Rarely does the title of a band’s CD sum up the band’s essence quite as precisely as it does in the case of Lorenz Raab’s :xy Band. Hyperdrive is definitely a state this excellent quintet shifts into when it hits its groove. The other members of the band around the Upper Austrian trumpeter are exceptional in their own right: Matthias Pichler and Oliver Steger lay down an earthy bass foundation which is punctuated by Herbert Pirker’s precise and hard rhythms. And then there’s Christof Dienz on the electric zither, which doesn’t just produce guitar-like riffs but also introduces a playful element with a tongue-in-cheek take on traditional Austrian folk music. Fusion jazz with an experimental note, played in a way that is always unconventional, always right-on the money, and full of drive – a fast and furious performance to crown this densely packed improvisation weekend at Klangspuren ’20.