40 Winks has a sound unlike many of its contemporaries at Project: Mooncircle. Employing bombastic percussion and creating soundscapes well beyond traditional loops, the band, quite simply, sounds like they’re having more fun than most folks. This joyous sound is evident on their latest, It’s the Trip. Clearly, an apt title for this rambunctious, rollicking record.

At its core, this is playful music, evidenced by their drum samples, opting for rolls, paradiddles and various other drummer geek terms over more standard (and simplistic) snare and bass fare. There’s a jazz musicianship at work here; “Tribal Recipe” has a defined Afro-jazz feel, with crazed African scat, a sea of vibes, and the odd turntable trickery.

“Sun Spots” brings more rolling drums, strings and double bass, in a spiritual jazz vibe, while “Malicious Choir” has a darker overtone, harder funk drums, a similar minimalist approach, with creeping choir samples. “Kodak” grabs a vocal snippet which rides atop a lazy drum break, breaking down to flute and vibes, bringing the strings and piano back for full jazz club effect.

Elsewhere, “40 Layers” comes across all Flying Lotus, but with a restraint that is sometimes lacking in his work. 40 Winks have left room for the sounds to breath, and while there may be 40 layers, its so expertly done, this really does sound like a bunch of jazz players jamming. The final cut, “Not The Destination”, is almost eight minutes of soul-jazz bliss, meandering around the meadow, not really going anywhere, but that’s the point.

Project: Mooncircle has an uncanny knack for sniffing out talent that tends to continuously blow the parameters off of the ever expanding beat music universe. Never content to linger in the same groove for too long, It’s the Trip goes from dance floor grooves to chillout session and back again, with stops at all manners of head nodding and ass shaking in between.