It is difficult to determine exactly what instrument some sounds might come from. One consistently valuable point of origin is creative cohesion, but there are also times when the music is more "simply stirred" than truly stirring. Still, the formula leads to numerous dynamic phrases.

A double-album rather than such a mercilessly tight edit might have represented the participants’ individual as well as collective contributions more fairly on this fearlessly action-packed experiment - but the participants want to tour it live, and it will be a fascinating experience when they do.

The ever-shifting, ever-changing XXXX soundscapes aren’t kaleidoscopic, because the band eschews static patterns, allows little repetition and has strong narrative thrust. There are no obvious song forms, either, although the tone of the album is not iconoclastic but rather expansive.

XXXX managed to keep my attention throughout, which is no mean feat for purely improvised music, and I found it actively engaged my imagination in a way I haven’t experienced for quite some time… at its considerable best XXXX offers some of the trippiest, most purely enjoyable electro-acoustic improv currently out there.