Crustal Movement is the seventh album from Kaze, the group founded by drummer Peter Orins and the jaw-droppingly prolific pianist Satoko Fujii. Like many of Fujii's pandemic/post-pandemic creations, Crustal Movement is largely a product of remote file sharing, with Orins and trumpeter Cristian Pruvost adding live recordings to the mix and input from ‘laptop electronicist’ Ikue Mori. This co-ordination is in itself a considerable achievement, given that the results are so satisfyingly coherent. That's not to say that this outfit has softened, of course, but this follow-up to 2021's excellent Sand Storm demonstrates that lockdown or not, this group of musicians are working together better than ever.

The 12-minute opener ‘Masoandro Mitsoka’ begins quietly, almost serenely, before picking up speed and force via a series of trumpet parps and drum volleys; the impression is of a destructive tornado that strikes, and then blows itself out, exhausted by its exertions. Mori's ‘Shifting Blocks’ and ‘Motion Dynamics’ are, as one might expect, heavy on angular electronic textures, while Tamura's ‘Rolle Cake’ features duelling brass, contrasting strident blare with quiet Milesian minimalism.

Fujii's title track closes Crustal Movement. This is perhaps the album's most engaging piece: the pianist's questing, enigmatic improvisations provide the perfect bedrock for her bandmates to really let rip. This is serious music, but all the participants sound as if they're having a great time – and, provided you listen with the right frame of mind, you'll have a ball too.