Around these parts, Rotcod Zzaj is the unquestionable king of DIY experimentation. Zzaj's seemingly endless flow of self-released experimental music regularly teams him with a variety of avant-garde musicians. Such is the case on Armchair Carpet Rides: Zzaj mans the Kurzweil while Eric Wallack incorporates his unique brand of acoustic guitar-work into the mix.

As the title suggests, Carpet Rides has a Middle Eastern vibe. Zzaj confidently lays down unstructured but consistent keyboard jams that smack of jazz, avant-garde and Eastern musical theory. "Ali Baba's Urban Vistas" and "Oriental Ghostriders" stay true to form, including a variety of non-Western influences in a free-flowing experimental composition. Wallack's detuned guitar makes its most prominent appearance on "London Fogway": dissonant notes clash with Zzaj's winding chord structures, creating a cacophony of jumbled notes. "Wayward Wind and Wires" is the most unusual piece of the batch; Zzaj's keys imitate whispering flutes while Wallack sporadically plucks through a curious combination of tones.

Armchair's pieces bring to mind everyone from Jimmy Smith to Frank Zappa as they tunnel through a hallucinogenic '60s vibe into the new century. It's still a far cry from rock 'n' roll or traditional jazz -- and frankly, let's hope Zzaj keeps it that way! It was a terribly drugged-out Jerry Garcia who said, "What a long, strange trip it's been"; If Rotcod Zzaj is your musical travel agent, the journey is far from over.