An absorbing album of electronic jazz and improvisation from the Portuguese string and percussion trio of Ricardo Jacinto on cello, electronics & harmonium, Goncalo Almeida on double bass & electronics and Nuno Morao on drums & percussion, exploring unique and innately lyrical intersections of chamber improv, ea-improv and compositional forms.

Performing on both piano and bass drum, Italian improviser & composer Luca Sguera presents six works based around the physical sounds of the piano, traditional acoustic piano progressions and rhythmic arrangements fitting the development of each piece's sound, as much sound art as piano composition through sophisticated hybrids of acoustic and sonic environments.

Stockholm pianist Alexander Zethson invited Greek saxophonist Nicky Kokkoli and guitarist Giannis Arapis to take part in his 13-piece Thanatosis festival ensemble VÖ; they then asked drummer Nils Agnas, bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and trombonist Mats Äleklint to join them for this sublimely flowing sextet studio session, which includes works by Mingus and Coltrane.

A truly fascinating and seamless hybrid of improvised and composed music, alongside an exploration of feedback and "its acoustic double, a harmonic noise", from the merging of two projects--LAMIEE and Dròlo Ensemble--plus Italian poli-instrumentalists Nicholas Remondino and Andrea Giordano (OTONN), yielding wonderfully complex and enveloping sound worlds.

Known for his The Rite of Trio, guitarist Andre B. Silva releases his 2nd solo album featuring compositions in a chamber jazz mode, including long passages of composed music that open into improvisation, performed with Jose Soares on saxophone, Raquel Reis on cello, Sophie Bernado on basson, Paulo Bernardino on bass clarinet, Andre Carvalho on double bass & Ricardo Coelho on drums & vibes.

Active since 2008, the PLASMA 8 duo of German pianist & vocalist Thomas Reuter and saxophonist Andreas Krennerich explore the geological deposits of porphyr, a hard igneous rock containing crystals, through free improvisation, expressed here in 20 concise interactions of piano keys & strings, soprano & baritone saxophones plus unusual vocal utterance.

A modern soundscape in three acts from Italian improvisers, drummer Walter Forestier (Death Roars, Angelo Mastronardi Trio) and guitarist Vito Pesce (Minus Tree, Pastel, Squieti), their 2nd album a dialog shifting between pensive introspection and aggressive evocation, a full range of expression that builds and releases suspense as the two unfold their narrative.

A percussive "Natchtprogramm" and a tonal "Syntax" from composer Torsten Papenheim, recorded in the studio in Cologne and Berlin, the former performed with trombonist Matthias Much, double bassist Achim Tang and pianist Philip Zoubek; the latter with Johannest Trondle (violincello) & Axel Haller (electric bass), then with Elena Kakaliagou (french horn) & Evi Filippou (percussion).

Argentinian sound artist Alexis Perepelycia explores his influences in an extended sonic work, drawing on his roots in the sounds of garage, punk, metal, industrial music into his work in academia, using abstract references of assertive and acousmatic sound with powerful electronic emphasis as he seeks his ghosts amidst references like Russolo, Stockhausen, &c.

One of Portugal's most interesting large scale lowercase ensembles led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, with frequent Creative Sources collaborators including Nuno Torres on alto sax, Carlos Santos on electronics, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Miguel Mira on bass, 14 musicians move with subtlety in a tapestry of electroacoustic resonance and mystique.

A confluence of strings from the trio of Portuguese improvisers Ernesto Rodrigues on viola and Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, performing in Berlin with double bassist Stephan Bleier, the title referring to a gradual ascending progression formed through small changes, an apt analogy for the illusory and shape-shifting approach their 5-part improvisations lead.

Emulating a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse in two evolving improvised chamber works that take the quartet of Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Mariana Carvalho on piano, Joao Valinho on percussion and Ernesto Rodrigues (switching from viola to harp & deploying electronics) through mysterious soundwork that move from darkness to light in detailed and subtle ways.

The Suspensao octet are heard in this live performance at SMUP, in Parede, Portugal in 2023, blending primarily acoustic instruments with electric guitar and analog synth, using a reductionist approach to highly concentrative and suspenseful free improvisation, their long-running collective history allowing an impressive level of articulation and control through the integration of diverse voices.

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.

Excellent pacing with introspective richness and detail through five improvisations, as US pianist Thollem McDonas joins Portuguese improvisers Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Bruno Parrinha on alto clarinet, Flak on acoustic guitar and Jose Oliveira on percussion for this studio recording in Lisbon, each passage reflecting a word from the title; inspired and beautiful.

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.

Ute Wassermann adds a unique expressiveness to this Berlin studio session, bringing her impressive talents as a free improvising vocalist along with her bird calls and objects, providing an unusual yet extremely complementary foil to the intertwined strings of the father/son collaboration of violist Ernesto Rodrigues and cellist Guilherme Rodrigues; idiosyncratically wonderful!

Focused mostly on introspective yet propulsive improvised interaction of concentrative listening, punctuated by moments of explosive exchanges, the trio of Dirk Serries on archtop guitar, Benedict Taylor on viola and Friso Van Wyck on drums & percussion are heard live in an engaging concert at Koffie and Ambacht's Le Sud, in Rotterdam in 2022.

Part of the 2022 trio tour of violinist Ernesto Rodrigues, cellist Guilherme Rodrigues and saxophonist Nuno Torres is this studio recording in Berlin with free jazz legendary pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and drummer/percussionist Willi Kellers, each of the 9 improvisations named for mythical beasts, appropriate to the fearsome force of these five masterful players.

Referencing the asian evergreen shrub "Hoya" through a series of solos, duos and quartets between Portuguese string players Maria da Rocha on violin, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola and Joao Madeira on double bass with visiting US bassist Daniel Levin on cello, first in four solo performances of remarkable technique, then permutations of duos, culminating in two quartet improvisations.

A highly interactive and textural set of chamber-oriented free improvisations with an often pointillistic approach from the quartet of Portuguese improvisers Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & crackle box, Bruno Parrinha on clarinet & alto saxophone, Joao Madeira on double bass with Swiss electric guitarist Florian Stoffner, in three detailed and engaging conversations.

A 2022 live performance at The Vortex in London from the trio of Maggie Nicols on voice, Caroline Kraabel on alto saxophone & voice and Charlotte Hug on viola & voice, reuniting the partnership from their 2002 Emanem album, Transitions, each track taking its titles from an observational poem by Jenny Xie, rendered in expressive, mostly wordless vocalization.

Adding Chicago cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm to their string-oriented improvisation, the Portuguese collaborative quartet of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola and crackle box, João Madeira on double bass, Flak on electric guitar and percussionist Jose Oliveira perform an 8-part suite of entwined strings and subtle punctuation, a selfless blending of masterful skill.

Formed as a collective in 2016, Baraque à Free brings together young free improvisers from Toulouse, France, who leverage influences from jazz, contemporary and rock forms, creating passages that include harmonious tranquillity, noisy spaces, rhythmic rage, math rock, and hints of orchestral chamber music; a positive album of musical statement and emotional release.

Fusing many styles into a strange jazz-like environment fueled by exotica, electronica, orchestral forms and unusual transitions, Dutch multi-instrumentalist & composer Jeroen Kimman, along with ten Amsterdam musicians including John Dikeman, Koen Nutters, Michael Moore and Mark Morse, present Kimman's unusual and often rubbery musical vision while continually fascinating his listeners.

Commissioned by Cineteatro Louletano to respond creatively to the musical legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven, double bassist Carlos Bica developed ten compositions that draw on Beethoven's original works, performing them with saxophonist Daniel Erdmann, accordionist João Barradas and DJ Illvibe on turntables, a truly unique take on some of the renowned composer's most famous works.

Active in both contemporary music and as an improviser, Portuguese accordionist João Barradas is heard live at the 2022 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in France, performing solo on a chromatic accordion, MIDI chromatic accordion and voice for an expansive, un-interrupted six-part improvisation that showcases both his technical skills and his emotional passion.

Recorded two decades apart, first in 1998 as a combination of recordings in the studio and live @ The Knitting Factory, and then in 2019 in the studio, the trio of Miya Masaoka on Koto, dan bau & electronics, Reggie Workman on bass, percussion, musical saw & digeridoo and Gerry Hemingway on drums & electronics, show both their consistency and evolution as masterful, creative improvisers.

A wild, fun, inventive and musically impressive ride from French cellist Valentin Ceccaldi quartet with Etienne Ziemniak on drums, Fulco Ottervanger on piano & keyboards and Luis Lopes on guitar, a unique set of jazz, psychedelic and almost circus music, where the listener is never quite certain what's around the corner but constantly amazed at what they hear.

Also part of the working group Zeuthen / Østergaard-Nielsen / Nordberg / Oswald, legendary Danish saxophonist Jesper Zeuthen of Blue Sun and pianist Margaux Oswald are heard in this 2022 performance at Koncertkirken in Copenhagen for three extended and discerning dialogs of powerfully passionate interplay and startlingly beautiful plateaus of peaceful discourse.

Named for the translation of alto saxophonist Bruno Parrinha's last name into English--"Vine Leaf"--the trio of frequent working partners Luís Lopes on electric guitar and João Valinho on drums are heard in two recordings at SMUP, in Parede, PT and one studio recording in Lisbon, for sophisticated collective improvisation that indeed flows like a beautifully intricate vine.

While on tour in Lisbon in 2002, pedal steel & lap steel improvising guitarist Susan Alcorn was invited by alto & tenor saxophonist José Lencastre (Nau Quartet) to record in the studio with double & electric bassist Hernani Faustino (Red Trio), recording these six refined trio improvisations of both contemplative and energetic conversations.

An introduction to Amsterdam-based percussionist and composer Domen Cizej through five studio-recorded CDs of differing configurations of his ensembles, one album each from the 8-piece Domen Cizej Percussion Ensemble, the trio Domen Cizej Koška Čias, the Domen Cizej Duo and Trio, and Cizej solo; a set of diverse and upbeat settings with liner notes by Joe Morris.

Spontaneous compositions with an emphasis on strings and exploratory, unusual approaches to group dynamic, from the trio of Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon on 6- and 12-string guitars, Italian violinist Emanuele Parrini and Spanish percussionist & drummer Vasco Trilla, in seven conversations of consummate skill, balancing intense concentration with vigorous and inspired exchanges.

The second Clean Feed release from Spanish saxophonist Liba Villavechia's trio with drummer/percussionist Vasco Trilla and double bassist Alex Reviriego, a lively working ensemble heard in three new Villavechia compositions, plus two collective improvisations, and a work from New York composer, improviser and influence on the leader, Thomas Chapin's "Anima".

Continuing his project dedicated to 20th century Polish composers, saxophonist Marek Pospieszalski leads his creative octet through open and collectively improvised arrangements of works from six Polish female composers — Barbara Buczek, Elżbieta Sikora, Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil and Marta Ptaszyńska — in wide-ranging and often startling impressions of the original works.

Bringing tremendous playing skill and creative intent, the Italian/Portuguese trio of Simone Quatrana on piano, Andrea Grossi on double bass and Pedro Melo Alves on drums & percussion, improvise over spontaneous compositions that flow perceptively from quick energetic moments to periods of abstract beauty, complementing each other in exquisite and dynamic ways.

Mixed, edited and re-organized by Fred Frith and mastered by Thomas Dimuzio, this album find the trio of Frith on electric guitar, Evelyn Davis on the Mills Chapel pipe organ and Phillip Greenlief on clarinet & alto saxophone, performing in the Mills College Chapel in Oakland, CA, the sophomore release on Clean Feed for this versatile trio of masterful improvisers.

An exceptional quartet of electroacoustic improvisers captured in concert at MUG Einstein Kultur in Munich, organized by the non-profit Offene Haken e.V. - Freunde der improvisierten Musik (Friends of improvised music), from Markus Eichenberger on clarinet, Carl Ludwig Hubsch on tuba, Philip Zoubek on synthesizer and Etienne Nillesen on extended snare drum.

Improvising over strings, winds & percussion from the Portuguese quintet of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Joao Madeira on double bass, Bruno Parrinha on flute & bass clarinet and Monsieur Trinite on percussion, in a studio session of active, often pointillistic interaction offset with periods of introspection, reflecting concepts of Baudelaire & The Surrealists.

The seventh album from Creative Sources' detailed electroacoustic improvising group Suspensão led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, recording at SMUP in Parede, Portugal in 2022 with Joana Sa on soprano sax, Nuno Torres on alto sax, Luisa Goncalves on piano, Joao Madeira on double bass, Carlos Santos on synthesizer and Jose Oliveira on percussion.

The trio of violist Ernesto Rodrigues, cellist Guilherme Rodrigues and clarinetist Bruno Parrinha on alto & bass clarinets are captured live at Lisboa Incomum, during the 2022 Festival DME, performing two sophisticated chamber improv works, their titles translating to "The aging skies - it's all illusion" and "Pass The Bridges If It's Windy - The Flame Of The Solemnity".

An exceptional quartet of electroacoustic improvisers captured in concert at MUG Einstein Kultur in Munich, organized by the non-profit Offene Haken e.V. - Freunde der improvisierten Musik (Friends of improvised music), from Markus Eichenberger on clarinet, Carl Ludwig Hubsch on tuba, Philip Zoubek on synthesizer and Etienne Nillesen on extended snare drum.

The cosmological concept of the aeon, the conflict between matter and spirit, is explored in eight "Chronicles" of collective free improvisation using impressive technique and concentrative interaction from the Portuguese quartet of Flak on acoustic guitar, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Bruno Parrinha on bass clarinet and Ernesto Rodrigues on violin.

The working duo of Slovenian violinist Ana Kravanja and Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik present nine dialogs of freely improvised playing that draws on contemporary composition, using their primary instruments along with preparations, objects, frame drums, voice and ringing stones, a mood of tense mystery and wonder pervading their excellent and unusual discourse.

Spanning three generations of improvisers, the duo of violist Ernesto Rodrigues and cellist Guilherme Rodrigues join with tenor saxophonist Gonçalo Mortágua and legendary percussionist Gunter Baby Sommer to record eleven diverse improvisations in the studio in Berlin, naming the quartet "Not Bad", an extreme understatement for their unique chamber influences of European Free Jazz.

Working with modular synthesizer systems and amplified double bass, the Berlin duo of Ulf Mengersen, a member of Berlin Improvisers Orchestra and Ensemble MIA, and Thomas Rehnert, an experimental musician, sound artist and composer known for rock, theater, radio, visual arts and free improv settings, recorded these 10 electroacoustic improvisations in the studio in 2021.

The first quartet album for electronic improviser Rafael Toral's Space Quartet is a live album from Casa das Artes Bissaya Barreto in Coimbra, performed with Hugo Antunes on double bass, Nuno Morao on drums & percussion, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone & electronic instrument, with Toral using acoustic & electronic feedback to bring the classic jazz quartet lineup into new spaces.

Taking advantage of stereo placement and strong effect processing, Portuguese guitarist Luís Lopes (Humanization 4tet, Lisbon Freedom Unit) releases the antithesis of his recent Love Songs series with this improvised guitar album, splitting his signal through two unique sequences of analogue pedals into tube amplifiers, creating hypnotically corrosive music.