Agustí Fernández/Ingar Zach - Germinal (Plastic Strip)

Fernández (piano) and Zach (percussion) proffer six pieces that are perhaps closer in feel to Xenakis than most current improv--the pianist especially has a similar kind of rigor--fashioning music that moves from sharply etched and jagged to a kind of quiet that possesses a sandpaper roughness, the latter especially enjoyable ("Hojarasca"). Good restless, prickly probing on the part of each, resulting in a good strong disc that absorbed me more on each listen. plastic strip


Axel Dörner/Clare Cooper/Cor Fuhler - Crax (Conundrom)

Another fine release from Fuhler's willfully obscure Conundrom label (that's not the cover above, but a pic of Ms. Cooper). A single 35 minute track, recorded on December 21st of 2007, it's a lovely blend of bittersweet, long tones, Dörner providing the acerbity, Fuhler the tonal ground and Cooper, a harpist from Australia new to me, the glistening pinpoints of color. Several very beautiful "patches" where the trio is absolutely unified as well as cohesive throughout. Good stuff and good luck finding it, but here's Cor's site.