The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation are, for those unfamiliar, an improv sideline of members of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, coming at their improvised ambient jazz from a more drone/doom-informed angle than that of their parental unit.

‘Anthropomorphic’ is one hour-long piece of music comprised of three sections, or ‘movements’ if you will, attempting to express in musical form the idea of the ‘birth’ of music – hence ‘Anthropomorphic’, as, in the groups own words, ‘being born is human’ and to anthropomorphosize a thing is to ascribe to it qualities that make it more ‘human’. With me so far? Good.

Anthropomorphic, for all of it’s unwelcoming ugliness, manages to be one of the most captivating and beautiful musical experiences this year. It’s dark, unsettling, and morose, but wonderfully beguiling nonetheless. Not everyone will find the allure, however, as The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation haven’t crafted a masterful transcending piece of work that will cause people to come in droves, but instead, have created an album that takes its time to leave an impression. I urge you to take this time, as Anthropomorphic is an engrossing, multifaceted work of art that is very much worth giving a listen.

1Space
2Dimension
3Form
4Function