Medium III; Cogito / Trompe-L'Oeil; Aulodie Mioritica (Gamma); Perspectives Au Movemur; Apogeum

Quite honestly, you’re onto a safe bet with almost any of the Dumitrescu (and often Ana-Maria Avram) discs on their Edition Modern imprint, but I’ve always been quite fond of this one for its slightly unsettled, ominous mood. The scraping strings and wood of “Medium III,” a tour de force for legendary double bass player Fernando Grillo, are brutally effective, switchblading from high-pitched wheezes to embattled underground disturbances; the whole thing feels like psychological warfare in the guts of an instrument. There are also great ensemble performances here from Ansambul Hyperion and Quatuor Serioso, and in “Apogeum,” a disorienting swarm of tone from Orchestra Naționalǎ Radio.