Norwegian release 29.03.2018
International release 08.06.18
Three years after releasing the masterpiece The Mechanical Fair, Ola Kvernberg returns with a new magnificent, imaginative, rhythmic deluge of an album: Steamdome. The title of Kvernberg’s latest project was not chosen at random. Steamdome presents thoroughly percussive music. It lunges brutally ahead like a runaway train. As enthusiastic, surrealistic and swelling as Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns.
Norwegian release 16.04.2018
International release 01.06.18
Immersive electro-acoustic trio Splashgirl (Andreas Stensland Lowe, keyboards; Jo Berger Myhre, bass/guitar/electronics; Andreas Lonmo Knudsrod, drums/percussion) was the first act to sign to the Hubro label, with the group’s second album as a unit, ‘Arbor’, marking the label’s debut in 2009. Since then, each subsequent release has deepened and strengthened the developing Splashgirl sound, from ‘Pressure’ (2011) and ‘’Field Day Rituals’ (2013) to ‘Hibernation’ (2015).
Realise: 1st June 2018
Svein Finnerud Trio was one of the strongest voices in the Norwegian avant-garde of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s. Unknown outside the country, the trio pioneered forms of musical expression that later found an international audience through the ECM albums of Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen, and Terje Rypdal. In this context, Plastic Sun is a statement as essential as any other of the period. Now finally available in a remastered edition on CD and in a 180g audiophile LP pressing.
Vandermark and Nilssen – Love have both long way behind together, as well as they do separately. I am following both musicians for over two decades now and I am constantly knocked out by their creativity and vitality, not even mention master class craftsmanship they both do represent. As it always is a case with top quality improvised music it is not a most fashionable one, therefore not easy to find neither on the shop’s shelves or the streaming services, to even to get wind of.
Nils Økland is around long enough to mark his presence on the European and worldwide music scenes. That is for many reasons but two most distinguished are: his instrument, Hardanger fiddle, which of he is the true virtuoso. And his remarkable approach which makes his music immediately recognisable to those who experienced that sound even just one time.
I could compare him in that regard comfortably to Matthias Loibner, sensational Hurdy Gurdy performer whom I reviewed here earlier.
Nils also plays a violin and viola D’Amour with an equally skilful way, but what really matters here is his musical imagination which goes far beyond the folk music he is usually identified with. One doesn’t need to know at all about his classical music experience or roots to trace that pace and the Baroque harmony in his music.
Lynsing had been recorded with the same group which made 2015 ECM’s Kjølvatn project. More of that, it was even recorded in the same Østre Toten stone church for its specific sense of ambience and the acoustics which such a venue offers. It is clear then that carrying on with the musicians and space well acknowledged it can only bring all to another level. In case of top class performers that this band represents.
An opening Drøm is a wonderfully open and dreamy folk tune. It is fresh and clear like a first breath of the fresh air through the just open window at the early morning, when a fog still hides the view, but life coruscate already with the full glam in your wide-open eyes.
Following Lynsing is even more dance and full of melancholy and devotion for the beauty outside or inside, doesn’t matter, it is a worship that one can sense in every note coming.
Flukt, brings the break to this idyllic landscape. With Mats Eilertsen gentle Bass walk counting the tune and the lament of the fiddle it goes up to the climax to decay gently and fades into silence.
Skygger is my favourite here, but the choice is tough as they are all beautiful and each one holds its own strength. It is here when the reverb of the church adds to the performance vastly. Each note has a different pace. It all breaths like a life organism rather that sounds like one the sound. So organic that it merges with the thoughts in your head and turns into one contemplation.
Blámyr continues in the same mood exploring the Depth even deeper, but it reminds me more the admiration I remember from the Saint Colombe’s music. It is full of loftiness which brings back to my memories wonderful landscapes from congenial Alain Caorneau movie Tous les matins du Monde brilliantly framed with French Baroque music performed by Jordi Savall and his Hysperion XX super star group. The music one can listen to the end of the world and one day more.
I would be nothing but barbarian if I would have stolen from you the joy of discovering this music for yourself. Every note, every line is like healing nectar here. Pure essence of the shire beauty. Immerse yourself in it deeply, open your eras wide and just breath. Breath deep and smile.
Norwegian release 02.02.2018
International release 25.05.18
SkyDive Trio’s second album ‘Sun Sparkle’ – which arrives three years after its acclaimed predecessor, ‘Sun Moee’ – presents the listener with an intriguing set of paradoxes. A power trio who use full throttle only very sparingly, the band can appear to play loud music quietly, and quiet music, loud, countering jazz subtlety with rock attack.
Here we got another folk originating project from Norway. Probably the most inspiring country when it comes to the musical influence today. And another, like Nils Økland, and Hardanger fiddler player. This traditional 8 string violin are sounding obvious to Northern listeners, for which it is a part of the musical heritage, but to All of us not familiar with an instrument sound and abilities it is entire universe of beauty to discover. If Økland carries well deserved title of instrument old master Apneseth equally deserves to be called young virtuoso.
The music is simply sensationally beautiful. With trio’s ability to merge together and very tight and careful listening to each other inside the band we are getting well over the usual folk tissue. The straight Folk base is more obvious here but so is the discovery path that young musicians are trying to approach.
Stryk for example extends the level of communication almost to the Noise-culture dictionary. With Meidell’s sampled guitar pulling the space apart like a spaceship in the quiet vacuum landscape. Hypnotising and mesmerising in the same time.
Undergruun with its modern beat merges traditional fiddle lines with some cosmic utopia, again driven by guitarist imagination. It all so well balanced that merging different musical traditions have to be carefully traced to be noticed. But given Erlends collaborations with Arve Henriksen, perhaps the most eloquent musician of his generation today, it shouldn’t surprise.
Saga, on the complete opposite pole, starts like little Music Box. With the charm of the spooky somnambulist walk and twisted sense of balance, his gentle bowing comes with a great strength, even if the melody is weaved from very silky filament. I admire guitar sampled tissue which is trying to imitate a natural resonance of the violins and as a result, bringing some three – dimensional and hybrid sense of thickness.
Lysne in that context, with samples lyrics on the drumming background can be considered a bit like a sort of Boom-Box and Rap poetry experience. Repetitive monotony of the text, which meaning stays hidden to me, but an intended flow with the rhythm remains obvious.
Such a groovy character of that music makes an overall tissue, present more or less in all tunes here, and keeps building the neuronal connection between the natural beauty of the strings and the synthetic hollow-spherical nature of the samples. To me it is exactly the crash of those two senses of space which creates a disturbance and enforces the listener to follow. Neither to find out more with analytical careful listening or to submerge and relax. Without a trace of precedence of research, but with simple hedonistic pleasure of exploring the inner worlds of your own imagination.
Wonderful recording with an indisputable charm and the names well worth to be remembered for every explorer of the new musical language.
These is the sixth record of the trio on fire consisting of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin. Two years passed exactly since I reviewed their previous She Sleeps Lp. Two years is a kind of interval which marks the gap to the anterior Without Noticing.
What we have here defers vastly from almost nocturnal approach on predecessor album. Saying that one must accept that nocturnal from the Fire! is something different that the usual definition would suggest. I am finding The Hands to be a musical poem to me. Seriously. I know that the heavy sound of the trio, particularly the bass lines and lament – scream of Matt’s saxes are often compared to Black Sabath alike guitar riffs, but it is not the case here. The longer I am listening to it the more I am confident with that.
First of all are tittles of the tunes, which are making a poem as such if read in row, just follow:
The Hands
When Her Lips Collapsed
Touches Me With The Tips Of Wonder
Washing Your Heart In Filth
Up. And Down.
To Shave The Leaves. In Red. In Black.
I Guard Her To Rest. Declaring Silence.
When I played them in random order the meaning collapses, there is no poetry anymore. Sounds don’t match words as they did before. Back in order and all clicks back. The tensions and realises fit again. The mood paints the drama as it was intended by those who composed them. Then I checked who did it and mystery solved itself alone. There is a clear note on the back cover saying that all tittles had been inspired by Kenneth Patchen. There we are. I love to trust own senses and encourage you to do the same. They will never betray you. The rest can always be found.
Album starts with tittle The Hands. Rough and clumsy, with almost neurotic lines reminding me The Joy Division. Repetitive character of heavy riffs supplied bringing strong visual images.
Following second track starts with some onomatopoeic intro bringing words which sound collapsed and impossible to understand, therefore the feeling matches the tittle perfectly. Heavy trip continuous with the bass’ dark steps and baritone’s cascades od sounds which are coming like cascades of thoughts inside of the head, impossible to articulate, but all meaning.
Opening sax lines on Touches Me bring the realise and nostalgic reflection. Bass hardly goes to the surface, it rather pulses like a blood in your vines. Once you focus on that you know you are still alive. Andreas finishes the picture with firm brushes and ride frames. Voices of gulls in the background are bringing marine feeling to the sketch and giving a sense of identity to the background of the story.
Each line brings his own image and his own change of mood. Dare experiment with them and you start to feel the meaning of the poem. The main theme is there and it keeps coming along the heavy lines, reminding me a bit a Tonbruket sonic universe a bit. No surprise here giving a background and mixed heritages. The pace in the music matches clearly the intonation of the words. And meaning of the words keep moving too, once the accents had been moved. The closing piece I guard her to the rest. Declaring silence clears the subject with wonderfully lyrical sax lines, making an obviosity of final departure in such a gentle way that there is really nothing to say after.
As I said, I loved She Sleeps and keep listening to it , but The Hands is no shorter congenial.
Release: 27th April 2018
Fairytales, Radka Toneff and Steve Dobrogosz’s masterpiece, is Norway’s best-selling jazz album, and was also voted Norway’s best album of all time in a poll of Norwegian musicians. Radka Toneff and Steve Dobrogosz’s perfectly attuned duo collaboration has served as an inspiration to both musicians and listeners for three decades, and has captured a special place in the musical hearts of thousands of people. The remarkable sound quality of this album, recorded using one of the earliest digital tape recorders, has been recovered and captured using MQA technology. MQA has recreated the sound of the duo’s breath-taking original performance for this special master edition.
