Calgary's A Band collective follows in the tradition of the People Band, Scratch Orchestra, and Portsmouth Sinfonia in creating swirling mixes of traditional and non-traditional instruments.

Two dense, 20-minute tracks of physical, visceral playing from prepared electric guitarist Simeon Abbot with the Bent Spoon Duo: percussionist Chris Dadge and viola/trombone player Scott Munro.

Longtime collaborators Abbott and Dadge release their first album together, a dizzying array of ideas and sounds recorded live at the monthly Calgary based Bug Incision concert series.

This duet between cellist Altenburger and guitarist Russell was recorded at the Musique en Mouvement Festival Theatre du Jarnisy in 2008, an intense and intricate dialog of great dynamics.

ap'strophe began working together in 2006 in search of a common sonoric space, which they found in the investigation of distinctive timbres between acoustic guitar and zither.

1999 recordings from the trio of cornetist Bobby Bradford, Tuba player Tom Heasley and guitarist Ken Rosser, bridging chamber and free jazz with a unique orchestration.

Dark and beautiful improvisation from saxophonist and electronics artist John Butcher and harpist Rhodri Davies, an incredible display of timbre, technique, and pacing.

Drummer Cappozzo and trumpeter Perraud met at Tours "La Chapelle at St. Anne" in 2009 to record this strong album of extended improvisation merging conventional and extended techniques.

A collection of lo-fi experimental miniatures from guitarists Chadbourne and Malcolm playing the music of Steve Lacy and Eric Dolphy in unexpected ways!

Saxophonist Coleman's 1st US label release in 9 years, 6 original compositions of complex, constantly shifting rhythms that convey a fundamental sense of groove from his 6 piece band.

Guitarist Jez Franks and saxophonist Tori Freestone co-lead this quartet in a sophisticated take on melodic yet complex, hard driving jazz, intelligent playing for a modern age.

Live recordings from 2009 at Delbury Hall with the mighty Paul Dunmall on tenor and clarinet; blistering music from an incredible trio playing seriously smoking free jazz.

Clarinetist Markus Eichenberger's beautiful solo work "Half Time" work is a foray into a landscape of memory using the instrument in traditional and unconventional ways.

The Ember quartet's 2nd release recorded during the 2008 Ahornfelder Festival in Leipzig, an amazing live/studio album of distinct and clearly separated structured improvisations.

The 4th Fanfare Pourpour perform a lively and inventive music joining jazz, rock, and orchestral forms, played by 20 musicians including Jean Derome, Damian Nisenson, Norman Guilbeault, Pierre Tanguay, &c.

Unpublished work by the late electronic composer Ferrari, two pieces for tape and various instruments that incorporate improvisation; mysterious and sonically beautiful compositions.

Delicate and expressive trio improvisations from clarinetist Foltz, cellist Matt Turner and pianist Bill Carothers, seductive and slightly eccentric late-night lunar music.

The inimitable Frode Gjerstad in a trio with some of Chicago's finest, bassist Fred Lonberg-Holm and percussionist Michael Zerang performing live at Milwaukee's Sugar Maple, 2009.

Trumpeter Gonzalez's band with sons, bassist Aaron Gonzalez and drummer Stefan Gonzalez, joined by saxophonist Tim Green and legendary UK/South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo.

The trio of reed player Frank Gratkowski, pianist and live electronics artist Chris Brown, and vibraphonist/pecussionist William Winant performing live at Mills College.

The Grid Mesh trio performing live at The Loft in Cologne, dark and biting improv with an electroacoustic edge that shifts between playful dialog to massive walls of sound.

Sound sculptist and percussionist Steve Hubback met with Dutch saxophonist Ad Peijnenburg on baritone and sopranino in a release of thoughtful and mesmerizing improvisation.

Masters of tonality, in their 2nd release the dual clarinets of Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke are heard without any guest musicians, making a rich, gorgeous album of tense timbres.

Swiss saxophonist Michael Jaeger's quartet Kerouac meets saxophonist Greg Osby and guitarist Phillip Schaufelberger for a set of original compositions played on the outside.

Detroit area improviser Mike Khoury in live solo recordings from various radio broadcasts in Maine, Illinois, and DC, ribbons of lyrical, stream-of-consciousness violin playing.

10 babies under 1.5 years old are gathered from several countries to improvise on zither, piano, steel pan, toy turntable or computer-controlled pacifier with unlikely results.

Bassist Stephane Furic Leibovici's 2nd Jugendstil with saxophonist Chris Cheek in trio with the legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz, thoughtfully unfolding compositions with beautiful lyricism.

Incredible and telepathic ea-oriented improv from violist Ernesto Rodrigues, saxophonist Martin Kuchen, cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, and electronicist Carlos Santos.

The dual alto saxophones of Martin Kuchen and Seymour Wright meet guitarist Keith Rowe for an impressive journey of free improvisation with Rowe taking the lead.

A 71 minute unedited improvisation between guitarist Zai Kuning, Otomo Yoshihide on guitar and turntable, and Dickson Dee on electronics, Asian improv moving between turbulence and stillness.

Initially planned as a trio with Russian Alexey Lapin, Roger Turner's presence expanded this to a quartet, and then flautist Helen Bledsoe joined to complete the quintet as recorded live at the LOFT.

The trio of bassist Joelle Leandre, saxophonist Maguelone Vidal and guitarist Raymond Boni performing live compositions at the Centre Choregraphique National de Montbellier.

Serbian string player and band leader Szilard Mezei in an impressive solo performance of three works - Heat; Snow; and Chrom - performed on viola and double bass.

The unusual cello duo format is explored by Mitzlaff and Mira in these experimental contemporary improvisations using acoustics and techniques mimicking live electronics to create a uniquely informed music.

Dynamic and hyperkinetic songs from this West Coast band with Moe! Staiano (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), rugged and impressive instrumental rock including a cover of Massacre's "Killing Time".

An incredible hour-long 6 part drum set from one of Europe's most active drummers, performing live at Foundacio Joan Miro in Barceloa during the Nits de Music series.

The trio of guitarist O'Leary, drummer Pasborg and Fender Rhodes player Anderskov, Nordic lyricism juxtaposed with dark neo gothic landscapes in a gorgeous post-ECM flavor.

Formed in 2008 the Norwegian trio of trumpeter Stian Omenas, guitarist Are Kolbeinsen and drummer Ulrik Thorsrud draws on influences including Asian folk musics, trad jazz, & abstract soundscapes.

"Two compositional responses upon the same sonic matter from two sound artists" - Tomas Phillips, and Francisco Lopez each creating extended works using the same source materials.

This laptop trio create a dense and scurrying sound world of a surprising freeform nature that avoids cliches by combining sound-generation tools for ever-shifting results.

Founded in Hamburg in 1989, TonArt Ensemble is a democratic collective of free improvising musicians, here in collaboration with Portuguese string player and composer Ernesto Rodrigues.

Large scale electroacoustic conduction by Ernesto Rodrigues (Creative Sources) with a monumental orchestra including some of Europe's finest improvisers performing live at Porto's Casa da Musica.

Steelpan and electronics player and Amorfon label leader Yoshio Machida met the Serbian CINC band for these sophisticated and lovely post-rock pieces recorded in Belgrade, 2006.

Swiss voice artist Isa Wiss with Marc Unternahrer on tuba in a surreal set of alphabetized improvisations in a Minton-esque mode with Unternahrer taking the tuba into untold territory.

Two pieces from percussionist Z'ev (Stefan Weisser)'s early sound experiments: "As," from 1978 at KPFK radio station in Los Angeles; and "If" recorded at Savoy Tivoli in San Francisco.

Using mostly unprocessed electric guitars, the duo of Elliott Sharp and Scott Fields' latest release presents eight dueling guitar works using dynamic, angular tones and textures, from extremely aggressive work to clean avant-jazz with twisted technical intent.

The trio of bassist Gary Peacock, pianist Paul Bley, and trumpeter Franz Koglmann interpret and improvise on the music of avant song-writer Annette Peacock.

Legendary trumpeter, composer and educator Bill Dixon in a 17 piece orchestra playing original compositions live at the 12th Vision Festival in New York City.

The duo of Kawaguchi on tuning fork and Yamaguchi on guitar in a subliminal and resonant long composition that carries the listener through this long dream-like work.

The first Hopscotch release from the then husband/wife duo of wind player Assif Tsahar and drummer Susie Ibarra, lyrical and textural powerfully woven improvisation.

Intense free jazz from the apocalyptic group co-led by Cecil Taylor/David S. Ware alumni Marc Edwards and ex-Flying Luttenbacher Weasel Walter, two long, volcanic tracks of pure energy.

An unusual quartet of violin, 2 reeds and double bass assembled by Stefano Pastor specifically to record some of his compositions and other improvised pieces making up the Freedom suite.

This Toronto quintet spent two years researching and performing the music of Steve Lacy, focusing on the vocal works, which they play with precision, imagination and love.

Tokyo based transboundary sound & visual artist Yoshio Machida in his 2006 4th release of steel pan music, here solo or multi-tracked without electronics in 7 pieces including one inspired by Satie.

Electric Bird Noise artist Brian Lea McKenzie extends his concepts in a new duo with vocalist Claudia Gregory (Exhaust the Fox, Claudia Versus the Queen of Hearts), with a new band name and a compelling set of epic electro-rock songs.

The first meeting of saxophonist Frode Gjerstad, bassist Jon Rune Strom and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, performing live at Cafe Mir in Oslo, an amazingly energetic session of great dialog and drive.

Using guidelines related to form, time, sound source and density, the trio of Tim Olive on magnetic pickups, Takahiro Kawaguchi and Makoto Oshiro on self-made instruments, recorded these compositions live, named for the atmosphere of the recording environment.

Revisiting Sex Pistols' "Never Mind the Bollocks" in a band with Benoit Delbecq on piano, Gilles Coronado on guitar, Olivier Py on sax, Franck Vaillant on drums, and Sarah Murcia on bass, splitting the vocals with Mark Tompkins in a unique take on a punk classic.