Misha Panfilov is the type of prolific musician where it’s hard to keep up with him. His Bandcamp page shows his first record was released in 2015, and since then, his discography has become vast. His latest release, To The Mesophere And Beyond, has been enjoyable listening for me lately.
Misha is an Estonian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Funchal, Portugal. To The Mesophere consists of just two sixteen-minute plus tracks. Misha had plenty of help on this release. Misha’s Septet includes several players who handle electric bass, organ, synth, electric piano, tenor sax, drums, and more. Misha handles the lap steel guitar, acoustic guitar, and percussion.
It is also interesting how the LP came to fruition. It was recorded in Estonia in just two days in August 2023 and later mixed in Portugal. Misha composed, recorded, produced, and mixed the entire LP himself. To The Mesophere represents the culmination of a tremendous two-week creative marathon. During this time, the septet rehearsed and performed two dynamic live shows in Stockholm.
Misha drew inspiration from these performances and swiftly composed new musical pieces within two days while on a country retreat. He then brought the septet together again for a spontaneous and fruitful two-recording recording session.
Remarkably, the entire album was created in four days. It was urgent to finish it because the drummer, Leonid Galaganov, had a flight back to the U.S., where he lives. Despite the time pressures, Misha and his band beat the clock and cut a superb new LP.
To The Mesosphere is a record brimming with optimism. The two tracks – “Mesophere” and “New Orbits” – feature airy, relaxing space-age sounds reminiscent of Terry Riley, but they all revolve around jazz. Misha also integrates lap steel guitar into the music, adding a cosmic country twist.
There’s much to like on the LP, and it’s the perfect music for our increasingly depressing world. I’d say it even borders on that mystical genre of spiritual jazz. The world may be a mess, but Misha is tuned into a different frequency. Maybe if we all listen to To The Mesosphere, we can get on the same wavelength.
Check out To The Mesophere by Misha Panfilov Septet on Bandcamp here.
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