Following the almost unanimous praise for their previous studio masterpiece, Moritz Von Oswald (Maurizio/Rhythm & Sound), Max Loderbauer (Nsi./Sun Electric) and Sasu Ripatti (Vladislav Delay) present 'Horizontal Structures', the jazz-suave and rolling x-axis to the kosmische y of 'Vertical Ascent'. The curve of their projections becomes more complex with the addition of Paul St. Hilaire (aka Tikiman) on guitar and ECM artist, Marc Muellbauer's double bass infusing deeply instinctive jazz moves into the cats-cradle of organ, percussion and electronics. There's a more leveled spirit and cruising groove to this album, their deft interactions creating a deeply engrained blue moodiness and playful efficacy whose potential is beautifully rendered in Moritz's mixing desk. As the elements begin to fuse like condensed gas particles in the bell jar sphere of 'Structure One' its clear to hear the group's evolution as the groove subliminally coalesces with a looseness that wasn't there before, Tiki's Afro-lilting guitar swirling about like fragrant hashish smoke and Muellbauer's eyes-shut bass adding daubs of melodic colouration. 'Structure 2' is more urgent and soundtrack-y, melody stripped back while the rhythm section ripples away with infinite Krautrock essence, before 'Structure 3' reintroduces the dub with moonboot skank rhythm hinging on crisp snare punctuations and offset chords in the dreamiest headspace. The 20 minute 'Structure 4' is perhaps the craftiest, Moritz the mixing board illusionist deftly weaving the acoustic and electronic, the synthetic and the real with a sleight of hand that makes this music at once electro-acoustic jazz and dub concrete, yet with the fundamental grace and glide of deep techno. Highly recommended!1 Structure 1 2 Structure 2 3 Structure 3 4 Structure 4
