Tonino Miano Trio - MOSS / electric [Aut Records 159]

Put out on the circuit via the Italian staple that is Aut Records on July 22nd, 2k26 is "MOSS / electric", the latest musical outing by the group named Tonino Miano Trio which is comprised of named Tonino Miano, Ricardo Grosso and Andrea Melani. Employing a sonic arsenal of piano, double bass and drums as well as synthesizers and modular systems the triumvirate of artists caters a menu of nine tracks rolled out over roughly 51 minutes total playtime opening with the rather meditative and ritualistic combination of somewhat chiming metallic percussions and seductive drum grooves to be found in the opening cut "Intro / Light Under The Tongue" which in parts and sequences evokes memories of a classic Minimal Music approach before introducing deep melancholia and elegic string harmonies alongside late night Jazz pianos whilst the subsequent "Moon Droplets On My Sleeve" apparently leaves electronics out of the equation and focuses on tentative piano runs backed by rather intricately arranged background grooves and tender bass backings whereas "Mycelium" certainly is on a playful, tongue-in-cheek and slightly anarchic tip, featuring quite a bunch of warped and warbled off kilter sounds which sound like a processed trumpet or mutilated horn without those instruments being credited on the album as a part of the sonic array. With "After Current" the Torrino Miano Trio dives deep into tender nocturnal Jazz minimalisms and sparse, almost skeletal structures with only a few modular interferences before introducing a lively swing approach, the title track "Moss Electric" weighs in lively and curious modular plinkerings leading into a playful and certainly joyous exploration of Free Improov-leaning Jazz vibes with the following "Filament Drift" catering a fluttering and slightly psychedelic tension that is unprecedented on this album, especially as we see the trio flirting with muscular DarkJazz and chaotic experimentalisms here. Furthermore "Chlorophilia" is as peaceful, intimate and enchanted as its title suggest, "Eight Minutes To The Sun" takes on lightspeed travel in an astoundingly stripped down and intimate way, basicly relying on chiming pianos and a background sax occasionally emerging from deep inside the mix with a further evolution towards even more tender late night grooves whilst the aptly named "Outro" waves goodbye and comes full circle with a focus on complex and captivating drum x percussion workouts once again. Go check.