Perseverance Flow [CD]

Chicago's acclaimed ensemble Natural Information Society (NIS) returns with Perseverance Flow, a bold new LP that distills over 15 years of sonic exploration into a single, continuous 37-minute composition. Featuring the core quartet-Joshua Abrams (guimbri), Lisa Alvarado (harmonium), Mikel Patrick Avery (drums), and Jason Stein (bass clarinet)-the album marks a shift from recent guest-heavy releases to a studio-as-collaborator approach. Abrams and engineer Greg Norman push post-production into the foreground, warping timbres and textures into a mesmerizing dub-infused soundscape. Drawing from minimalism, modal jazz, and traditional musics, Perseverance Flow is both a destruction and creation myth-an immersive, rhythmically intricate journey that rewards deep listening. Described as "energetically nutritious" by The Wire, this is NIS at it's most formally experimental and emotionally resonant.