Drummer and composer Lesley Mok draws us in with subtlety on their challenging, abstract gem of a debut. Leading a 10-piece chamber-jazz ensemble with reeds, brass, strings, electronics, and rhythm section, Mok knows how to make every voice blend, at every moment. The harmonic language of The Living Collection is dark and dense, with clashing dissonance offset by a peculiar timbral beauty. The sparkling-clean audio makes it even more of a treat, giving the drum intro on “its furious place” a kind of three-dimensional aspect. Yuma Uesaka’s contra-alto clarinet is weighty but soft next to David Leon’s alto flute on “it wants,” which starts with a surreal electronics foray by Weston Olencki (Mok’s co-producer). Trumpeter Adam O’Farrill shines alongside upright bassist Florian Herzog on “its silvery after-tomorrow,” while Cory Smythe enlivens “full of its fourth wall” with knotty prepared piano textures. Other standouts include violist Joanna Mattrey on “floral and full,” trombonist Kalun Leung on “again, all,” and Uesaka wailing B-flat clarinet on “of appearance.”