A masterful fountain of melodic ideas, intriguing rhythms, and exceptional technical skill from the duo of Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, and Sylvain Kassap on clarinets and chalumeau, recording live at the France Musique at Studio Theatre dÕAlfortville and in the studio.

A live performance at Judson Church in Manhattan as part of the 20th Vision Festival from the NY/France free improvising trio of Joelle Leandre on double bass, Mat Maneri on viola, and Gerald Cleaver on drums and percussion, two tracks of steadily building, incredibly compatible dialog.

Two live recordings of electroacoustic improv from the Japanese tour of guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama, Jason Kahn on synthesizer, and Toshimaru Nakamura on electronics, spacious yet detailed interaction that draws the listener into remarkable sound worlds.

An album of hallucinogenic and melodic rhythhm and sound from the Amalgamated collective, who take their influence from 80's industrial / cassette culture, as heard in these 8 tracks, balancing modern electronics with lo-fi/home taper instruments and sensibilities.

The Ballrog duo of multi-reedist Klaus Ellerhusen Holm and double bassist Roger Arntzen is expanded with pedal steel guitarist Ivar Grydeland as they explore jazz influenced at the intersection of Jimmy Giufree and Eric Dolphy with Morton Feldman-esque non-linear structures.

A 2003 recording from The Ensemble Daswirdas performing John Cage's 1960 composition "Cartridge Music", described as: "For amplified small sounds; also amplified piano or cymbal; any number of players and loudspeakers; parts to be prepared from score by performers."

During their 2014 tour, Canadian saxophonist Francois Carrier and long-time partner, percussionist Michel Lambert, went into the Experimental Sound Gallery [ESG 21] in St. Petersburg, Russia with pianist Alexey Lapin to record these superb free improvisations.

Sound and visual artists Stephen Cornford and Ben Gwilliam recorded their installation at Q-02 in Brussels, where they took apart a Grundik TK5 tape machine and repurposed the components to create these innovative and diverse recordings of stunning textures and interactions.

Chris Pitsiokos' Unit with electric guitarist Brandon Seabrook, electric bassist Tim Dahl, and drummer Weasel Walter turn in a fiery and demanding album of compelling free jazz, using traditional jazz structures but turning them on their head in joyfully unconventional ways.

This French free improv group performs both quick-twisting post-bop compositions and modern extended technique work, comprised of John Cuny (piano), Jerome Fouquet (trumpet), Jean-Brice Godet (clarinet), Yoram Rosillio (bass) and Nicolas Souchal (trumpet).

Saxophonist Paul Dunmall's quintet with Hamid Drake, Dave Kane, Steve Tromans, and Percy Pusgove, bridge traditional with chamber jazz and world music, including a work for bagpipes and frame drum, in a monumental suite of improvisational possibilities.

Morton Feldman was a friend, flatmate and student of John Cage's innovative approaches to composition; he wrote this 3 part work for violin and piano in 1982 as a 70th birthday present for Cage, here performed by violinist Josje Fosie Ter Haar and pianist John Snijders.

Feldman's idiosyncratic large composition is also one of his more active, influenced by John Cage, and using a score that defines organizational procedures in chordal and chromatic patterns, as realized in this '93 recording by Rohan de Saram (cello) and Marianne Schroeder (piano).

West Coast double bassist and mid-west drummer Alvin Fielder meet Norways saxophonist Frode Gjerstad at the 2016 No Idea Festival in Austin, TX, opening the festival with this remarkable display of free improvisation, a seething and burning set from these veteran players.

An amazing album of electronic experimentation from multi-instrumentalist Jean-Marc Foussat, dedicating the album to the late painter and son Victor Foussat, through two extended and far-ranging works that blends concrete sounds with intense playing and sonic environments.

Jean-Marc Foussat joins drummer Ramon Lopez for an album of inventive sound and rhythm, spontaneous compositions of unusual approach and texture, Lopez using an array of percussion and drums including tablas to provide punctuation and depth to Foussant's other-worldly playing.

Experimental improvisation from three masterful players --Joe McPhee on soprano sax, Sylvain Guerineau on tenor saxophone, and Jean-Marc Foussat on synthesizer and voice--recording in France in 2010 for two extended works of concentrated and diverse dialog.

The duo of Joana Gama on piano and Luis Fernandes on electronics is expanded with Ricardo Jacinto on cello to create rich, mysterious works inspired by Erik Satie's score for the ballet "Relache", graced with the image of the double cross he used when he founded his 1-member church in 1892.

Of interest to lowercase/Wandelweiser fans, the quartet of Billy Gomberg, Anne Guthrie, Richard Kamerman and Takahiro Kawaguchi use synthesizer, french horn, found objects, & field recordings, frequency generators, to create evolving sound environments of unique sound and timbre.

Hard-edged and tightly controlled free jazz from the trio of Peter Van Huffel on alto sax, Roland Fidezius on electric bass, and Rudi Fischerlehner on drums, blending jazz & punk sensibilities in works with great technical twists and turns over savagely lyrical music.

With members from Twenty One 4Tet, Clock and Clouds, Cactus Truck, and trumpeter Luis Vicente's Trio, this quartet's strength lies in a seemingly casual approach to what is in execution intensely detailed dialog, each member contributing to a unique and entrancing group sound.

A studio encounter between pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and electric guitarist Mary Halvorson, both using sophisticated techniques giving unique voices to their playing styles, in a set of improvisations that balance playful, subtle, energetic, and emotional playing.

Pianist Roger Admiral performs Canadian composer Mark Hannesson's "The Angel's Game", and "Memory Sustained", both minimal works for solo piano, the second using a set of instructions giving the performer advice and discretion over pacing and approach.

A powerful band fueled by three woodwind players (Boris Hauf, Keefe Jackson, Jason Stein) and three drummers (Frank Rosaly, Steven Hess, and Michael Hartman), capable of both rage and introspection in collective improvisation that's one part joy, one part catharsis.

Developed from the 13th & 14th century concept of a "book of hours", a prayer book for laymen, and particularly the book of the Duke of Berry (1340-1416) which describes relationships between people; performed by Andreas Feilen, Eva-Maria Houben, and Erik Carlson.

Recordings from 2000 at Instants Chavires in Montreuil, France from the free improvising trio of Peter Kowald on double bass, Daunik Lazro on alto & baritone sax, and Annick Nozati on voice, in a uniquely informed dialog representing the only time this masterful trio performed.

A wild and exciting duo between cellist Okkyung Lee and legendary turntable improviser Christian Marclay performing live at London's Cafe Oto for a single long track that runs through an astonishing dynamic of invention and atmospheres in a gripping and spellbinding set.

Cellist Daniel Levin's sophisticated jazz quartet with Mat Maneri (viola), Matt Moran (vibes), and Torbjorn Zetterberg (double bass) are captured live at Connecticut's Firehouse 12 for a superb album of modern improv with great skill, depth and style.

Swedish composer and pianist Johan Lindvall in a series of 27 works performed solo or in an ensemble with Vilde Sandve Alnaes (violin), Kristine Tjogersen(clarinet), Jan Martin Gismervik(percussion), Henrik Munkeby Norstebo(trombone), Ina Sagstuen(voice), & Fredrik Rasten(guitar).

Celebrating the 400th release of Clean Feed Records, Swedish free jazz phenomenon, saxophonist Mats Gustafsson meets with NY jazz pianist Craig Taborn for an unlikely yet highly satisfying encounter that pushes each improviser into unfamiliar, edge-of-their seats, territory.

Influenced by noir crime novels from the 20s set in the Bay Area, bassist Mezacappa wrote these sophisticated and lyrical compositions for selected scenes or characters, performed by the superb sextet of William Winant, Tim Perkis, Aaron Benett, John Finkbeiner, & Jordan Glenn.

The 2nd release from the electroacoustic improvising trio of Jason Kahn (analog synthesizer), Gunter Muller (percussion-based samples and electronics) and Norbert Moslang (cracked everyday electronics), performing live at Les Instants Chavires in Paris, France.

Two works from two distinctive composers from different periods--Jurg Frey and Luigi Nono--both for two violins, Frey using the two violins in parallel to emphasize their distinction; Nono using powerful gestures of divergence and contrast in a dream-like duo.

Brooklyn-based Ben Owen recorded this work in 2010 at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, NY, presenting the original work "Birds And Water" and two edits, which are mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi.

Fascinating sound and drone music from this interesting German ensemble led by Reinhold Friedl, "ikebana" takes its name from the tradition of Japanese flower arranging which dates back to the 7th century, with 8 tracks named as such: Shoka, Rikka, Nigeria and Morimono.

The Trio was the influential 60's band of saxophonist John Surman, drummer Stu Martin, and bassist Barre Phillips, here paid tribute by saxophonist Bernd Reincke, drummer Chad Popple, and bassist John Hughes, using their tunes as a springboard for exuberant modern improv.

A trio of Chilean improvisers, Luis Conde on alto saxophone, Nicolas Rio on drums, and Ramiro Molina on electric guitar, with various pairings of the trio taking foreground in music that develops interesting structural compositions into tight dialogs of strong collective improv.

Reissuing Japanese sound artist Minoru Sato's 1995 work, searching a stationary wave (SASW) based on "aspect" works, re-released on cassette with two additional tracks from an exhibition catalogue from ICC, 2000, and one unreleased piece, "days of the sky another mix".

Christoph Schiller performs on the spinet, often improvising with electronics and objects; here he uses the spinet alone in patiently developing compositions that emphasize the individual tones and harmonics of the instrument played on the keys and inside the instrument.

Experimental sound performer Lawrence English on drums, electronics and field recordings joins forces with Akio Suzuki on the amazing analapos instrument (see video) for three tracks of unusual and alien sound, punctuated with strange references and percussive devices.

The frequent and super-speed improvising duo of drummer Tatsuya Yoshida and guitarist Kazuhisa Uchihashi join forces with Tzboguchi Masayasu on keyboards and vocoder for an energetic, melodic, and at times outlandish album that pays homage to astonishingly complex rock forms.

Recording in London in 2010 as part of series of performances and studio sessions, the trio of Jack Wright on saxophone, Guillaume Viltard on double bass and Grundik Kasyansky electronics present a freely improvised set of advanced techniques that impart lyrical warmth.

After working together in various combinations for two years, the trio of Jack Wright on saxophones, Joel Kromer on modular synth, and Edmond Cho on guitar recorded these two large improvisations: demanding and rewarding free improvisation.

Mostly Other People Do The Killing pianist Ron Stabinsky joins free jazz saxophonist Jack Wright for a wild session pushing both players into adventurous territory, Stabinsky taking up the trumpet and using dental floss, light bulbs and other objects inside the piano.

Roman philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus named "Clinamen" the unpredictable (in time and space) swerve of atoms falling in the void, which aptly describes the unexpected directions taken in subtle free improvisation from this French trio, led by bassist Louis-Michel Marion, with Jacques Di Donato on clarinet, and Philippe Berger on viola.

The Swedish duo of percussionist Andreas Pollak and prepared pianist Johan Graden (Adam & Alma) in an album of references and innuendo, clandestine and furtive sounds that evoke great mystery and drama in beautifully shaped sound; evocative music that deceives to emerge from the electronic realm while in actuality coming from all acoustic sources.

The second volume of the project heard in the previous Creative Sources album, "Suspensao", here in a 9-piece electroacoust ensemble with viola, cello, doublebass, alto sax, trombone, piano, electric guitar, computer and percussion, suspenseful lowercase music that unfolds in mysterious, beautiful and rewarding ways.

Live recordings at LOFT in Cologne, Germany from the trio of George Wissel on prepared saxophone, Achim Tang on doublebass, and Simon Camatta on drums & percussion, performing seven "Movements" that use prodigious technique with reserve and direction, revealing the structure of their work as the pieces build and recede in fascinating ways.

Two basses and a lower-end saxophone from the trio of Damon Smith on double bass, Andrew Durham on electric bass, and Danny Kamins on baritone sax, Durham also adding effects and "Radio Manipulation" to their deep sound, Durham & Kamins the core of CARL with Damon Smith adding extra underpinnings to their slowly developing, sometimes pensive, sometimes cantankerous, profound improvisation.

Recorded live at Silence Sounds in Guelph Canada, the duo of Xavier Charles on clarinet and Eric Normand on electric bass & objects eschew idiom in favor of their unique natural language on their instruments, applying patient development of truly idiosyncratic and fascinating command through a single extended work punctuated in seven diverse passages.

From 2008-16 until drummer Frank Rosaly moved to Amsterdam, alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella's Trio was an active part of Chicago's creative jazz scene; in early 2018 Rosaly returned for a visit and Mazzarella composed a suite of 6 new pieces to commemorate the trio's tenth anniversary, the exuberant result this excellent concert recorded at Co-Prosperity Sphere!

A wild and exciting duo between cellist Okkyung Lee and legendary turntable improviser Christian Marclay performing live at London's Cafe Oto for a single long track that runs through an astonishing dynamic of invention and atmospheres in a gripping and spellbinding set.

A beautifully hypnotic album of saxophone, accompanied by Pan-Ney, Shruti Box and Organ, recorded in overdubs by composer/wind player Werner Durand in this 2nd chapter of his trilogy focused on the Pan-Ney, a self-built instrument for repetitive foundations, as Durand draws on elements of nature, mythology, dance, religion, literature and folklore.

Toronto-area saxophonist Colin Fisher, best known for his group I Have Eaten The City, with his collective quartet of NY players Daniel Carter on tenor, alto & soprano saxophones + clarinet & flute, Brandon Lopez on upright bass, and Marc Edwards on drums & percussion, for three extended and exploratory improvisations of exemplary creative insight.

Recording in Toronto, the core trio of drummer Nick Fraser, saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Kris Davis are joined on four tracks by tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trumpeter Lina Allemano, in an album of composed and collective improvisation, merging Toronto, NY and European influences in an accomplished album of diverse approaches and orchestrations.

The 5th release from the trio of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Keiji Haino, guitarist Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi on wineglass and percussion is an introspective and beautifully developed set recorded live at their March 2013 concert at SuperDeluxe.

An extended and rich confluence of strings from R Keenan Lawler and John Krausbauer, using resonator guitar and banjo, sustained tones that intertwine in a beautiful and optimistic drone, minimalistic yet drenched in a profusion of harmonic detail; a beautiful and elusive dream mixing between an Indian raga and an alien electronic environment.

Recorded in the mid-90s, Livebatts! was a project of John White (Cornelius Cardew, Scratch Orchestra) developed to exploit "toy" keyboards of the 80s--cheap battery-driven instruments that hold tremendous potential for "serious" music-making--used here in a playful quartet with vocalist MJ Coldiron, Andrea Rocca (guitar & samples) and Nancy Ruffer (electrified flute).

Quietly lurking as it prepares to attack, this Kobra is the free improvising quaret of Aurora Nealand on accordion, alto saxophone, voice & objects, Steve Marquette on acoustic & electric guitars, Anton Hatwich on bass, and Paul Thibodeaux on drums, captured live at Chicago's Hungry Brain during the Instigation Festival for a mysterious 2-part "New Omens" and some "Telly Attire".

'Spilla' means 'to play' in the language of Neapolitan musicians, and playing here are NY guitarist and composer Elliott Sharp and Italian guitarist Sergio Sorrentino, presenting world premier recordings of 4 works recorded live in Vercelli, Italy: two improvisations and two graphic scores performed on electric guitar with incredible technique and passion.