he experimental German imprint Konkurrent’s In the Fishtank series has been one of the most admirable projects of modern improvisational music, even if the actual results are not always all that stunning. The series pairs musicians with other groups they admire and gives them studio time to record an EP together. Though the combinations often haven’t made sense on the surface, and some of the albums have played as failed experiments, many of the releases have been surprisingly worthwhile, adding previously unforeseen new facets to the oeuvres of the artists involved. Fortunately, such is the case with the series’ newest installment, which may just be the best one yet.


Of course, the joining of avant-rockers Sonic Youth with the European free jazz collective Instant Composers Pool and Dutch industrial noisemakers the Ex (who paired with Tortoise on a previous Fishtank session), may make more sense than most of the preceding volumes. But that doesn’t make the accomplishment here any less impressive: thirty minutes of free, unstructured playing that regularly congeals and rarely sounds aimless.


These eight numbered (but not consecutive) pieces provide plenty of room for each player to make a distinct impression. The Youth (with Jim O’Rourke, but missing Kim Gordon) provide gritty, noisy structures that often provide a loose framework for flights of fancy by the horn players (trombonist Wolter Wierbos and saxophonist Ab Baars, both of I.C.P.) and percussionists (I.C.P.’s Han Bennick and SY collaborator William Winant). The Ex’s contributions are a little less obvious—even unnoticeable at times—but they provide occasional spikes of electronic noise that often blend into the dissonant contributions of the other two groups.


These pieces have enough variety to provide ample opportunity for different aspects of this collaboration to come to the forefront. On “IX,” the jam is led by the freeform guitar of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Jim O’Rourke. The pair complements each other well with dissonant, scratchy guitar textures, each player panned to a separate channel. Even with this separation, their work blends beautifully, and the busy, clanging percussion in the background provides a skittering bed that holds up the Daydream Nation-ish noise like leaves on a fast-flowing river.


The opening piece “III” is another guitar showcase, though Moore and O’Rourke provide some more restrained contributions here. The decaying licks on this track are backed by jazzy drum fills and enough empty space to give the listener some breathing room. Similarly, the I.C.P. showcase “V” begins with hesitant, airy sax and trombone figures which are sporadically attacked by spurts of electronic distortion and clamoring percussion. The track is reminiscent of O’Rourke’s quirky Xylophonen Virtuosen collaboration with saxophonist Mats Gustaffson, though this piece works far better than anything on that meandering album.This EP’s greatest strength is its ability to be enthralling and enjoyable in addition to existing as an interesting concept; these recordings strike a balance between accessibility/listenability and experimentalism. The best track is the closer, “X,” which is also the most traditional and structured song here. Driven along by propulsive, tribal drums, all the players take turns soloing, trading off quick, effects-laden guitar lines with upbeat horn melodies. It’s five minutes of soulful, taut interplay that’s worth the price of admission alone.


Of course, there are moments that just don’t work, like the overly sluggish “VI,” on which all the players seem to take a backseat, and nobody steps forward to drive. That’s to be expected on nearly any improv work. But the majority of the EP is a compelling listen showcasing some fantastic interactive playing. These three groups blend naturally—all are adept improvisers with plenty of experience, and it shows. This is about the best we can expect from this fine series: three disparate groups all focusing their strengths to create a new, fascinating music that none of them could have created alone.