Swiss piano trio Divr (pronounced "diver") have been around for some time, but Is This Water, appearing from Helsinkis We Jazz label, is their debut album. Pianist Philipp Eden, double bassist Raphael Walser, and drummer Jonas Ruther offer a mysterious approach to the jazz piano trio. Their musical practice is real-time composing -- the piano doesnt lead -- in mostly acoustic improvisations that loop organically, without quite repeating. They play in multidirectional time simultaneously yet manage to flow and land together. In real-time composition, each players strengths and technical and stylistic idiosyncrasies are displayed, channeled, and amplified in the creative process. The finished product is usually elegant, intricate, and mysterious. On set opener "As of Now" a two-chord piano vamp -- that eerily recalls the first two chords of Joe Jacksons "Steppin Out" -- is anchored by a rumbling, seemingly random bassline offering accents and detuned riffs under an irregularly pulsed rim-shot snare and sundry other kit elements (whispering cymbals, a shimmering hi-hat, a syncopated kick drum, etc.). While Eden continues to play those chords, he adds unusual harmonies by plucking the pianos strings, amplifying the pedals, and using ambient electronics to fill the backdrop before the tune abruptly ends. "Upeksha" sounds as if it begins in the middle. A two-note piano vamp is embellished by strategically placed cymbals, tom-tom, and snare emerging behind Ruthers attractive rhythmic statement. It opens up the entire track, inspiring expansive chord voicings, drifting electronics, and Walsers elliptical, imaginative, meaty bassline. What becomes obvious is that each tune contains a core loop that embellishes a bright turn of phrase that makes it unique. Divr apply this approach to covers too. "Supreme Sweetness" is a radically re-envisioned take on the ballad standard "Sweet and Lovely," by Gus Arnheim, Charles N. Daniels, and Harry Tobias. Its rendered almost bouncy as the opening progression gets chopped up, turned in on itself, and expanded, becoming something else entirely. "Tea High" commences sparsely but gradually evokes post-bop. "VHS Tomorrow" employs found field recordings amid sustained piano chords and electronic drones. Radioheads "All I Need," rather than being introduced by melodic drones, establishes Edens piano offering blissed-out, augmented chords that unfold one note at a time. Its lyric melody, played at a slightly quicker tempo, emerges like a fantasia amid staggered rhythms and an alternate bassline melody. Broadcasts "Echos Answer" is introduced by a bowed upright bass, droning white noise, and a clipped rim-shot snare. Divr leave out the originals glitchy stops as Eden harmoniously ratchets up the tension and mirrors it to the rhythm section. Is This Water, with all its mystery, evidences the arrival of a compelling new piano trio on the 21st century jazz scene. While they dont sound the same, their engaging aesthetic should qualitatively appeal to fans of the Necks, countryman Nik Bartsch, and E.S.T. ~ Thom Jurek

Rovi