Formed in 2018 at Boston's New England Conservatory of Music, improvisational quintet Tropos’ debut recording celebrates the 75th birthday of veteran avant-garde jazz composer Anthony Braxton. Presented as a download code in an environmentally friendly ‘Biopholio™’ (“a two-side, 20-panel origami inspired medium, bursting with vibrant artwork and liner notes; each one made entirely out of FSC-certified, robust paper, hand-folded and printed using plant based inks”) the group's tribute consists of six reinterpretations of Braxton compositions, together with a selection of their own work that has been heavily influenced by their mentor.

Despite the group's undeniably courageous attempt to tackle Braxton's complex musical configurations, as the recording proceeds one can't help thinking that perhaps they have bitten off more than they can chew. Vocalist Lalia Smith's high-pitched wordless vocalising is occasionally agonising, while saxophone player Raef Sengupta's cacophonic surges sound suspiciously superficial. The rest of Tropos ably add their own flurry of hipster flounce to the proceedings, but there is nothing here that would intrigue the newcomer to Braxton's work or convince the sceptic of his true genius. Worthy, but one for the recycling bin I'm afraid.