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Arkestra, Ronin: Sonkei - VINYL LPTitle: Sonkei Artist: Arkestra, Ronin Label: Albert's Favourites Product Type: VINYL LP UPC: 5060202594139 Genre: Jazz Release Date: 2019 10 18 Number of Discs: 1 Led by producer, composer, and multi instrumentalist Mark de Clive Lowe, Tokyo's Ronin Arkestra brings together some of the most supreme and innovative players in Japan's Jazz and electronic scene, featuring members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81 and
Title: SonkeiArtist: Arkestra, Ronin
Label: Albert's Favourites
Product Type: VINYL LP
UPC: 5060202594139
Genre: Jazz
Release Date: 2019-10-18
Number of Discs: 1
Led by producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive Lowe, Tokyo's Ronin Arkestra brings together some of the most supreme and innovative players in Japan's Jazz and electronic scene, featuring members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81 and Kyoto Jazz Massive. Formed in 2017, the collective's debut album 'Sonkei', released 27th September via Albert's Favourites, fuses '60s deep and spiritual jazz with experimental electronica. The album follows the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP 'First Meeting', released earlier this year. The super-group takes their name from Ronin, the masterless samurai of a time gone by. Deadly master swordsmen who, without lords to serve, roamed Japan offering their skills wherever needed. As the need for their swordsmanship declined, they became master artisans making textiles, crafting poetry, painting and writing books. It's a fascinating evolution that has a parallel to each member in the Ronin Arkestra collective - master musicians from different bands and clans coming together to create a vagabond band of like-minded musicians - weaving the stories of their lives into a collective sound. 'The members of Ronin Arkestra are some of my favorite musicians anywhere and the way we all come together in battle formation with so much heart and soul is making magic,' says de Clive Lowe. The musical 'stories' contained in 'Sonkei' are each named after episodes from Samurai Champloo, an Edo-era, Japanese anime series following two ronin and their charge in search of the elusive 'samurai who smells of sunflower'. 'It's a favourite of mine, with it's two main characters being such juxtaposed personalities, but their only way to succeed is to work together - the lessons and reflection in that alone is self-evident,' adds de Clive Lowe. Compositions such as 'Lullabies of the Lost' are a deep meditation that transports us simultaneously back hundreds of years into the right here and now, while the horn-heavy, fusion-driven 'Art of Altercation', confronts the skill of conflict and confrontation. Elsewhere, the impulsive and free-flowing 'Cosmic Collisions' merges raw grooves and electronics - an interstellar configuration of stars, light years from each other, while 'Circle of Transmigration' challenges the never ending circle of life, fusing soaring horns and piano-driven melodies. Ronin Arkestra started life with de Clive Lowe wanting to create a project with some of his favourite Japanese musicians, unaware of the sound, shape or vibe it would manifest. Reaching out to his musician friends including Sauce81, they began recording at Red Bull Studio in Tokyo and the chemistry was instant, creating an impulsive sound that blended spiritual jazz and beat sensibilities heavy on the improvisation. 'That's the beauty of this collective - everyone is so great at what they do, playing to the music rather than their own egos and so open to the moment. That's the heart of the 'jazz' in Ronin Arkestra - being wide open to the moment and letting the music happen as it wants to. In every way there's so much respect and reverence for the music, and for each other - which is no coincidence given how much Japan is built on an ingrained culture of respect. There's a beautiful word for this in Japanese: sonkei,' says de Clive-Lowe. Mark de Clive-Lowe is a half-Japanese, half-New Zealander musician, composer and producer raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He came to international prominence during his decade living in London between 1998 and 2008, a became a regular collaborator with a community of producers including Bugz in the Attic, 4Hero and Restless Soul. A veteran of the UK's broken beat movement, he has been involved with over 200 releases, collaborating with artists including Lauryn Hill, Jody Watley, Shirley Horn, UK soul singer Omar, percussionist Sammy Figueroa and bass player Pino Palladino.
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4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 526 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Mind blowing page turner
Oh my stars!!! 🤯 he falls first and he falls hard, enemies to lovers, fated mates. Every characters are lovable. There's action, magic, one horse 🤭 and a plot twist that keep on twisting. Oh and a bad ass FMC! Loved it!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Interesting. Confusing ending that's too similar to another book
Ok, I had to process almost a whole 24 hours before I could write this review. And long story short, did I enjoy the book, yes. Does it have a lot of interesting and good parts to it? Also yes. But does it also have some major flaws? Absolutely.
Now I'm not gonna break down every single little thing in this book. But here are the basics of what I liked, and what I didn't like.
The good? I liked the characters. They intrigued me off the bad. The world building is pretty decent. It's a little confusing in the beginning, but information is slowly doled out, and some questions are answered. I found that there was a lot of little twists and turns that kept the story engaging. The magic system is intriguing.
But, there are quite a few things off for me. First off, we have another story that has heavy inspirations from other books. There are a lot of aspects in this story that felt directly pulled from throne of glass. And the big twist at the end? Was almost verbatim the same ending as the book how does it feel. As soon as I read it I was like hold up, I literally just read almost this same thing when I read how does it feel when it released like a year or year and a half ago.
Now I know no concepts are really new anymore, and inspiration comes for everywhere. But I feel like most stories it's like, oh this book has these vibes, or if you liked this book you'd like this one that's similar. But this reminds me of powerless in where there are like exact plots and plot points taken from other things. Now is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. I still enjoyed powerless, and I still enjoyed this story. But it does throw me.
There are also a few red flags that the MMC Acker gave me that were not the good kind of red flags we love. First, when they are riding thru the city and people throw stuff at the FMC and he does nothing? Red flag. When they meet his dad and they demand she vows not only to the king but to the MMC? Red flag. All the secrets he keeps? Red flag. When he SLAPS HER IN THE END? Red flag. I'm not sure how I really feel about him.
In the end. This was still an enjoyable read. I did like it and I am curious about the next book. But I am wary about some of the plot points and the MMC.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Just read it. You won’t regret it.
Format: Hardcover
This book completely blew me away. I loved every single character—not just the FMC and MMC, but the side characters too, which is rare. In a first book, side characters can feel flat while the focus is on world-building, but that definitely wasn’t the case here.
The romantic tension between the FMC and MMC was so good—seriously addictive. The plot itself felt pretty straightforward at first, and the world-building was easy to follow. It even gave me Heartless Hunter / Wolf King vibes… until the last 20 pages.
And wow—those final pages. I usually spot plot twists coming, and I thought this one was going to be predictable, but I was completely wrong. That ending genuinely shocked me—I haven’t had that reaction to a book in a long time.
I’m already counting down to book two (and that teaser chapter? Absolutely brutal).
Just read it. You won’t regret it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026
★★★★★ 4
4 Stars for Now!
Format: Kindle
I DEVOURED this book. I was in a huge slump after reading a horrible series right before this but after 3 pages of this book, I was hooked. I read the whole book in 2 days. I think the author did an amazing job at writing an engaging story with an amazing twist at the end. I know many readers feel betrayed by the twist and find the narrator to be unreliable but I feel that the twist was done in a great unsuspecting way. Though I do feel betrayed, I think there is so much room for redemption in the second book!
The author also did an amazing job at world/character building. She was able to do so without interrupting the story which is one of my huge pet peeves. A lot of authors build by taking breaks in the plot or dialogue which I find choppy and disengaging but this author was able to build in an engaging way. There was some lack of world/character building but I think that was due to keeping reader in the dark. The world, politics, and characters were all very easy to understand.
I found the romance a little lackluster and a bit off-kilter. Some of it was really pushy and rushed which left a bad taste in my mouth. I do hope the author delves deeper into the romance in coming books.
The FMC was a breath of fresh air. She was not whiny or stuck-up like most books. She was never afraid to accept help from others but she was still able to shine with her intelligence. Not once did I think she made a poor decision just for the sake of a plot point. She was really easy to like. The MMC could use some work but I think that will happen more in coming books.
This is a MUST read, my only advice would be to wait until it is a finished series!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Need book 2 please :-)
Format: Kindle
From the very first chapter, Metal Slinger hooked me and refused to let go.
Set in a brutal, metal-bound world where power is carved from steel and survival depends on strength, strategy, and sheer will, this story follows a young woman forced into a dangerous system where control over metal isn’t just magic — it’s dominance, protection, and rebellion. When she’s pulled into escalating conflict and shifting alliances, she quickly learns that power always comes with a cost.
The magic system is sharp and immersive without being overwhelming. The way metal manipulation is woven into combat and politics makes every confrontation feel cinematic and high-stakes. It’s gritty, tense, and beautifully layered.
The Brynn, our FMC absolutely shines. She’s fierce but not untouchable, resilient without feeling unrealistic. Watching her navigate betrayal, survival, and the slow awakening of her own strength felt earned every step of the way. There’s grit in her fight scenes and vulnerability in her quieter moments that make her deeply human.
And the tension? Immaculate. The chemistry simmers under the surface before sparking into something electric. Every reluctant alliance, every charged interaction, every moment of “are they about to destroy each other or kiss?” had me flying through pages.
The pacing is relentless — no filler, no wasted scenes. Twists land hard. Stakes keep climbing. And that ending? Absolutely feral. The kind that leaves you staring at the wall for a minute before immediately checking when book two releases.
✨ Gritty metal-based magic
⚔️ High-stakes survival
🔥 Slow-burn tension
🖤 Fierce, layered heroine
💥 A finale that HITS (but cliffhanger!)
This is one of those fantasies that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. If this is just Book One, I am more than ready to be emotionally wrecked again in the sequel.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2026
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