Moritz von Oswald Trio - Live In New York (Double vinyl LP)

Big Moritz is back with his neckerchief and BFFs Sasu Ripatti and Max Loderbauer for another round of high grade electronic improv, also featuring Carl Craig and Francois K this time around, and I'm happy to report it's as enjoyable as the first. As far as I know the trio was always conceived as more of a live proposition and it sounded as though the first record was largely recorded that way so this seems to me more like a second album proper than the 'mere' live document that it might initially appear - certainly crowd noise is often completely conspicuous by its absence but the odd ill-timed "YEH!"s and "WHOO-HOOOO!"s do add a little comedy value from time to time. The vast majority of the set is given over to an incredibly subtle dubby ambience which eventually morphs into the more rhythmic forms of the final track, a real highlight that sounds like someone strapped Sun Ra's Rhodes to the back of a truck, fastened his seatbelt and got Klaus Dinger to drive him through the Channel Tunnel. Total quality as you'd expect.