plays soprano sax on B-side “Lament”.

The track’s delicate and echoing keys, reminiscent of rain, are broken through by Akers’ saxophone, which melts through to take the song to new, celebratory and almost frantic heights.

Eriksson Kaner says of the duo’s genesis: “Sascha and I started working together after a recording session went really well and turned into a jam. We had met previously at other sessions around South East London and thought that our combined backgrounds of classical music and jazz could bring something new to the scene.”