CalmAmbient Jazz Vinyl LP

“Ambient Jazz” is Calm’s latest album, his 19th - not counting live sets - since he began recording in 1997. This title is pretty apt, since it accurately describes a sound that Calm has, step by step, been perfecting during his near 30 year career.

While Calm’s musical roots lie in house and techno his recorded output has incorporated an eclectic range of influences, and arguably with each new release he has moved further away from the constraints of the genres that first inspired him.

Calm has also recruited a trusted, talented team of musicians, many of whom appear in this new set. The opening number, “Yorimichi”, for example, features long-stranding collaborator Kato Yuichiro, on sax, plus violinist, Ren, aka Accovio. The track is also a cool illustration of how Calm’s compositions work. Acting as bandleader, his programming provides a sympathetic backing, within which every player is allowed their turn to shine. Here, he begins with low drones and pulses, a buzzing blackness, from which strings, keys and then reeds emerge. Like dawn breaking night. The saxophone and violin eventually taking flight, singing separate, but complimentary songs, the piece taking on complexity with Calm conjuring Tangerine Dream-esque arpeggios. The results suggesting an evolving cosmic exploration.

“After Dark” introduces Sugimoto Tomokazu’s soft, slow, contrabass swing beneath Kato’s serenade and the rolling piano of another old friend, Shibata Toshitaka. Calm contributes sighs - like a lapping tide - and then pacy pizzicato patterns. Rimshots ring like finger clicks.

“Ephemeral Colored Moments” showcases the skills of members of dub 5-piece, Echomaker, namely Kakoi Eiko’s flute and Sakaguchi Shuichiro’s trumpet. The latter recalling the muted, melancholy horns of Mark Isham’s `80s film soundtracks. Calm’s accompaniment, in this case, flashes back to the IDM of `90s rave chillout rooms. Creating fluttering, fractal frequencies, bubbling, buoyant, musical molecules and tubular bell-like chimes, similar, say to Mixmaster Morris’ “Lotus Position”.

“River Is Deep” runs into a tranquil space, rich with reverb, populated by understated, brushed cymbal crashes and a very classy solo from Shibata. His tinkling ivories dancing through cascades and crescendos. The mood reflective, romantic. Sugimoto’s B-line bringing everything together, briefly, in a tight groove.

“Jazz Acid” reverses the late `80s London term, while embracing its original, genre bending-colliding spirit. Sakaguchi riding Sugimoto’s smooth, syncopated rhythm, while Calm adds Roland TB-303 tickles and squiggles, where a more conventional quintet’s guitar might be.

“7 Steps Backward, 8 Steps Forward” has quickening handpan harmonics, care of the artist Kimnee, countered by Kato’s soothing swooning. The instruments swirling, whirling around a drum track like a totally relaxed, resting heartbeat.

“Midnight Blue” opens overtly electronic, all ping-ponging bleeps before bass and saxophone join in. The sax soaring, phenomenal, fantastic, supported by synths like warm summer swells / thermals. The tune, beatless, beautiful, blooming. The closing “Just A Love Song” gives Ren’s elegant, aching orchestration the spotlight.

The 8 tracks more than live up to the album’s title, with the assembled ensemble improvising around each other, seamlessly mixing real, virtuoso chops with sensitive synthesised treatments.