Sounding Lines

After four albums released in as many years, Moritz von Oswald Trio suspended their release schedule. During the break, the group's namesake made Borderland with techno innovator Juan Atkins, as well as 1/1 with jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer, while synthesizer player Max Loderbauer continued to involve himself with a variety of solo and collaborative projects. The trio returned in 2015 with master Afro-beat drummer Tony Allen in place of Vladislav Delay -- no minor change -- while Ricardo Villalobos was brought in to mix the recordings. The highlights, unsurprisingly, occur when Allen is allowed to exert more of his power, heard in the darting/jabbing third and twisting sixth tracks. ~ Andy Kellman