Noted for their work with the likes of Zara McFarlane, Peter Edwards and Denys Baptiste among others, Golding and Boyd have more than served notice of their rapidly developing talent over the last few years. But this debut nonetheless springs the proverbial surprise above all for the premise itself. The drums-horn duet is a relatively uncommon and unforgiving format that requires both rich content and chemistry between the players for any hope of artistic success. In such a sparse, open setting there is no place to hide, so to speak, and the question of how to engage the listener without the additional colour of chords and counterpoint is paramount. Saxophonist Golding and drummer Boyd broach the subject in many ways, sometimes constructing a piece as two lengthy entwined solos, in which the horn pummels and pirouettes as much as the drums do, and the percussive quality of each instrument reinforces that of the other (‘No Long Tings’), sometimes giving the kit more of a conga-darbuka feel (‘Black Avenue Maria’) that enhances the eastern character of the reed. And sometimes creating a kind of unplugged dub ambiance (‘The Creeper’) that suggests an acoustic rather than electric trance. In any case each particular facet of the black diasporan musical culture into which the duo taps is re-channeled with sufficient maturity and imagination to make the point that the players don't see their harmonically denuded context solely as an outlet by which to further the great Trane-Rashied Ali legacy. If there are other pertinent references then they would be Jackie McLean-Michael Carvin's Antiquity or Kahil El'Zabar-David Murray's Golden Sea. Although Golding and Boyd do not use their voices there is occasionally a singing, African-Caribbean folk vibe in the session that is well served by the spontaneous, ‘first take’ feel of the recording.