One of the fascinating things about a band like Ausecuma Beats is hearing the convergence of cultural currents in the broader aesthetic stream. Formed in Melbourne by musicians from West Africa, Cuba, and Australia (including a Malinese balafon player, a djembe player from Senegal, and an Australian guitarist with a background in improv and free jazz), the band is, in some ways, more unlikely than they sound: Listen to their debut EP and what you’ll hear is a cross-section of great West African music with dashes of Caribbean, Cuban, funk, and other polyglot party styles, from the hot-footed highlife-inspired “Aida” to the midtempo Malian groove of “Allah Laakeh.” Presented in part by Music in Exile (an initiative devoted to fostering music from culturally diverse pockets of Australia), Ausecuma Beats is one of those inspiring recordings that doesn’t just document music, but the coming together of the people who made it.