Macrocosm

Melbourne/Naarm multi-instrumentalist Don Glori presents the second single in a run of new material landing on Mr Bongo. Having released his third album Paper Can’t Wrap Fire on the UK label in 2025, Don returns in the role of bandleader for this fresh series of songs. Written during the same artist residency that produced ‘Sundancer’, ‘Macrocosm’ was recorded at the Old Carpet Factory high up over the Greek town of Hydra with fellow London-based artists Lyle Barton and Dougal Taylor. It’s a track that sees Don explore a morphing, expressive tale of two halves from hazy and grooving, to cosmic and kinetic. Feeding off the creativity and freedom that an extended period playing and living together affords, the juices really start to flow when you’re given the space to squeeze. Early mornings sessions and late-night jams open avenues to wander down when time is less constrained. In Don’s own words, “‘Macrocosm’ was the second song written during the residency at Old Carpet Factory. The first half of the song is Wayne Shorter meets The Philadelphia Experiment. A piano trio held together by a cosmic slop backbeat coupled with a dirty bass tone. The second half is a full arpeggiator drum freak-out. Math rock energy explosion. Toe and the Mars Volta meets Taylor McFerrin”. Peppered with nods of influence, ‘Marcrocosm’ is still distinctly Don. It oozes an undeniable funk, driven by Taylor’s dynamic drums and a synergy between Don’s punchy bass and Barton’s grooving piano. It’s a sonic adventure that begins with images of smoke-filled afterhours jazz clubs, before the bass solo breakdown provides a portal to a cosmic, crescendoing, arp-laden land.