Coinciding with a new ECM release by his co-led improvising electronic-orientated duo Food, the leading Norwegian percussionist/drummer Thomas Strønen goes entirely acoustic with this debut of Time is a Blind Guide, an improvising chamber ensemble that emerged a couple of years ago from a Anglo-Norwegian collaboration at Connexions in Oslo. It's notable for being the London-based pianist Kit Downes’ first contribution to the ECM recording catalogue and he is joined from England by the violinist Lucy Railton, who made a very fine duo CD recording with Downes a few months back titled Tricko. As with that recording, Time is a Blind Guide is a recording that unravels its mysteries on repeated listening. With a slowly evolving ensemble dialogue in which every gesture counts, Strønen's compositions emerge organically from small incidents: a quietly pulsating African-like pizzicato rhythm, an abstract solo percussion figure, a Satie-esque piano, out of which develops a heartbeat, a groove, with rich melodic motifs that reflect the work of contemporary artists such as Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau and Esbjörn Svensson. Unfortunately appearing a little too late in the year to make the best of 2015 charts, this is a beautifully enigmatic recording from an outstanding new ensemble.