Map of Absences is, in short, intoxicating. Helmed by New York duo Val Jeanty and Ravish Momin, Turning Jewels Into Water is making music that is decidedly global with electronic production, ritualistic chants, and percussion. Percussionist Jeanty is of Haitian-descent and producer/drummer Momin is of Indian-descent and the two work in unity to marry the sounds of their respective cultures in this project. Map of Absences’s 11 songs flow into each other with their heavy percussive beats and futuristic synths. Opener “Lake Hums No More At Night” sounds disparate and ominous with heavy synths. “Azul (for Nidia)” turns the mood of the album up a notch with electronic sounds akin to early ringtones, beepers, and gaming consoles. The titular track sounds like a distant rave interspersed with recurrent drumming. “Our full-length record, ‘Map Of Absences’ is a reflection on the regressive state of human rights, deepening refugee crisis and the worsening impacts of climate change worldwide,” they say of the album. Map of Absences succeeds because Jeanty and Momin are dedicated to imagining a world without borders. –Diamond Sharp
