These folks from the highland of Saskatchewan embellish the majestic nature of Central Canada with an album of quotadian sonic collage.
 
Led by pianist Jon Neher, who lay down simple chords throughout these twelve tracks. Other band members contribute harmony, groove and melodies in the way your neighbors complete  everyday's life with quarrel, laughter and gossip. Enriching the texture of the album is the production work of Michael Scott Dawson. His touch of electronics and field recordings helped narrow the distance between the music and listeners. The drumming of Michael Thievin was the only unconventionality that's probably rare on the prairie.
There is a reference to Agnes Martin on the 3rd track. Martin was a Saskatchewan native moving to New York when she was 19. Only the band can reveal whether their sound owes to the influence of Martin's minimalistic and abstract work. Some of her seminal work from the 60s illustrate even the simplest geometry could experience drama.  She would have been glad to see a free jazz outfit taking cues from her artistic vision, especially from her homeland.
 
Astral Plains is the 2nd release Peace Flag Ensemble released under the Toronto label We Are Busy Bodies. It is a unique Canadian audio experience that draws no comparison in the genre of jazz music.