Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit

More than a decade after their first collaboration, these two German artists still manage to find new avenues of expression in their exploration of percussion, both acoustic and electronic. Liebezeit, now over 70 years old, is ever precise and funky in his drumming approach to non-traditional rhythms, maintaining trance-like concentration throughout. Friedman provides a shell of textures and subtle electronic interplay and enhancement to house these creations. A few guests make appearances to expand the sound field, notably guitarist Joseph Suchy, whose playing on "204.7" and especially "182.11" has the spare, emotive quality of Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis. The longer pieces on the album find a balance between the hypnotism of repetition and forward narrative evolution. The shorter pieces are freer with their use of change and arrhythmic noise to build and break tension. It's an album as suited for fans of world music as those whose tastes run to trance electronics.