Tied & Tickled Trio (same title)

On paper, any attempt to bond old-school jazz with traces of burbling electronica might read as hackneyed or contrived, but with this, their debut (and as such, their mission statement) the Tied and Tickled Trio manage to pull it off admirably. In lesser hands, this blueprint might come off trite or heavy handed; the key here is subtlety and space. Indeed, the majority of these delicate, faintly elusive compositions thrive in the context of their wide-open, unhurried surroundings. By not tipping their hand too early, the trio also set the listener up for a few welcome surprises; it's not until halfway through the staccato strut of second track, "Mutant," that we even get a hint of Johannes Enders' rippling tenor sax. From this point on, the jazzier tone of the record gradually becomes more prominent, culminating with Enders' full-fledged freakout on album climax "Constant." It's a perfect exclamation mark on a daring but wholly successful venture.