Moritz Von Oswald’s latest release ‘Vertical Ascent’ was described by Villalobos as ‘a frequency massage’. When Villalobos himself says something like this you know its going to be worth a listen.

My very first impressions of ‘Vertical Ascent’ were shaped by the mastery of its production; the richness and intricacy of which allows for defined layering which provides a solid foundation for improvisation to build upon. From the very begins of ‘Pattern1’ (the first of 4 patterns within this release) it is clear that Von Oswald and fellow musicians Vladislav Delay and Max Loderbauer have created a sound that is distinctive and far reaching. It is a record that never feels limited in scope. Although their sound is definitely rooted in techno, the live and improvisation elements make it sound more like futuristic jazz, rather than something that should be played in a club environment. Hopefully the music competition between hard bop jazz purists and electronic jazzers won’t be an aggressive one.