It’s easy to be suspicious of labels. It was months before I decided to find out how Pepsi had “Max’ed” themselves. And something’s still not right with those labels that say “Made in China”. However some labels are definitely more intriguing and provocative than others. “Zen-Funk” is the term used to describe the music of Swiss composer and pianist Nik Baertsch and his band Ronin. The title was bestowed on the band by Nik himself as acknowledgement of the influence Eastern philosophies and the music of James Brown had on his own compositions.

“Tightly organized compositional construction” is the motto for the band and S T O A is so organized at times that I kind of expected the CD to put itself back on the shelf and chronologically re-arrange the rest of my collection. The Swiss affection for order shines through on this album as the band, (who are incredibly tight) stick to what feels like a very regimented series of patterns. Some may argue that this leaves no room for spontaneity, improvisation or surprise; however, improvisation does play a part in S T O A. The relationships between the sounds produced by each of the musicians in the band (five altogether), is one of the themes explored on this album. Tone, depth and space are themes that have a constant presence in all the tracks presented here. Silence is used to highlight the texture of the notes either side, and draws in our attention, heightening that most fantastic of senses – expectation. Harmonies that don’t sit quite right and rhythms that go far beyond the generic 4/4 jostle for attention as frantic ostinatos jump and scatter from Baertsch’s keys.

S T O A is not a collection of chill-out European Jazz tracks. Many dinner parties would find this uncomfortable background noise as sections of each track may repeat for minutes without any noticeable change. However, this is not an album intended for those looking for instant satisfaction. With all tracks weighing in at over 9 minutes, the emphasis is on the listeners’ relationship to the sounds and the ability of those sounds to affect the listener and in some way provide a small glimpse of enlightenment. This goes back to the notion of “Zen-Funk”. Nik Baertsch seems to want us to respond to his music in an almost spiritual way and for us to gain some sort of insight as to the inner workings of his (probably ridiculously tidy) mind. S T O A does do this to an extent. Whilst it may not provide the groovy soundtrack for your journeys along the path to enlightenment – and it’s definitely more Bodhidharma than James Brown – it does hint heavily at where this experimental, forward thinking Swiss composer is taking music. This is an album for all those concerned with the growth of rhythm and melody and an interest in challenging the ideas we hold about what music should be.