Intaglio vinyl

Japan's Motohiki Hamase, one of the nation's most revered jazz bassists, has primarily released music with the Isao Suzuki Quartet, but the output under his own name has always intrigued us - especially given that he's now out through Mule Musiq, and that this is his first solo outing since 1993! Intaglio strays way beyond the natural confinements of jazz, taking the gnere's heart and soul into an electronic voyage that seems to be totally undefinable. 'Organic ambient' seems to be the clearest way to describe these atmospheric experiments, a collection of rhythmic collages powered by Hamase's understanding of timing, acoustic balance, and the power that traditional jazz instruments can impose when processed in an innovative style. This is all about detail and aesthetic, so it comes recommended to fans of Cafe Oto's output, to cite one example. Warmly recommended.