The sound and vision of this brilliant piano trio is directed by a blend of Vallon’s musical language and interaction, compositions from Patrice Moret (bass), Samuel Rohrer (drums) and from Vallon himself, as well as a notable absence of soloing in the rhythm section and minimal pauses between pieces.

There were surely points in the music where an individual musician was featured, but the trio’s wide approach to the arc of each set meant that these solo roles were so often textural. In fact, much of this pulsing music resided outside of the ‘foreground’; hypnotic vamps that started out as miniature ripples came to a crashing conclusion, leaving us wondering how the music got so intense without us noticing. Rohrer enjoyed free reign, liberally dashing the soundscape with his cymbals, often leaving the role of timekeeper up to Moret.

The complexity of some parts in the music was understated – in the way that only a group who has been playing together for years can simultaneously abstract a simple idea – however, at some points the trio seemed eager to head straight for the abstract, possibly before a particular mood had fully given up all of its potential.

– Patrick Groenland