Musicians Lester St. Louis and Chris Williams are the duo behind HxH – pronounced H by H – an improvisatory electro-acoustic project for cello, electronics, and trumpet. Their dazzling lens-flare ambient music is captured on their debut album STARK PHENOMENA (2025) on the ofnot label. While the all-caps title might point towards a certain kind of urgency, their music quietly leads listeners into a meditative place of calming contrasts. What is most starkly obvious about the music is its ability to both enchant and disorientate. Soft and patient music in the style of HxH's runs the risk of evaporating entirely into air, but their approach weaves compelling narratives and anchors itself with textural depth and an unpredictable sonic palette. Their broadening and enclosing of overdriven electronics, burnt cello tones, and blossoming trumpet swells speaks to the duo's desire to refract expansiveness through personal intimacy. Their evolving, labyrinthian improvisations pave an uncertain path that is perilously thrilling to tread down – opening new doors of possibility at the end of each of its twisting passages.