"An interesting title to begin with. The situation of feeling like an extraneous body in a system that works according to peculiar principles. Or, in a more "mental" acceptation, the priceless condition of being completely delivered fro...

Free electroacoustic improvisation from the Italian quartet of Patrizia Oliva on voice, electronics, bawu, & objects, Carlo Mascolo on prepared trombone, Domenico Saccente on accordion and prepared piano, and Felice Furioso on drums, cupa cupa, contrabbassa, & sounded objects, using voice and unusual instrumentation to guide unusual and forward-thinking improv.

Three Swedish improvising musicians from different generations are heard in this set of five free jazz and non-idiomatic exchanges, recorded at the artist-run venue Fylkingen Stockholm in 2019, bringing together pianist Arne Forsen (Roscoe Mitchell, John Tchicai and Charles Tyler), drummer Andreas Axelsson (Lia Ullen) and bassist Mats Dimming (APUH!).

The Italian Acre trio of Ermanno Baron on drums & objects, Ginomaria Boschi on guitar & effects, and Marco 'uBiK' Bonini on laptop, tapes, theremin, in a five-part improvised work using a "free game" methodology to promote new modulations and configurations in organic and synthetic sounds and timbre, make each player subsume into their collective sound.

Creative Sources core artist double bassist Alexander Frangenheim met Zeitkratzer multi-reedist Frank Gratkowski, The Necks drummer Tony Buck, and free improvising vocalist Adachi Tomomi, in one of a series of concerts at the loft Studio Boerne 45 in Berlin in 2015; this, their first meeting, yielded an impressive flow of creative and far-ranging collective dialog.

...

Dialogs on the lowest of reed instruments from the Ann Arbor, Michigan duo of Jason Alder and Piotr Michalowski, using Leblanc paperclip contrabass clarinets and Selmer rosewood contrabass and contra-alto clarinets, as they apply diverse approaches to avant improvisation of deep interaction, from active grumblings to beautiful tonal stretches.

Four improvisations titled for the way nature deals with water (The Whirlpool, The Vortex, The Whirlwind, Maelstrom) from the quartet of Lina Allemano on trumpet, Uwe Oberg on piano, Matthias Bauer on doublebass and Rudi Fischerlehner on drums & percussion, heard in this well-flowing, well-recorded and energetically upbeat set at Zentrifuge in Berlin in 2022.

An album of intense and passionate free jazz from the Netherlands trio of John Dikeman on sax, George Hadow on drums and Goncalo Almeida on bass, captured live at Zeal 100 in Amsterdam for four romps in creative conversation, balancing technical playing with enthusiastic joy and wild energy, an unusual but very welcome album in the Creative Sources catalog.

Incredible understated improvisation from the trio of cellist Martine Altenburger, pianist Frederic Blondy,and saxophonist Bertrand Gauguet, exceptional journeys from three accomplished players.

Nine freely improvised introspections as "enlightening spots on different forms of life in a rather muddy environment" from Lucerne, Switzerland based tenor saxophonist Elio Amberg and pianist Christoph Baumann, wonderful miniatures of great style and skill, a diverse exploration of their fictional pond that's quite spellbinding and exciting.

Nine freely improvised introspections as "enlightening spots on different forms of life in a rather muddy environment" from Lucerne, Switzerland based tenor saxophonist Elio Amberg and pianist Christoph Baumann, wonderful miniatures of great style and skill, a diverse exploration of their fictional pond that's quite spellbinding and exciting.

Taking their name from plants whose seeds are distributed by wind, violist Frantz Loriot and bassist Daniel Studer formed Anemochore in 2016 to purse different playing techniques and preparations in their search for unique forms of improvisation, here with drummer Benjamin Brodbeck and saxophonist & bass clarinetist Sebastian Strinning, recorded by Jean-Marc Foussat.

Porto bassist Miguel Angelo's solo release is an album of pure improvisation, unrepeatable takes, which, for the artist, makes musical and emotional sense as a satisfying moment of musical sensation, through 11 tracks on the double bass of powerful playing, creative impulse, lyrical and rhythmic inventiveness, and ultimately, great satisfaction.

A fascinating work of spoken word and free improvisation from writer Claudia La Rocco and the duo of Phillip Greenlief on sax and Wobbly (aka Jon Leidecker) on electronics and live sampling, La Rocco's unexpected text of the mundane and the fantastic repeated, manipulated and mangled, bringing the words in and out of focus as the music and sonic environment.

Berlin pianist Antonis Anissegos and Greek drummer Christos Yermenoglou in an album of obscurely titled free improvisations, sophisticated and thoughtful discourse using both traditional and extended techniques, Anissegos inside and out of the piano, as the two converse through understated yet strong melodic threads, a truly lovely and accomplished album.

The second album of open-minded free improvisation of great drive, skill and and experimental determination from the Anticlan trio, a facet of the Albatre trio in the duo of Portuguese saxophonist Hugo Costa and German drummer Philipp Ernsting, along with Mexican guitarist residing in Rotterdamn, Josue Amador, recording in the studio in Rotterdam, 2019.

With two members from Rotterdam's Albatre band--alto saxophonist Hugo Costa and drummer Philipp Ernsting--plus Mexican guitarist residing in Rotterdamn Josue Amador, this free jazz trio uses a diverse set of approaches that is more reflective and experimental than the jazz/punk of Albatre, yet still balances introspection and experimenation with assertive playing.

An album of patience and concentrated listening from the lowercase trio of David Area on electronics, Tomas Gris on guitar and objects, and Ernesto Rodrigues on harp and objects, each player subtly coaxing sounds out of their instruments while the electronics act as environmental ambience over which tones slowly voice, recede and occasionally punctuate.

Three active Portuguese improvisers in a trio of remarkably sensitive rapport from Gonçalo Mortágua on tenor saxophone, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello and Higino Andrade on double bass, their group name referencing "3 Old Women", though their playing is youthful and adept, bringing a sense of bright space in 14 concise and intensely creative conversations.

Autochthon refers to indigenous language or people, tied to their land; here the trio of Hartmut Osswald (reeds & things), Stefan Scheib (prepared double bass) and Wolfgang Schliemann (drums and objects) perform a native language of their own through improvisation in this interesting concert at Freejazz Festiva in, Saarbrucken, Germany in 2016.

Ever-inventive drummer/percussionist Raymond Strid and performance collaborator, Norwegian-Swedish free improvising vocalist Andreas Backer, for a set of unusual, absurd and detailed improvisations, as the two complement each other in unexpected ways.

Norwegian / Swedish vocalist Andreas Backer in an album of impressive solo voice improvisations, applying stunning vocal techniques to generally non-articulate pieces, using his voice in astonishing, frightening, funny and simply bizarre ways over a diverse set of compositions, mostly acoustic, except on "Voicetronics"; weird and wonderful.

Two Spanish improvisers of distinction meet at DADA Studio, in Brussels, Belgium to record ten diverse and extraordinary dialogs, from percussionist Ramon Lopez and pianist Josep-Maria Balanya, balancing radical jazz with experimental approaches to free and contemporary improvisation, a tour-de-force of expression and innovation.

A large work for cello, viola, sinewaves and electronics from the quartet of Guilherme Rodrigues, Ernesto Rodrigues, Ferran Fages, and Barriere, the first two foundation members for Creative Sources, the latter two frequent collaborators, Barriere bringing a mathematical background to the improvisation that blends acoustic and electronic sources in compatibly sinister ways.

Berlin double bassist Mathias Bauer, a member of Unitedberlin, Asian Art, Junge Music and mosaik, and half of the duo Alchimia Organica, presents a series of 18 solid and diverse spontaneous improvisations, most averaging under 3 minutes, captivating the listener through articulate momentum, exceptional technique, and inventive narrative.

German saxophonist and leader of the Salon for Klang + Kunst started the Improx, or "The X for the Unknown and the Unheard" with Gunnar Geisse, here in the third edition of the series with Swiss free improvising vocalist Franziska Baumann, captured live at two performances in 2018 in Germany & Switzerland, for unusual, quick-witted and innovative interchanges.

...

Recording in live conditions and multitrack, French guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Baysse performs a version of Terry Riley's classical minimalist composition "In C" using electric guitar, acoustic guitar, twelve string guitar, effects, banjo, bass, glockenspiel, maracas, cymbal, mandolin, synthesizer, percussion, and drum machine.

The Barcelona trio of Gorka Benitez on tenor saxophone & flute, Guillermo Celano on electric guitar, and Marcos Baggiani on drums, play a lyrical and bluesy brand of instrumental rock music which they describe as an eclectic approach to rock emphasizing pure energy and fun, in nine upbeat and groove-oriented tunes of tight and enthusiastic playing.

Bear Brother is a young quintet that plays energetic and melodious free jazz with references to both American and European improvisational music, comprised of Erling Skorpen on trumpet, Lauritz Lyster Skeidsvoll on saxophone, Isach Skeidsvoll on piano, Hakon Norby Bjorgo on bass, and Martin Mellem on drums, with each band member contributing compositions.

Recording at Berlin-Wedding's performance space Werkhalle Wiesenburg in the summer of 2023, the free improvising chamber trio of violist Ernesto Rodrigues and cellist Guilherme Rodrigues meet with Portuguese flutist Carlos Bechegas, bringing contemporary classical technique to an extended and energetically tempestuous improvisation and a sprightly "Time Between".

Recording at Berlin-Wedding's performance space Werkhalle Wiesenburg in the summer of 2023, the free improvising chamber trio of violist Ernesto Rodrigues and cellist Guilherme Rodrigues meet with Portuguese flutist Carlos Bechegas, bringing contemporary classical technique to an extended and energetically tempestuous improvisation and a sprightly "Time Between".

A beautiful album of darkly lyrical jazz duos from Israeli saxophonist and bass clarinetist Albert Beger and collaborator and member of the Albert Beger Quartet Shay Hazan, on double bass and guimbri, for seven pieces recorded in the studio: 6 improvised works and the composed piece "Cycles".

Two recordings from the lowercase acoustic improvising trio of Portuguese players Ernesto Rodriduges on viola and Nuno Torres on alto saxophone and objects with Saint Petersburg alto saxophonist Ilia Belorukov, recording at Belorukov's Spina! label's studio, and again live at Vertikal' Gallery in Saint Petersburg in 2016.

Two recordings from the lowercase acoustic improvising trio of Portuguese players Ernesto Rodriduges on viola and Nuno Torres on alto saxophone and objects with Saint Petersburg alto saxophonist Ilia Belorukov, recording at Belorukov's Spina! label's studio, and again live at Vertikal' Gallery in Saint Petersburg in 2016.

Creative Sources regulars Ernesto Rodrigues on viola and Abdul Moimeme on electric guitar join the long-running duo of alto saxophonist Ilia Belorukov and electronics artist and Mikroton label-leader Kurt Liedwart to record these two lowercase electroacoustic improvisations, transmuting acoustic and electronic sound in both stark and subdued ways.

The trio of Steve Beresford on electronics, Stephen Flinn on drums and percussion, and Dave Tucker on electric guitar in a quirky, unique and exciting set of improvisations recorded in London.

Berlin studio recordings from the free improvising quartet of Beat Keller on feedbacker electric guitar, Ernesto Rodrigues on violin, Rieko Okuda on piano and Guilherme Rodrigues on cello; four string players invoking the reptilian Mesozoic age through unusual approaches to their instruments, extending the palette of each while creating unexpected percussive elements.

Using extended techniques, Baltimore-based saxophonist John Berndt--director of Multiphonic Choir ensemble, a member of the Red Room collective and curator of their experimental performance series, and creator of the "Relabi" style of arrhythmic pulse--presents 15 succinct improvisations pushing his reed instruments to their outer edges in astonishing ways.

Guitarist Henk Zwerver, bassist Raoul van der Weide and percussionist George Hadow, frequent collaborators in the Amsterdam free improv scene, join with Berlin saxophonist & clarinetist Edith Steyer to make up the Bertch Quartet, their debut album a great and embraceable example of subtle, collective free improvisations that merge traditional and non-idiomatic forms.

Improvising Japanese guitarist Riuichi Daijo joins Spanish Bass & Sopranino saxophonist Ferran Besalduch for a series of non-idiomatic dialogs, from bright restrained to assertive interactions, unusual techniques from Besalduch and percussive asides on the guitar adding engaging ornaments to their conversation; a nice accompaniment to a bright day.

Pianist Claudia Binder presents 3 concepts for solo piano - the introspective "Room for a Sound" and it's dramatic inverse, "Sound for a Room"; "Polyphony" in 3 parts using piano preparation, one part playful, one part serious, one part peculiar; and an inexplicable "It Takes Two to Tango"--in performances revealing a curious mind and tremendous skill.

Three fully free studio improvisations recorded in Manchester from the quintet of David Birchall on electric guitar, Adam Fairhall on accordion, Michael Perrett on bass clarinet, Yoni Silver on bass clarinet and Otto Willberg on double bass, all masterful performers using a wealth of creative approaches to create unusual motion in rich sonic interaction.

Two trombones free improvising in the studio in Koln from the Duo of Chicago's Jeb Bishop and Cologne's Matthias Muche, both members of the trombone trio Bone-Crusher with Matthias Muller, this album recorded in the studio in Koln just before Bone-Crusher's "Konzert Fur Hannes" (NotTwo), elucidating this facet of the trio in 10 insightful dialogs of awesome technique and wit.

A trio of free improvisers recording five detailed and subdued dialogs in the studio, from trombonist Matthias Muller (Splitter Orchester), cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, and guitarist Eric Wong, collective improvisation guided by long pointillistic passages that converge into lyrical focal points, a profound example of concentrative discourse.