When Nala Sinephro, who is now 29, released her debut album Space 1.8 on Warp records in 2021, it announced the arrival of a truly remarkable young talent. London-based, the Caribbean-Belgian musician grew up with a mother who taught classical piano and a jazz saxophonist father, and learned to play fiddle, violin, and bagpipes. Despite an early ambition in biochemistry, when Sinephro discovered the harp in the jazz department of her arts-based high school, it proved revelatory. “Playing the harp is a form of therapy for me,” she told The Guardian. “I close my eyes, my hands work and I process the emotions I’m feeling without needing to say anything.” It’s hard not to draw comparisons to Alice Coltrane when immersed in her cosmic music, but Sinephro only came across Coltrane’s work after recording Space 1.8. Last year she released Endlessness, a superb sophomore record “laced with autumnal breezes, beautiful gradients, and careful explorations in exceptional detail that sometimes hit a simmer but never sweat,” per PopMatters. Benny Safdie has tapped her to score his upcoming directorial effort, The Smashing Machine, which will be her first time composing for film. As part of Pitchfork Music Festival London’s fifth edition, Sinephro takes the stage at South Bank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Friday, November 7. —Spike Carter