“I’m not trying to entertain you. I’m not trying to make you dance. Not on this record.” It’s a strong statement from London-based drummer Myele Manzanza, ahead of the fourth of his five-part Crisis & Opportunity series. It’s been an ambitious undertaking: five albums, drawn from a boundless energy post-pandemic, each with a slightly different aim. So far, there’s been paean to his new hometown London (Manzanza was born in New Zealand), the EDM-focused Unfold, and Peaks, 13 tracks arranged in a mixtape form.

Recorded in New York with two fellow Antipodeans in Matthew Sheens and Matt Penman, Meditations, an inward-looking acoustic trio record, shows a darker, more reflective side to a drummer praised previously for his ability to lurk in the shadows. It’s definitely in the e.s.t. and Phronesis sound world, with bright chord sequences, twisting time signatures that all three flow through with ease, uniformity preferred over disparity, and a unity found and then consolidated around vamped chord changes.

Textures are led for the most part by Sheens, who plays a starring role on highlight ‘Homesick’, with strong bass rumble from Penman and Manzanza mostly in support mode. Sometimes it’s hard to make out whose record it is, which is almost certainly Manzanza’s aim for this edition of his project and with every twist of his musical kaleidoscope, our picture of Manzanza gets more complex, and more interesting. There’s no predicting where his final chapter will go, but I’m really excited to find out.