“It’s Zen for the West,” said flutist Paul Cheneour of his three-man band who never rehearse, never play the same piece twice and have no leader. They simply “feel” where the music takes them and “feed” off the audience’s response to the transportation.

Paul, Dave Robinson on malletKAT and Clive Fletcher on double bass, EUB and bass guitar, had years of recording experience and classical training behind them before fusing together as Zen Bicycle Band three years ago.

Musically personal and indefinable, the sound is a fusion of different influences – Eastern, Western and sub-Saharan African. At its most riveting, the rhythm built up into an exhausting frenzy of furious tribal-like drum beats, accompanied by deep tones on the bass with occasional additions, for instance, of the siblisi, a wailing, Turkish goat-herding pipe. It would then retreat into a soothing sonnet of meditation.

Describing their approach as “more instant composition than improvisation”, Paul wasn’t wrong to call it “cutting edge” or, comically, “democracy in action”.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many onlookers to share the experience this time but with second album, Essence, just released, and the band’s enthusiasm and faith in their music, all that could be set to change.