Marriage Material - Enchantment Under The Sea (2023) LP

As a follow-up to their wildly eclectic, self-titled debut in 2021, the four members of the intensely virtuosic Berlin-based instrumental group Marriage Material have found a new gear on 'Enchantment Under the Sea'. Anchored by the powerhouse precision drumming of Felix Lehrmann and the resounding groove of electric bassist Thomas Stieger, augmented by kaleidoscopic contributions from Raphael Meinhart on vibes, marimba, MalletKAT Pro and synth and pyrotechnic shredding from six-string marvel Arto Makela, this potent collection of intelligent high-energy music conjures up favorable comparisons to everyone from Philip Glass and Frank Zappa to Joe Zawinul, Allan Holdsworth, King Crimson and Tribal Tech.

And while those varied influences may seep into the fabric of the ten compositions here, the members of Marriage Material apply their own personal touch to the material, which they've come to define as "cinematic jazz."