8/10

Over these last few years, the jazz-inspired influence has become a mainstay in some of today's more innovative groups. With the likes of black midi, Squid, and O. all finding enormous praise and acclaim for their work, it has allowed some of the older entries of the scene to make their presence known. Having already turned out the tantalising LPs 'This Is Not The Place' and 'The Colossus Is Coming' in recent years, US outfit Auric Echoes are looking to deliver their most explorative release to date with their third studio album 'Division For Human Ascension', a record brimming with fresh and interesting ideas.

While the general tone of this new collection certainly fits the mould to what they have been pursuing so far, 'Division For Human Ascension' has a far more inventive appeal than anything they have delivered before. Working this heady mix of brash electronic aesthetics into their sound, and cultivating some brilliantly bold and riveting production methods to boot, their latest offering has this wildly unpredictable nature to it. Whether they are exploring a progressive and anthemic soundscape, or something more ethereal, there remains this vibrancy at the heart of everything they do.

Auric Echoes may still be working the peripheries of the scene right now, but 'Division For Human Ascension' feels like a commanding statement of intent as to where their direction will be heading next. Oozing with these immersive textures that fly off into explosions of sound regularly enough, they are returning to the fold with some of their most ambitious material to date here.