Perpetual Motion Machine - Ignition (2017)

The debut studio release from Perpetual Motion Machine, "Ignition" is a concept album arranged around the theme of infinite or recurring cycles of time. Recurring throughout, the idea appears as much in Dale Harrop's beautiful Escher/DaVinci-inspired cover illustration, as it does in the field recording of the late Dorset stonemason 'Skylark' Durston reading his own poetry on the closing track, "Fog Circle". Unusually, the record is a mixture of original pieces by various band members, and group improvisations performed in the studio, under the direction of producer Sam Hobbs.

The essence of PMM is its unusual lineup of twin guitars and twin tenor saxophones, ensuring that any listener armed with a good pair of headphones is literally surrounded as Sam Dunn's intricate post-bop lines contrast with the wailing Gibson SG of his guitar partner Jamie Taylor in the opposite channel. Saxophonists Riley Stone-Lonergan and Ben Lowman cover similarly wide-ranging territory, the former as exquisite on the ballad "Orbits" as he is ferocious on "The Cut"; the latter delivering deep-in-the-pocket funk on the title track, deft counter melody on his own "Fog Circle", and sinister bass clarinet on the improvised "Sulphur City Rendezvous". Meanwhile, bassist Garry Jackson and drummer Steve Hanley do not merely underpin the above (though this they do, with powerful, febrile grooves), but feature equally prominently throughout as solo voices and composers. Jackson takes the melodic lead on "The Cut" and "Ursa Minor", and contributes the quirky "Zen" as a lithe sax/bass/drums trio feature. Meanwhile, at the centre of the album, Steve Hanley's beautiful "Orbits" makes the calm, stately progress of a generation ship travelling between star systems.

The music is very much its own but, in terms of reference points, the edgy art-rock and jazz-rock of the 1970s certainly informs the PMM sound, particularly in its earlier, untamed incarnations. However, there are modern influences too and, whether your favourite orchestra is Mahavishnu or Cinematic, you should find plenty to enjoy.