At first glance, Sunday by Urban Fu$e x Slam appears to be a theme and variations on Handel’s Passacaglia, but this album goes much deeper than that. For the most part, the original theme, played primarily on the piano, doesn’t change much - it’s the setting, mood and instrumentation for each of the twenty tracks that evolve over the course of the album’s 80-minute playing time. The album originated with a single obsession: a Passacaglia ground that felt like a clock, a prayer, and a memory loop all at once. It is fascinating to note that the album was designed to be played forward and in reverse order for different listening experiences. (I wasn’t able to play the album in reverse order, so I mention that as part of the intention of the artist.) Although Handel’s Passacaglia is obviously classical, this album is impossible to put into one specific genre. Genres vary from track to track and I love that!

Obviously, Sunday isn’t casual background music. Experiential and transformative, the artist intended for it to speak to listeners who “live between worlds - classical and modern, sacred and human, intellectual and emotional.” It is also a modern response to digital overstimulation and is compared to walking through the same room at different stages of life and realizing that the room didn’t change - you did.

Urban Fu$e x Slam is the project of Suzanna Lam (Slam), a composer, pianist and producer who blends the heart of music with the mind of transformation. Her music spans genres and cultures, but always returns to one purpose - to create music that sparks personal evolution through five key dimensions of life: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Mental and Financial (SPEMF). Suzanna approaches her music not simply as entertainment but as a means to awareness, reflection and personal insight. Quoting the artist: “I want to help people wake up to their lives….Music can be a lens, a language and a lantern for truth.”

I can’t tell you about all twenty tracks, but to give you an idea of the variety in the music, here are some thoughts. The album begins with “Sunday Noel.” I’ll be honest and say that the first time I heard this track, I almost gave up - but I’m really glad I didn’t! At the beginning, the piano sounds kind of distant and background sounds such as footsteps, people coughing and clearing their throats are prominent. As the piece progresses, more instruments are added to the piano - strings, chimes, xylophone, and more - which made the track make much more musical sense for me. “Sunday Original Sunrise” is just piano and string bass and is gorgeous in its simplicity. “Sunday LoFi” sounds kind of like an old 78 rpm record with perhaps a metronome keeping time. More instrumentation is added as the piece progresses, keeping it peaceful and serene. “Sunday Rain Lo Fi Chill” is one of the singles released from the album and, like its title suggests, it could have been recorded on an old piano while allowing outside noises and distortion to become part of the music. “Sunday Sorrow” slows the music down and adds cello and/or bass to the piano - very deeply emotional as well as elegant. There are two versions of “Sunday Jazz Ballad” - one that’s instrumental and one with vocals. The instrumental version Is slow and sultry and includes piano, bass, percussion, muted trumpet and voices. The jazz ballad tells a heartbreaking story in an almost spoken-word style over the piano, bass and muted horns. “Sunday Prairie Grace” suggests images of prairie grasses gently bending in a breeze. Electric guitars give the piece a fascinating “twang.” “Sunday Shore” is played over the sounds of water flowing on the shoreline, wind blowing, tiny bell-like sounds and children’s voices. “Sunday Reverence” includes choral voices and a very church-like atmosphere, ending the album with a deeply spiritual feeling of peace.

I’m sure there are casual listeners who wouldn’t appreciate Sunday, but it truly is a work of art. I look forward to hearing more from Urban Fu$e x Slam and highly recommend Sunday to those who can appreciate a truly unique approach and something original to say with music. Sunday can be streamed and downloaded on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes and is also on many streaming platforms including Spotify, Soundcloud and Pandora.