Batov Records
Sandman Project – Hearts Forever
Pre-order — Releases 23rd October 2026.
Ships on, or as close as possible to, the release date.
Pickup available at 12 Bar Music and Social - Exeter
Usually ready in 5+ days
A borderless psychedelic groove built for uncertain times.
Following the international praise for their 2024 debut Where Did You Go?, Sandman Project return with Hearts Forever—the first album entirely composed, arranged and produced by guitarist and bandleader Tal Sandman. Rooted in Middle Eastern musicality, funk, jazz, desert rock and psychedelia, it is driven by a wider belief in music as a force for connection.
Written after Tal’s move from Jaffa to Leipzig, the record reflects a period of personal and creative transformation. She gradually assembled a new band through recommendations from fellow musicians, finding collaborators capable of bringing her increasingly confident musical vision to life. Rather than drawing neat lines between styles or traditions, these songs take inspiration wherever it appears and reshape it into something honest and alive.
“Katara” grows from a hypnotic classical-oud melody and Middle Eastern rhythm, while “Questions Answers” brings Afrobeat-inspired drums into call-and-response with desert-rock guitar and punchy brass before breaking into a loose surf-punk finale. Elsewhere, “So Said The Stone” channels the restless energy of Jaffa through ’70s funk, and “Abanadawe” folds Moroccan guimbri-inspired guitar, Ethiopian modes and intricate brass into one of the album’s richest arrangements.
At its centre, the title track is soulful, bittersweet and emotionally open. Closing piece “Feelings Of Hope” answers anger and division with the whole band singing as a choir before Tal’s searching one-take guitar solo. Almost entirely instrumental, Hearts Forever leaves space for listeners to find their own stories within it—music that refuses confinement by language, nationality or identity.
For Fans Of: Sababa 5, Altın Gün, Mulatu Astatke.
Tracklist
Details
Release Date: 23rd October 2026
Barcode: 4062548147292
Catalogue No: BTR143LP
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