Zhlehtet, Slovenia

Zhlehtet is an ensemble led by Slovenian pianist, composer and producer Rok Zalokar. It exists through various configurations of performers, maintaining a unique blend of acoustic and electronic sound, contemporary music and folk. Stemming from the spiritual origins of jazz, it conveys messages of love and understanding between people. The formation recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums, from the surreal studio project Toyomi and live album Celica – both released in 2020 – to 2022’s Portals Vol. 1, which critics hailed as one of Slovenia’s best new music projects. The album Poletje Loops from 2023 features a selection of live recordings from various venues ranging from jazz clubs to psytrance festivals. The next album is Podhod, focusing on themes of meditation. What Zhlehtet’s live and studio albums have in common is the channeling of the specific energy of a particular night and the deep connection with the audience that makes each of their shows unique.