Colin Edwin & Lorenzo Feliciati: Twinscapes Vol. 2: A Modern Approach To The Dancefloor

On their first album, Twinscapes (Rare Noise, 2014), British bassist Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) and Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati (Naked Truth) explored ambient soundscapes, improvisation and progressive jazz/rock with help from guest musicians like Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer (a pioneer of electronic jazz) and British saxophonist David Jackson (of Van der Graaf Generator). The second volume comes from the same place, but with a bit more emphasis on dance rhythms (as "dancefloor" in the subtitle implies).

Italian drummer Roberto Gualdi played on two tracks on the first album. After touring with him as a trio, Edwin and Feliciati quickly grew to appreciate his musicality. His presence on all of the tracks here makes a significant contribution to the dancefloor groove of the project (although Edwin is again credited with "rhythm design"). "Tin Can" opens the album with a straight dance floor feel. Here as elsewhere both bassists contribute to the bass grooves, but Feliciati is more audible in the arrangements with his keyboard and guitar parts. "Severing Suns" (the longest track) adds synthesized vocals to the mix, producing an intriguing blend of choral and dance music.

"Bedroom Corner" opens with acoustic piano, a new texture that is supplanted by keyboards. "Future Echo" had more of a fusion sound, aided by Feliciati's overdubbed guitars (which also play a prominent role in building to a climax on "In A Daze"). "Ghosts of Tangier" has a special place, as it is a feature for the drums (with Gualdi's sole co-composer credit on the album). The leaders built an ambient soundscape, with the drums shaping the atmosphere. "The (next) Level Think" continues the ambient texture for the opening before going into a reggae groove.

Lots of great bass playing on display here—and it's certainly rare to hear two fretless bass parts on the same track—but the improvisational compositions are the real star. This is music which should interest fans of instrumental jazz/rock/fusion—bass fans or not.