For his third record, the Finnish keyboard virtuoso Aapo Heinonen has created a refreshingly unique sound, a relaxed whirlwind of fusion-grooves, Latin swing and modal-jazz-melodies - all embedded into stimulatingly complex arrangements.

The album still displays Heinonen's recognisable sensual charm. But it feels a lot more cinematic and ambitious than any of his previous offerings. Heinonen admits he had doubts whether he was ready for these incisive changes. But true to his convictions, he never let that stop him.

To arrive at this point, Heinonen has completely turned his quintet upside down. Drummer Tomi Saikkonen is the only remainder of the original line-up which already recorded two stunning albums filled with soulful 70s-references. Whereas these were built around the concept of a 'five man big band', the new material conversely expands far more intimate material to a quintet setting. Recorded on a single hot Summer weekend and under the hallucinatory influence of a flu infection, Tara sports a dense, intoxicating sound, offering plenty of freedom to all participants.

Take Héctor Lepe's guitar solo on "The Truth of Another", for example. Rising from a hypnotic backing track, it lifts into dreamlike spheres resonating with the blues, progressive rock and cosmic jazz.