The album title makes it clear: double bassist Reza Askari and his quintet aren't going to make things easy for the listener this time either. But the ensemble hasn't been known for easily digestible bubblegum jazz anyway – and that remains the case.

With the ten tracks on »xAYb v8v dYAx«, Askari embarks on another journey of exploration – constantly searching for structural elements amidst the rampant chaos. This time, he found inspiration in a musical form of expression that, despite the radical nature of his music, one wouldn't expect upon first listen: extreme metal, as practiced by bands like Meshuggah or The Dillinger Escape Plan.

It's not so much the raw aggression as the balancing act between repetition, breaks, symmetry, and asymmetry that fascinates him. Throughout the album, the avant-garde jazz quintet constantly varies tempo and energy: alongside seemingly restless pieces like the opener "404" or "H 21 Z 106," there are also slower songs like "ADHS." Besides Askari himself, Lina Allemano on trumpet and vibraphonist Christopher Dell, with their dazzling playing, are particularly captivating.