Japanese noise titan Merzbow (aka Masami Akita) is an odd figure to grace the pages of Jazzwise, but this new collaboration with Swedish sax-attacker Gustafsson and Hungarian percussionist Pandi sets out its stall admirably for those attracted to the more outré fringes of the music. The trio have collaborated before a number of times (including with Cafe OTO fave, Thurston Moore), but Cuts Open is quite different from their previous, more ferocious outings.

This beautifully-recorded set explores the more airy, spacious end of the avant-jazz spectrum; Cuts Open's four lengthy extemporisations are more about exploring texture and space than all-out aural assault. There's a real feeling of spontaneity here – the musicians wait for the music to take them (as well as the listener) on a journey, rather than arriving at the studio with a pre­planned agenda. The result is music that builds from spacious serenity (Pandi is particularly impressive on this set, making full use of the textures offered him by his percussion) to fiery crescendo. The instruments also mesh into an organic whole, so half the fun is trying to work out what instrument's making what sound. This is an album made to be listened to on headphones – the cavernous sound spaces, the shimmer of cymbals, the scrape of metal on metal and Gustafsson's tonguing are superbly rendered on this intimate, yet huge-sounding, recording.