Sasha Berliner: Fantôme blurs the lines between genres
Fortunately, restrictions continue to fall away from the sonic universe. In an act of imagination, the musician and the listener merge into an intimate pact where definitions and categorizations dissolve. Why should anyone confine the flow of emotion a piece evokes to a few words, when each listen provokes something entirely new? Likewise, the composer must express themselves with profound freedom, until they recognize their true self in the work, unbound by the boundaries of genre. Music is a living act, not a static definition.
Amid the musical landscape, there's an album that escapes the illusory pressure to fit within the box of stylistic norms. “The premise of Fantôme, my new album, is about defying the strict genre categorization,” reveals vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, who uses the title as a metaphor for the artificial boundaries imposed on music. “The basic idiom is jazz—there’s improvisation and a head melody—but the influences and the sonic palette go beyond this genre.”
The sound emitted by the mallets against the vibraphone conveys that each encounter with music can be an act of renewal and personal discovery. “My writing tends to be very passionate and emotional, but can also be dense and thoughtful. I tend to write things on the darker side,” Berliner explains. “It’s good for me to try writing happier, more upbeat music, or at least leaning in that direction. I'm just trying to capture the full range of the human experience.”
Across the six songs, a spectrum of ambiance and emotional shades emerges. “I enjoy challenging the listener, encouraging them to hear resolutions they didn’t expect or moments that make them think, Wait, what just happened there?” Fantôme: a reflection of her inner world, translated into musical form. “As human beings, we go through all sorts of emotions and thought processes, so how do you channel all of those things into instrumental music? I think about that a lot.”
Her compositions are not isolated from what happens around the globe. The emotions arise from different contexts, including the tragedy of a genocide: Khan Younis, a city in Palestine, lends its name to the album’s second track. “Politics and what’s happening in the world today are big influences; those are things I want to respond to, and that’s been true for my past albums as well.” Her goal of provoking questions is realized. How can one compose a delicate dialogue in which the instruments coexist beautifully when the subject is war? Every listener will form a different answer after hearing Taylor Eigsti on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Jongkuk Kim on drums, blending with Sasha’s vibraphone and synths.
The capacity for wonder is alive and constantly evolving. Berliner grew up surrounded by books and spent most evenings watching movies with her parents after dinner. “I’m a big fan of crime and thriller films. The final track, Private Investigation, is based on the movie Chinatown, a classic that I love.” Her compositional process isn’t restricted to the piano or vibraphone; melodies, rhythms, and emotions emerge from a wide range of inspirations. “I also write a lot about spirituality: I think deeply about our existence on this earth, about why we’re here. Psychology and philosophy interest me a lot. I tend to write more music on those subjects because they’re vast and offer endless ground for exploration."
Fantôme is a vivid portrait of the choices she has made as a bandleader. Her sensitivity as a curator shines through in the thoughtful sequencing of tracks, offering listeners room to breathe after dense arrangements or intricate melodies. This attention to pacing is matched by her openness to sonic texture and collaboration; in addition to her core ensemble, she invited David Adewumi on trumpet, Rico Jones on saxophone, and Lex Korten on piano to expand the album’s sonic canvas. “I get new ideas based on what happens in the studio,” she says. “For example, I might change certain sections or include some instruments like the hand percussion, which I decided on in the studio. Once I had the rough mix, I listened and added things to see what would fit and help amplify the song.”
For Berliner, playing the vibraphone demands a sense of inner calm. As she puts it, that peace helps in performing for an audience. "I reflect on what I have to say and what the listeners might need. If I were in the public, what would I want to hear?" This reflective mindset naturally extends into her improvisational practice. "People talk about composing on the spot, but for me, it’s more than just brain-dumping or saying whatever’s on your mind," she continues. "Improvisation lives on a spectrum that depends on the amount of structure you have. It’s about shaping an idea in the present moment. How do you introduce a solo within a certain framework, by chord changes, or a rhythmic structure? How do you play off what’s happening in the moment, rather than relying on something already written?"
At times, the aesthetic details, cultural references, and dark harmonies feel as if they hang by a single thread, suspended in the air; that’s when Sasha Berliner grounds the music again. Her vibraphone blends delicately with the voices of her band, unfolding across genre structures. Fantôme resists classification, untethered by time or academic terms. An album that breathes, asks, and lingers long after the final note.