10 short improvisations from what I take to be another ad hoc grouping of like minds. The emphasis is on quiet, and much attention is paid to those little sounds around the edges of communal gesture — the fine touches that add nuance to the proceedings.

During the first piece a viola melody unwinds with comment from bass clarinet and percussivion, a discourse with encouragement from the gallery. The second section has more flinty, pointillistic playing, with all three men contributing equally. The percussion here is especially inventive.

By the third section, things become more insectile, as Rodrigues adds his crackle box. The electric textures add a sort of alien quality to the overall sound, though they do a fair job of imitating horn timbres at times. It can be difficult to wring anything subtle or controlled out of the little devices, but attempts are made and often pay off. Sometimes I am reminded of early electronic music, all squiggles and bloops. The fourth piece brings back the viola for a nice drone expedition abetted by quiet thumps and percussive swats. You can really hear the room here, and when the crunchy bits get up it's like the walls expand. A nice trick that.

Though broken up into small pieces, the music can be listened to as one long exposition with short pauses for breath. There are sections of relative intensity and plenty of tension and release, and Buttlar is especially good at placing his sounds in surprising yet perfect comment. Later on, when the crackle box returns, it's during a decided rave-up, all crumpled together and whisked vigorously. A bird trapped in your bedroom while you try to budge that stubborn window.