Calm’s latest release is a collection of live recordings made during a tour of Kyushyu in April this year. The 14 tracks were captured at 3 venues: Navaro in Kumamoto, Keith Flack in Fukuoka and Lagbag in Kagoshima. 

All the pieces are improvised epics, performed by Calm and saxophonist and long-term collaborator Yuichiro Kato. The music is a mix of jazz, electronics and programmed beats, In every case the spotlight is on Kato’s playing. His saxophone bleating, blasting, free skronking, screeching, soaring, leading everything. Demonstrating some serious chops. On the first of 2 takes of Shining Light Of Life, a feel good hit of gospel house that features close group harmonies, he does, for example, a damn fine Pharoah Sanders. 

Calm’s accompaniment is kinda kosmische, kinda Tangerine Dream. Consisting of rushing, racing, but relaxing, electronic arpeggios, flickering frequencies and tubular bell chimes. More often than not he treats audiences to extended intros, where swirling, swooning synths synergise with the odd Fender Rhodes flourish. Sometimes deploying walls of dubwise delay. Light Years opens with pizzicato string patterns. Space Is My Place starts with peaceful piano and low harmonium drone. 

When they do kick in, rhythms range from head-nodding boom bap to a Giorgio Morroder-esque chase. Skipping, funkily, along the way. The chugging Undub builds its tribal, trance-dancing groove around loop from Guem et Zaka Percussion’s Le Serpent. Despite titles like Step Into and Dive Into Darkness the entire album constitutes an uplifting, joyful noise. 

Calm’s Feel the Moment: Laboratory Live in Kyushyu can be ordered directly from Bandcamp.