Vole

This trio, who became a quartet after the release of this record, revel in ecstatic improvisation, yet aren't afraid to tie their music to a composed focal point. There is definitely a prog rock flavour that surfaces, at points, primarily on opening track "No Knees," which kicks the proceedings almost immediately into high gear. Roberto Sassi's chugging electric guitar stands on equal ground with the blistering trumpet of Roland Ramanan, as Javier Carmona (who was recently replaced by Tom Greenhalgh) lays down a bed of nails with his drums. There are plenty of quieter moments as well, such as the almost drone-like "Voiced Unvoiced." The title refers to Carmona's home, in which the nascent group worked out their oeuvre simply through improvisation, their unique sense of interplay allowing these eight "mechanisms" to take shape easily. The dynamic nature of the results puts this incredible synergy on display.