Guitarist Ben Monder’s debut disc as leader on ECM was originally conceived as a series of duets with Paul Motian. Alas, before the project could be completed after an exploratory session in October 2010, Motian passed away and so Monder had to come up with a new plan. And it was a good one, involving another avant-garde drummer, Andrew Cyrille, and Pete Rende on synthesizer on two tracks. Monder does wonders with fretboard textures throughout: beginning and ending solos, on ‘Tendrils’ and ‘Dinosaur Skies’; duetting with Motian on ‘Triffids’ and a deeply, sparsely wonderful cover of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’; and Cyrille on ‘Hematophagy’, while expanding to a trio setting on the central cuts, ‘Gamma Crucis’ and ‘Zythum’. The drummers provide spatial effects more than time- based accompaniments while Monder explores the sonic range of his instruments (including an electric baritone). The results are highly atmospheric – did I mention that the disc was made for ECM?