Beginningless unites three deeply intertwined figures in contemporary progressive jazz. Adelaide/Tarntanya-born, now Los Angeles-based bassist and composer Anna Butterss is a first-call collaborator with the likes of Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet, Makaya McCraven and Phoebe Bridgers, who is celebrated for lyrical low-end command and acclaimed solo releases Activities (2022) and Mighty Vertebrate (2024). Trumpeter and flugelhornist John Raymond, an Indiana University Associate Professor of Jazz Studies, blends jazz with indie-rock, folk, and electronic textures across nine solo albums and collaborations with S. Carey. Drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ben Lumsdaine (Durand Jones, Mighty Vertebrate) bridges acoustic percussion with studio wizardry. Their shared history began with Lumsdaine's Call & Response series of improvised performances in Bloomington, Indiana in 2010, and eventually to a 2024 reunion.

Recorded live over two days in a Los Angeles studio with minimal overdubbing, Beginningless captures Butterss, Raymond, and Lumsdaine discovering music in real time. Treating effects pedals and studio processing as organic extensions of double bass, trumpet, flugelhorn, and drums, the trio constructs a nocturnal, neon-lit environment that feels simultaneously grounded and otherworldly. Drawing inspiration from Jon Hassell’s fourth-world atmosphere and the chamber-jazz agility of the innovative Fly, the album balances patience with physical immediacy. Across nine entirely improvised pieces, from the brisk momentum of opener "Faced Round" and the hypnotic, slow-blooming title track to the serene spaciousness of "Pacific", the musicians draw on deep reserves of accumulated mutual trust. Rather than leaning on well-reheared, live-gig out-takes or detailed pre-meditation, the studio setting allows them to sculpt and apply the use of decay, resonance, and electronic color with remarkable sensitivity. The result is an elastic, deeply rewarding listen that will reveal fresh nuances with every spin.