The clues were there long ago that Kevin Figes, the Bristol-based reeds player and composer, might move toward more implacably personal outlands eventually - early sax lessons with the freewheeling Elton Dean, and collaborations with genre-busting piano virtuoso Keith Tippett, for a start. But his affection for prog-rock, and rapport with Bristol guitarist Denny Ilett's Hendrix-dedicated orchestra and sax star Pee Wee Ellis' jazz-funk bands, often suggested that Figes' preferences would rarely be far from a groove.

After a recording sabbatical from 2016, he resurfaced with Changing Times, an edgy 2020 mix of 1970s experimenters Henry Cow's music, and 20th century classical devices from Lutoslawski, Berio and others. Now comes Wallpaper Music, an even more kaleidoscopic blizzard that swerves between tightly through-composed parts and free-improv, shifts from dreamy voice and flute lines to knotty post-bop sax motifs or Soft Machine/Zappa/Canterbury scene ensemble dances, lyrics drawn from Shelley and George Orwell. 'More Equal Than Others' (Orwell's famous Animal Farm line) packs a bunch of those elements into an almost 14-minute opening track, but Figes' conviction drives the music on and takes your attention with it.

'Half Sunk A Shattered Visage Lies' (from Shelley's 'Ozymandias', a poem Figes' late father shared with him) balances the skilfully sensitive Brigitte Beraha's dreamy singing and tightly interlocking ensemble sounds, while 'Alt. View' splices rich flute, keys and voice harmonies, soprano sax struts, and crunching metal-guitar keys effects. Kevin Figes' regular band serve him faultlessly, keyboardist Jim Blomfield in particular, and guest singer Beraha is as delicately and provocatively ingenious as ever.