Tomo Katsurada & Misha Panfilov 
When this record was announced, it seemed like a surreal dream, a meeting of linked souls with psychedelic hearts. Over the past few years Misha Panfilov has become a household name, at least among those looking to burrow into the best reaches of funk, psych, and soul-jazz. The Estonian composer has wrought solo wonders, re-imagined Library music’s potential, and branched out into kinetic jazz frequencies in his Septet. It seems only natural that he might be drawn to Tomo Katsurada, himself a eclectic experimenter, and most widely known as the guitarist for the much-beloved and sorely missed Kikagaku Moyo. The first taste of the album, “Mostra,” only hinted at what was to come in the pair’s collaboration, though. It opened the album with promises of psych-funk fantasies but they’re just the beginning of the journey.
As the album opens up and blooms, it doesn’t play only to the impulses of groove and grit. By the time the listener gets into “Cymbal Symbol” the record turns towards gauzy atmospheres and lush arrangements. Mid-point meltdown, “Mokoba” feels like it might fit right into the mix on a later KM album, but there’s a propulsion to it that’s purely indebted to Panfilov, echoing some of his inspired remix work (see: Jeffrey Silverstein). The record refuses to settle into genre, feeling instead like a hallucinogenic soundtrack out of the b-movie bin, the kind of thing that turns up on Finders Keepers years after the fact to the cheers of collectors. Each time it anchors into beat it’s set free on the next track, floating into the ether on “Mosaic Memory” and burrowing into crystalline textures and NEU burble on “Hundreds Spirits.” The record’s momentum is infectious, and it’s best to go in with an open heart and just follow where the pair leads you. Like I said, a surreal dream, but one that’s perfectly realized.