Is this electronic music? Is it samba? Is it jazz? Is it classical minimalism? It’s hard to say what, exactly, is happening on Ambivalence, but it’s one of the most intriguing and beguiling records of the year. At times, Hayashi comes across as a Henry Flynt figure, blurring the line between process and composition.

Night music. Japanese chanteuse and composer Maki Asakawa’s career spanned three decades, experimenting with the forms of jazz, folk, blues and pop. And while adept at all of the aforementioned, the artist was at her most interesting when she worked her own hybrid of sound. And in the case of standards, she often elevated the original material to new heights in mood, tone and texture.

A power trio of different stripes. Featuring Carla Bley associate Wolfgang Puschnig on sax and flute, Uli Scherer of Vienna Art Orchestra on piano and keys, and vocalist Linda Sharrock,  AM 4 (short for “A Monastic Quartet” – perhaps a nod to Alice Coltrane’s A Monastic Trio, which featured a five-piece band) blend meditative jazz with Eastern motifs their 1989 lp …And She Answered.

Some beautiful/beguiling sounds. This one is kinda like a classic ECM LP that’s been chopped, screwed, glitched and dubbed out. It goes beyond being a gimmick, though – Improvisations On An Apricot is an immersive listen, filled with rich tones and enveloping ambiance. There are gentle, peaceful vibes throughout, but it never turns into sonic wallpaper; there’s something new, fresh and weird happening from moment to moment. 

Jurado went on a long, strange trip and has re-emerged perhaps better than ever. His economical writing remains intact in its potency, and the subtle arrangements of piano and strings do just enough to crystallize his already immortal voice. Perhaps the spiritual awakening has only just begun.

Having successfully pushed the boundaries of what defines the Wilco sound on their previous two LPs, (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot / A Ghost Is Born), Jeff Tweedy and co. returned in 2007 with Sky Blue Sky. A mature album honing in on the more traditional song structures found on the group’s earlier output, the album was initially dismissed by a faction of their fanbase. Don’t make the same mistake.

An experimental minimalist from the Texas hill country, Charles Ditto self-released In Human Terms on his own label in 1987. He calls it “nootropic deconstructed pop minimalism,” and it slots nicely with the spacey ambient worlds of Michele Mercure, Pauline Anna Strom, and Savant. Picture round shapes floating through a light fog and you’re in the right astral territory.

Australian power trio — piano, drums, bass. One long, slowly unfolding composition that blooms into a full-on rock assault, before sliding back into a terse groove