AsGuests was formed in 1997 at the Slovakian music conservatory in Bratislava as a collaboration between vibraphonist Miro Herak and pianist Michal Vanoucek. Now based in the Hague, the group evolved as the duo found a diverse collection of musicians to perform with, creating wide-ranging projects highlighting their rich musical collaborations. On Universal Mind, they add strings to their usual quartet, presenting every musician as a part of the ensemble as well as soloist, combining for a sweeping collection of original compositions.