Jason Lindner's two-decade evolution from brainiac NYC keyboardist to synth lord has been fascinating to witness, not least as his Now Vs. Now trio has become the perfect vehicle for his melding of Teflon-coated funk and deep sonic synthesis. The trio's eponymous 2008 debut predated their then drummer Mark Guiliana's cult status as the go-to guy for humanising machine beats, and both his and Lindner's epochal hook-up with saxophonist Donny McCaslin and their fateful collaboration with David Bowie on Blackstar. The trio's debut disc set the bar incredibly high with its artfully heavy metric modulations and earthy latin asides, alongside some telling trumpet contributions from Avishai Cohen. Morphing into something no less complex but decidedly more electronic, 2013's Earth Analog felt more like a tricky transition phase, the trio's intricate inclinations usurping their gift for emotive themes. NVN's return with The Buffering Cocoon, aptly on Bugge Wesseltoft's Jazzland imprint, is a far stronger electro brew, still underpinned and agitated by virtuoso NYC-based Greek six-string bassist/singer Panagiotis Andreou but with new drum recruit Justin Tyson on board. Emboldened post-Blackstar, Lindner eschews solos for layered chords, while Andreou lobs low-end distorto-bass bombs between Tyson's bristling snare and hi-hat volleys. The ghost of Boards of Canada hovers into view on ‘Cloud Fishing’, before the trio dive headlong into the fizzing depths of the jazztronica rabbit hole. Playing out like a favourite mix tape or creative DJ set, The Buffering Cocoon keeps you hooked thanks to the trio's improvisational dynamics and textural nous – the human element very much alive in the heart of this mechanised melee.