“Alone onstage, one is compelled to be truthful, not to hold anything back or fake anything, to allow yourself to be vulnerable,” writes Greek pianist Tania Giannouli in the liner notes to this, her fifth album on New Zealand's Rattle Records.

The acclaimed instrumentalist and composer has spent several years training for this quite astounding piece of musical soul-baring, peeling off from her trio work with double bassist Daniele Roccato and percussionist Michele Rabbia, and her duo projects with pianist Nik Bärtsch and trumpeter Arve Henriksen, for a series of solo concerts in Europe. The confidence duly garnered is palpable throughout all 24 tracks, their clever sequencing heightening the feel of a cinematic narrative, of stories within a story, releasing emotions that intrigue as they ebb and flow.

Opener ‘Transportal’ feels precisely that - an entrance to a sonic otherworld, multi-textured and multi-dimensional, a promise of seams to be mined and hidden depths explored. And whether freely improvised or composed in ways that embrace Eastern phrasings, hints of Greek folk or European classical, Giannouli's prowess on the keys is quietly dazzling. ‘Intone’, a highlight, is a bold montage of feeling; shorter tracks such as ‘Punkt’ and ‘Hidden’ cut through with experimental verve. True, raw and mightier for it. Bravo.