It's been over 20 years since the Cuban-born musician Aruán Ortiz last showed himself naked to the world – musically naked, that is, seated alone at his piano and performing without accompaniment (Impresión Tropical, 1996, recorded in Madrid). Last year's trio disc, Hidden Voices, boosted his profile, so this is an opportune moment for Ortiz to return to the solo format. It's not the easiest of listens – the sounds are lean, stark, occasionally menacing – but it is a rewarding one. “The title Cub(an)ism,” writes Florian Keller in the liner notes, “represents a fundamental tribute to a key source of inspiration for Ortiz: cubism, which like his music is essentially orientated on rhythm and dynamics.” A painting by the Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, ‘The Jungle’, provides the inspiration for the longest track (10 minutes, 46 seconds) here, ‘Cuban Cubism’ - “key cubist devices can be recognized in his painterly music,” notes Keller. It's sparse and daring and totally gripping.