This is the fifth release from the Alister Spence Trio, and it is fair to say that he still has not received the kind of recognition he deserves from UK audiences, despite regular UK tours (he was here for five dates in early-February, his third UK tour with his quartet, playing music from this album – don't miss him next time). Down under in Oz he is one of his country's leading jazz musicians, a member of Clarion Fracture Zone, although sadly not working much these days, was in its day Australia's leading jazz group – Spence's contribution to Canticle with the group especially rewarding. The Spence Trio is effectively Clarion's rhythm section, bassist Lloyd Swanton (also a key member of The Necks), while drummer Hall has worked with most of Oz's leading jazz musicians including the doyen of jazz down under, Mike Nock. So this is a group of high achievers who largely deliver on this experimental 2-CD set. Swanton's bowed figures, percussion and electronics introduces the harumscarum ‘Flight Path’ and from time to time Spence colours the music with pre-recorded samples that aligns the band with the gadget-conscious 21st century, creating their own space with layers of sound that has its roots in his early experiments with Clarion on Blue Shift that dates back to 1990. Contrasting spontaneously conceived sound-bites of under two minutes with more artfully conceived compositions and open ended time-no-changes pieces that can extend for up to 10 minutes, this voyage of exploration is good when it's good, but also a little self-consciously ‘arty’ in places. But in a sense this doesn't matter, since here is a group of musicians dedicated to trying things out, and have the self confidence to know true art emerges through reaching – sometimes you may not get there but it's the journey that counts.