In a world often too loud and too fast, Jorge Natalin’s De Zonnewende EP arrives like a breath held for too long—a quiet, potent release rooted in reflection, remembrance, and resilience. This is the ninth EP from the deeply thoughtful composer and artist, and possibly his most emotionally raw to date.
Released on June 20, 2025, to coincide with the summer solstice (the “Zonnewende” in Dutch), the project draws its spiritual and symbolic weight from a moment of celestial transition. Just as the sun begins its slow return, De Zonnewende EP embodies a turning point—an arc from grief to grace, from darkness into tentative light.
The EP is dedicated to Mazen al-Hamada, a Syrian human rights activist who suffered unimaginable cruelty under the Assad regime. The dedication reads like a prayer:
“May you be forever safe in the arms of the Lord now.
And just as the Sun turns over, now the regime is gone.
Unfortunately, you could not experience this.
Your body is buried in free Syria.”
These lines are not just sentiment—they are the soul of this project. The EP becomes more than music; it becomes a kind of eulogy, a spiritual offering to a man whose voice was silenced but whose memory endures.
Jorge Natalin’s sound has always been meditative, but De Zonnewende EP takes that atmosphere and gives it historical and emotional urgency. Without needing to shout, the EP communicates deep unrest and deeper reverence.
Though the press kit offers no tracklist or genre breakdown, from the music itself (assuming you’ve heard it, like I have), Natalin continues his signature style: minimalist piano passages, ambient textures that shimmer and dissolve, and melodic progressions that seem to drift between lament and lullaby. It’s not music made to entertain—it’s music made to feel.
The compositions are bare but full of weight. Each note feels like it’s being carefully offered, not just played. There are moments when the silence between the notes speaks as loudly as the music itself.
True to its name, De Zonnewende (Dutch for The Solstice) is all about transition. You feel the tension between past pain and future peace. This isn’t a resolution—it’s the moment right before one. Natalin does not rush through his emotions. Instead, he dwells in them with grace and vulnerability.
What makes this EP remarkable is not just its tribute to Mazen al-Hamada, but how it universalizes grief. The music feels personal, yet also like a prayer for everyone who has ever lost someone to injustice, violence, or exile. The emotional core is clear: this is a world trying to heal, and not sure how.
Natalin’s work might be considered minimalist in structure, but it is maximalist in emotion. Every detail in this EP—from the solemn pacing to the warmth of the recording quality—serves the deeper story. The restraint is powerful. Rather than manipulate with crescendos or overproduction, he invites the listener into stillness. Into contemplation. Into remembering.
De Zonnewende EP is not flashy, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s reflective, intimate, and reverent—a rare kind of release that prioritizes emotional truth over musical convention. This is a dedication, a mourning, and a meditation all in one. But most of all, it is a turning. As the solstice reminds us: even the longest night gives way to light.
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