Elm & Oak

Pnuma Trio’s Alex Botwin steps out on his own for his first solo release, Moments. Delivering 17 tracks over 45 minutes, the disc situates itself somewhere in the trip-hop and electronica realm with some classic soul soul and jazz tossed in for good measure. The album is aptly described as “a careful mix of analog and digital sounds elevated by imaginative samples and the insight of a classically trained musician.” While some of it feels comfortable, the results rarely feel formulaic.

While the totality of the work contains its own logic and atmosphere, the highlights tend to be the longer tracks: “At Channel One” opens the album and makes an compelling move from more aggressive approach into a mellow dub beats while “Getting to Know You” surprises with a sublime hook that evokes classic soul.

Still the title ultimately proves fitting as Botwin keep things moving, sliding from one idea to the other, from the ambient ““Talk it Out,” to the spacier “Hide Extension” to the bass-heavy “Clicking Away.”

All in all Alex B, has crafted a release with plenty of worthy moments.