There is music that bypasses analysis and speaks directly to something deeper. IN.SIGHT, the sophomore album by Berlin-based composer, conductor, and saxophonist Fabia Mantwill, is such a work – a sweeping, cinematic journey of sound that begins with a single thread and blossoms into a vast, emotional tapestry.

From the first notes, Mantwill draws us into a dreamscape shaped by longing, curiosity, and fearless intuition. Genres dissolve – Jazz, Folklore, Americana, Pop, Classical, Film music, Exotica – blending into a unified, unmistakably personal sound.

IN.SIGHT features the Fabia Mantwill Orchestra with 32 world-class musicians, six star soloists and three acclaimed composers. 

Even for an arranger who has worked with the likes of Vince Mendoza, Kurt Elling, and Becca Stevens, it would be easy to approach such a large format academically. Yet IN.SIGHT emerges from the opposite space.

“I quickly realized that the only way to make this happen was to let go of control, trust the process, and allow the music to guide me. Once I did that, everything began to unfold naturally” – Fabia Mantwill

This spirit of surrender extended far beyond the recording; the six compositions were written in just 72 hours alongside Grammy-winning Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League and celebrated Greek composer Magdalini Giannikou. Sharing this vulnerable, creative stage with two other writers might have felt like a risk – but the result is intuitive, emotionally honest, and strikingly multidimensional.

Each piece is crafted with a specific soloist in mind. Kurt Rosenwinkel’s guitar soars through Fairy Glen, while Roosevelt Collier’s steel guitar slides shimmer across Whirl The Wheel. Anat Cohen adds meditative warmth with her clarinet on Olhos, and Momi Maiga (kora), Goran Stevanovich (accordion), and Morris Kliphuis (French horn) each bring tonal colors that blur the boundaries of genre.

And then there is Mantwill herself. The album may be a masterclass in technicolour ensemble writing, but her saxophone and vocals add both texture and soul – a reminder of why she’s as sought-after a soloist as she is a composer.

While her 2021 debut EM.PERIENCE introduced an ambitious musical language and earned her a German Jazz Prize, IN.SIGHT goes further. Though released in a traditional album format, it feels more like an immersive sonic journey than a conventional record.

IN.SIGHT is an unwavering declaration of trust in the primal power of music and the composer’s creative instincts. Mantwill maintains her sharp, focused vision while inviting the listener to marvel alongside her – a wholehearted commitment to pure, absolute music.