Formanek fans may well observe that this trio is a vital cog in the engine of the double bassist's sumptuous Kolossus ensemble, so its appearance without the bigger framework of horns is of great interest. Indeed, the richness of both timbre and ideas produced by the players is a mark of their quality and versatility, as the work, showcasing guitarist Halvorson, drummer Fujiwara and Formanek as composers, exists pleasingly in its own idiomatic space. Convention dictates that this might be called a guitar trio, but the advanced interaction and sense of shifting centre of gravity within the ensemble makes it as much a drums'n'strings ensemble as a strings'n'drums combo. The malleability of form sees melody and rhythm change hands frequently, perhaps with a wry nod to a LaFaro-Evans-Motian empathy at times, but it is perhaps the inclusion of age-old blues strategies, none more so than a throbbing one chord vamp amid the intricate harmonic carousels, that imbues the music with a pounding heart to match its thinking head. Halvorson's otherworldly electronics, which produce eerie and edgy quivers in equal measure, are more than welcome, adding to ambiances often bathed in discreet mystery and melancholy. And yet the airy, jaunty bounce of ‘Sampsonian Rhythms’, which is well served by Fujiwara's broken beat march time, is a smiley invitation to a twirl on a sloping dancefloor. Daringly advanced, emotionally engaged.