Recalling the French Revolution, Portuguese guitarist Luis Lopes joins forces with French cellist Valentin Ceccaldi and Norwegian drummer Andreas Wildhagen as they slice through complex electric improvisation in a triptych for Marie Antoinette, ending in a Robespierre-like reign of terror "Orgasmic Dance"; muscular, convoluted, unsettling and exultant.

Matthias' Spillmann's Trio with the leader on trumpet and flugelhorn, Swiss drummer Mortiz Baumgartner and Danish Bassist Andreas Lang are caught live at Bird's Eye Jazz Club, in Basel Switzerland in 2017 for a lyrical and informed album of hard bop, seminal free jazz and jazz standards, including pieces by Ornette Coleman, Billy Strayhorn, Joe Lavano, and William C. Handy.

Picking up from flutist Sylvaine Helary's 2015 Ayler release "Spring Roll/Printemps", this evolved album of chamber jazz performed with Hugues Mayot on saxophone & clarinet, Antonin Rayon on piano & Moog, Sylvain Lemetre on vibes & percussions, and Kris Davis on piano, presents sophisticated compositions from Helary, Davis, Rayon Dan Blake, and Matt Mitchell.

Birmingham drummer Ed Gauden's Crux trio with bassist Colin Somervell and saxophonist Mark Hanslip add keyboardist Steve Tromans in their 3rd album for FMR after their self-titled and "Believe" releases, originally developed from the sax and drum duo of Gauden & Hanslip; here in an extended studio improvisation of considerate exploration and lyrical intention.

A duo of Brussels audio explorers, Jean-Jacques Duerinckx on sopranino saxophone and Anatole Damien on tabletop guitar and electronics, contrasting acoustic "dry" and highly effected "wet" sounds, the two develop sonic environments that build and release using unusual reed techniques and mutated string scrabbling in a strangely compelling set of dialogs.

A live performance at IKLECTIK in London in 2018 from trombonist Alan Tomlinson's inventive trio with Phillip Marks on drums & percussion and Dave Tucker on electric guitar, with special guest John Edwards joining on bass violin for the title track, in a superb display of free jazz led by an essential member of the London free jazz scene since the 70s.

NY Drummer Jim Bashford brought together the quartet of John O'Gallagher on alto saxophone, Drew Gress on bass, and Liam Noble on piano, writing these lyrical free jazz compositions that they brought on a tour of the UK, recording this album in the studio in Birmingham while touring, the band on fire as they work through Bashford's martial art's-influenced pieces.

Slovenian percussionist Zlatko Kaucic reinforces the title of his "Diversity" box set over 5 CDs in a variety of solo, duo, trio and quartet setting, including some of the UK & Europe's finest improvisers--Evan Parker, Agusti Fernandez, Lotte Anker, Artur Majewski, Rafal Mazur, Phil Minton, and Johannes Bauer--an excellent example of his wide-ranging work as an improviser.

Barry Guy's Blue Shroud Band is the bassist's ensemble performing in a variety of configurations, capable of executing his sophisticated compositions that pay hommage or reflect larger subjects, here in 5 CDs of performances at Alchemia Club and on Radio Krakow in Poland, approaching the work of late pianist Cecil Taylor through multi-part Odes, Meditations, and even some "Strange Loops".

Also known as "Improvisations for Kulintang", this live album of energetic and informed free jazz occurred between legendary Japanese percussionist Sabu Toyozumi and Philippine-based saxophonist Rick Countryman in Dec 2018, with featured guest Tusa Montes performing on prepared Kulintang percussion, a set of horizontally laid gongs that add tympanic melody.

The second recorded collaboration of Japanese no-input mixing board player Toshimaru Nakamura with London-based electronic artist Ken Ikeda and Japanese sound artist Tomoyoshi Date, a large, rich and detailed work of slowly evolving sonic environments, showing masterful control in developing sumptuous sound and then subtly deflecting it with unusual excursions.

Istanbul composer Turgut Ercetin (Daad artists-in-Berlin 2016 award winner) completed his doctorate studies at Stanford University, developing works engaged with issues of sound as sonic entities dealing with time and space, here in a string quartet performed by Arditti Quartet, and a work for voice and live electronics performed by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgar.

Jakob Ullman's 5th solo work for piano is atypical for a piano performance, using electronic playback and requiring three assistants sustaining a soundscape to realize a concept of "gravity" that Ullman applies as laws in a conceptual soundscape modified by a series of abstract images, resulting in unexpected sonic environments, tones, timbres and momentum.

A lyrical piano trio album from Swiss drummer Samuel Rohrer and two Portuguese musicians, pianist Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva and bassist Mario Franco, recording in France for 13 sophisticated pieces of melodic compositions used as a jumping off point for nuanced improvisation and exploration, all three revealing beauty in embraceable motifs and luminous song.

LAST is part of a series by Caroline Kraabel (LIO, Remote Viewers) mixing live improvisation with pre-recorded material provided by Robert Wyatt for this purpose, performed live at Cafe OTO in two versions: first where the 15-piece ensemble has not yet heard the Wyatt interventions, and second where they were familiar with and use his voice to structure what they play.

Surplus 1980 Collectiv Ensembl takes the current members of drummer Moe! Staiano's Surplus 1980 along with associated musicians, including Kyle Bruckmann, John Shiurba, Vicky Grossi, Paul Costuros, &c, with vocals from Dutch vocalist G.W. Sok (The Ex), in an album of avant post-punk rock, sophisticated but determined and pointed music, an unusual hybrid of impressive styles.

Born out of Eugene Chadbourne's Twins band concepts from the 70s, which included over time saxophonist Bruce Ackley, and guitarists Henry Kaiser, and Fred Frith; fast forward to 2018 as Ackley & Frith return to the concept with Henry Kaiser and saxophonist Aram Shelton to revisit the original approach through pieces by those artists plus Steve Lacy, Eugene Chadbourne, and John Zorn.

Tomeka Reid is a Chicago based cellist, composer and free improviser, versed in classical and jazz contexts, here in a duo with Italian drummer Filippo Monaco recording in his studio in Milano, a lively conversation of extended acoustic improvisation using diverse techniques and approaches with an arsenal of percussive instruments; impressive and engaging.

Long-time collaborators, guitarists Henry Kaiser and Eugene Chadbourne perform the compositions of trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, starting with their recording from 1977 of his "Wind Crystals", then improvising over 5 other Smith compositions, ending the album with an updated, 2017 version of "Wind Crystals"; an excellent refresh and retrospective from two incredible improvisers.

This smoking album of free jazz leads the New York trio of Steve Baczkowski on saxophone, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Chris Corsano on drums to fiery playing as they burn up the stage at Hallwall, in Buffalo, New York in 2018, over seven concise collective conversations expressing both passion, restraint, and profoundly masterful skill.

Through extended approaches to their instruments, Lebanese saxophonist Christine Abdelnour and NY drummer and slide clarinetist Chris Corsano create anomalous and unorthodox sound environments, Abdelnour making acoustics sound electronic through growls, smears and odd harmonics, while Corsano abuses an impressive palette of sound from every inch of his drums.

Guitarist Fred Frith performed 80 concerts at NY's The Stone between 2006-2016, in diverse configurations of duos, trios, quartets and large ensembles with some of the planet's finest improvisers, of which 23 recordings, titled from NY Times headlines of each concert's day, are presented in this essential 3-CD package, which includes a 24 page booklet detailing the collection.

Two lives sets at Tago Jazz Cafe in the Philippines in 2018 from the trio of master percussionist Sabu Toyozumi on drums, American ex-pat Rick Countryman on alto saxophone, and Simon Tan on acoustic bass, this their 3rd album of solid free improvisation of extended and masterful discourse, unusual percussive devices, and powerful rhythmic foundation.

Describing their approach to their submersive electroacoustic music as a seance, the Czech Republic septet IQ+1 with Peter Vrba, George Bagdasarov, Veronika Hladka, Jana Kneschke, Michal Zboril, and Katerina Bilejova release their 3rd album, a mix of strings, trumpet, clarinet, harmonium, synth, electronics & field recordings, creating a virtual acousmatic music of great detail.

Multi-disciplinary artist living in Berlin, Stefan Roigk developed "Suffering For The Promised" over a 14 year period, composing this large work of acousmatic music as an atmospherically intense yet utterly fragile piece, combining concrete sounds, field recordings and devotional vocal fragments in an eclectic and highly intimate composition of great depth and detail.

Rapid fire playing and a wicked humor fuels drummer Olie Steidle's album with guitarist Frank Mobus, keyboardists Kit Downes and Dan Nicholls, and bassist Phil Donkin, mashing together electro-jazz, art rock, hardcore and club music into upbeat and twisted music, building up to a narrative "Speed Junky on Funny Human Darts"; insanely embraceable and stunning.

Combining the work of 18 artists chosen to interpret a series of sacred rites that took place deep within the woods by an elite shaman of an Amazon tribe, including Squidco's own Carl Kruger & phil zampino, Cheval Gris (Ryan Lewis) weaves an incredible story in sound, a virtual soundtrack of rich aural environments, concrete elements, and ritualistic sound.

Two compositions--"Unbearable" and "Nauseating"Ð-from the synth & electronics trio of Ken Ganfield, Kurt Liedwart and Petr Vrba, starting with improvisations on three synthesizers and electronics brought to the extreme edge, the results remixed by Liedwart to create these outer limit tracks of sci-fi psychedelia and Gameboy nightmare; truly unique and disquieting music.

Using a reel to reel deck, a mixer, electronics, and extraneous room sound, Brooklyn-based Ben Owens creates an album of contrasting drones and spaces, harmonically rich or pure tones contrasting with slowly drawn tape and abstract environmental sound, bringing enigmatic moments amidst drifting hiss and subliminal resonance; mysterious and intriguing.

Four improvisations in a series titled "Etoile" [star] and one composition using graphic notation titled "Toile" [canvas], from French clarinetist Joris Rhule, working with multiphonics and extended harmonic technique to extoll unusual sonorities from the single reed instrument, from fragile to forceful, fascinating examples of extreme sonic exploration.

Rapid fire playing and a wicked humor fuels drummer Olie Steidle's album with guitarist Frank Mobus, keyboardists Kit Downes and Dan Nicholls, and bassist Phil Donkin, mashing together electro-jazz, art rock, hardcore and club music into upbeat and twisted music, building up to a narrative "Speed Junky on Funny Human Darts"; insanely embraceable and stunning.

Czech improviser and sound musician Tomislav Federsel started work on this project in 2002, remixing in experimental forms the songs of Czech folk musician Wabi Danek, a project Federsel scrapped and rebuilt three times, Jaroslav Tarnovski joining in this ultimate version of the rich, imaginative and well-considered renderings of Danek's music.

Chicago-based pianist Paul Giallorenzo trio with fellow Chicago drummer Tim Daisy and Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten performing a set of Giallorenzo compositions that balance melodic and free moments with authoritative playing.

An expressive and truly unique tour de Force on the tenor and alto saxophones by American free jazz legend Paul Flaherty, recording in the studio for 10 improvisations showing strength, melodic beauty, powerful technique, unusual and idiosyncratic approaches to soloing, and above all, a distinctive and individual voice on the horn.

Recorded at the 2017 Improfest (Festival Internacional de Improvisacao e Arte Sonora) in Sao Paulo, the quartet of Marco Scarassatti, Antonio Panda Gianfratti, Paulo Hartmann, & Otomo Yoshide bring viola de cocho, percussion, self-made instruments, turntable, guitar, and prepared chiquita to a superb concert of wide-ranging improvisations named by geographical location.

Performing in Krailling-Munich at Udo Schindler's Salon fur Klang+Kunst in 2018, Netherland free improvising, brilliantly mad vocalist Jaap Blonk joins the reed master for ten acoustic improvisations with Schindler on a variety of reeds and brass instruments, the dialog authoritatively informed, masterful, slightly deranged, and continuously captivating.

A live recording of Julius Eastman's 1974 work "Femenine" performed by Apartment House led by cellist Anton Lukoszevieze, with Simon Limbrick on vibraphone, Kerry Yong on piano, Mark Knoop on keyboard, Mira Benjamin on violin, and Gavin Morrison and Emma Williams on flute, an ecstatic and intricate work using a repeating figure contrasted with both asynchronous and complementing backgrounds.

Composer Magnus Granberg took influences from Schubert's song cycle "Die Winterreise", extracting tonal material, which he merged with rhythmic influences from medieval English folk music and a song by Dowland, merging them into a temporal framework for this large and subtle composition, executed by a setpet including Angharad Davies, Erik Carlsson, Henrik Olsson, d'incise, &c.

A duo of Brussels audio explorers, Jean-Jacques Duerinckx on sopranino saxophone and Anatole Damien on tabletop guitar and electronics, contrasting acoustic "dry" and highly effected "wet" sounds, the two develop sonic environments that build and release using unusual reed techniques and mutated string scrabbling in a strangely compelling set of dialogs.

The improvising string duo of stalwart London improvisers, Daniel Thompson on acoustic guitar and Phil Durrant on the octave mandola, are heard in two settings of texturally rich, intricate interactions, first at Cafe OTO in 2022 for an extended improvisation, then at Cable Street Studios two months later for six succint, impressively diverse dialogs.

2019 Record Store Day release, a 7" from trumpeter Dave Douglas in two different configurations: the lead track from his album "Engage" featuring guitarist Jeff Parker and cellist Tomeka Reid along with Anna Webber, Nick Dunston & Kate Gentile; and a B-Side from 2018's "Uplift" featuring Joe Lovano and Bill Laswell alongside Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, and Ian Chang.