Machine Language, the last album of saxophonist Bob Belden who died in May at the age of 58, on which he is joined performing with his band Animation, is to be released on 25 September.

Inspired by a pan-artistic raft of inspirations from futuristic literary sci-fi to the highly explosive rocket fuel of electric Miles Davis, this is a 2014 studio described by the issuing label RareNoise as a “cyberpunk opera.”

Early listens suggest that this is an ideal way to remember the saxophonist/flautist still playing at the top of his game as he delves deep beyond ambient jazz into a dark jazz-rock universe, mind and machine in consort or not as the spoken word text he has created considers.

Belden, whose albums as a leader included the acclaimed Black Dahlia and Miles From India, heads up his band Animation joined by avant jazz-rock innovator Laswell, famed for his work with Herbie Hancock on Futureshock in the 1980s and reconfiguring Miles’ electric period on Panthalassa in the 90s, on electric bass. Also a feature is the unusual machine-coded spoken word narration of Kurt Elling plus a strong role for trumpeter Peter Clagett summoning the spirit of electric Miles, and completing the line-up Roberto Verastegui on keys and Matt Young, drums, this latter triumvirate among the personnel who performed alongside Belden on his last London shows in 2012.