Title: Mercurial Balm, Thomas Stronen & Iain Ballamy Type: CD Label: ECM Code: 2269 Release date: 2012 Thomas Stronen (drums, percussion, electronics), Iain Ballamy (saxophones, electronics), Christian Fennesz (guitar, electronics), Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics), Prakash Sontakke (slide-guitar, vocal), Nils Petter Molv?r (trumpet - 6) The Food team of Norwegian drummer Stronen and British saxophonist Ballamy continues to invite guests to bring something to the table. The form-and-texture conscious improvisations here are drawn from live performances in Norway, England and Germany and studio sessions at Oslo’s Rainbow. To the latter group belong tracks on which Indian slide guitarist and singer Prakash Sontakke is partnered by Eivind Aarset’s atmospheric guitar and electronics. The first half of the album finds Food augmented by Austrian guitarist Christian Fennesz, taking further the experiments with layers of sound begun on Quiet Inlet. Nils Petter Molv?r joins Stronen, Ballamy and Fennesz for a track recorded at Mannheim’s Enjoy Jazz Festival. Titles   1. Nebular 2. Celestial Food 3. Ascendant 4. Phase 5. Astral 6. Moonpie 7. Chanterelle 8. Mercurial Balm 9. Magnetosphere 10.Galactic Roll