Buzz Bahdur: Horizontal Life (Rhythmethod)

Don't let the cheap cover put you off: this is a genuine slice of 70's-based jazz-fusion (with an overlay of contemporary world music and effects) by guitarist/composer Roy Venkataraman -- here as Buzz Bahdur -- whose CV boasts playing in Bob Marley's Wailers, on numerous television ads, appearing on Brooke Fraser's album What To Do With Daylight and so much more.

He seems to be based in Auckland (he's played on themes for Maori TV and some of this was recorded in Auckland) but his worldview is wide: there is tabla-driven trance music of the kind you might expect at a Full Moon Party in Thailand, downbeat mood music, synthesised symphonic sounds from the far reaches of Saturn, aggressively free, touches of 80s soundtracks, and jazz figures everywhere.

You don't often hear albums like this these days, music which is ambitous, crafted, slightly over-polished and genuinely unusual in a good way.