Steph Richards

With 'Power Vibe', Richards pushes even further, marrying avant garde and cinematic moods with a kind of infectious and patently pleasing tunefulness.

The addition of "sensory electronics" -- subtle but compelling textures and tactile rhythms which are physically triggered by drum- mounted sensors -- compels fascination here, interweaving a kind of aural hyper-lucidity throughout the record. Though boldly original, this music strides surefootedly alongside the work of contemporaries like Nicole Mitchell and Rob Mazurek and the late jaimie branch.