As we near the end of Glaciers, so the pieces grow sparser, a lugubrious atmosphere of impending doom is upset by the most incredible vibe shimmer and the two instruments as they circle one another collapse into one another’s arms, spent for now and drifting away, becoming more and more distant, leaving the listener with echoes of what came before
Mr Olivetti
809 posts
The list of instruments on guitarist Geir Sundstol's sixth album for Hubro is as long as both my arms. This inventive selection of widescreen soundscapes utilises all manner of guitar-adjacent instruments and straddles an interesting space between Ry Cooder-esque introspection, Ennio Morricone-like sweeps and Eastern tonal influence.
The title is pretty hilarious and the album artwork of emojis disintegrating into a murky computer soup had me wondering what it would be like if each symbol that people use had a soundtrack. Would it be anything like this or the complete opposite? There is only one way to find out; so allow the tentacles of the Ancient Psychic Triple Hyper Octopus to slowly reel you in.
Kranky The title of this meditative collaboration between guitarist Michael Grigoni and Mark Nelson trading as Pan American feels like a comment on the current state of the world order. Michael’s other role as assistant professor of religion gives an indication of the reflective nature of the pieces on offer here. Merging Mark’s guitar, mandolin and synths with Michael’s pedal steel, lap steel and dobro, they strike out […]
...his trust in and familiarity with the players comes across well in the live aspects of the recording process. It is that voice which you are buying into though; a stentorian baritone that also has warmth and vulnerability. Allied to the often reserved but flexible backing and with the addition of Ruth's sweet vocal counterpoint, this latest album sheds new light and shows a new way forward.
Each of the pieces here comes from a different perspective, using similar ingredients to create a very different feel, as if each track was a mini-soundtrack in its own right with the common thread being AVAWAVES’ collective imagination.
Angle Shades is the new moniker for the Richard Jones Trio whose previous album, itself entitled Angle Shades, was a joyful take on the jazz piano trio format. A couple of years has passed and the trio of Richard on piano, Joshua Cavanagh-Brierly on bass and Johnny Hunter on drums has re-entered the studio to see what further magic can be summoned.
Manuel Pasquinellli is probably best known as drummer for Sonar, the David Torn-affiliated group, but also plays with Schrödinger's Katze and the AKKU quintet. For his first solo album, Michael has come up with an intriguing idea; to use his heartbeat as a metronome and to perform a live set using the ever-evolving tempo as a starting point for extemporisation.
These songs do feel stronger, with the organ ruder and more insistent while Michael's drums are more upfront, pushing harder than on The Love Pseudomorph.
...this debut album from pianist Yonglee and his group The Doltang is definitely an unusual beast, connecting dots between jazz, prog and the heavier more awkward end of US underground. Yonglee's capricious piano attack combines with synths, bass drums and guitar to form a unique sound that also harbours improv and experimentation, as well as hidden melodies that hark back to elements of history.
Although the vocals erupt with an in-the-bag fury, the scuzzy guitars rife with distortion and dismay still exert a punky groove that sees the feet tapping. The thundering drums and heavy bass riffs try to protect the guitars as they are set alight, the riffs simple yet satisfying. They aren't afraid to allow a little air into the proceedings either and in places the vocals sound as if they were recorded in the rafters, which adds to a slight sense of discombobulation.
a duo album that takes a laid-back look at some revisions of classics, as well as a few newly minted pieces. The selection of covers takes in Leonard Cohen, Pet Shop Boys and nineteenth century composer Alexander Fesca amongst others. The title of the album refers to the the names of the songs, with them either starting with "It Could" or "If I", and therefore it is an eclectic selection.
Erlend Apneseth's love of the Hardanger fiddle, Norway's national instrument, has led him on some spectacular journeys over the years. 2022's venture Nova found him exploring its evocative sounds on his own, ruminating on its harsh yet reflective tone. For the follow-up Song Over Støv, he has gathered a group of fellow travellers amongst whom are another three Hardanger players as well as another eight instrumentalists
Kontra-Musik Both synthesiser specialist Andreas Tilliander and trumpeter Goran Kajfeš have been playing and recording for the best part of twenty-five years, so bring much experience and sensitivity to this unique collaboration. The album draws the two worlds of jazz and electronic ambience into one natural whole, and over eight submerged, cavernous tracks floats glimmering sparks and sultry smears of trumpet above an ever-evolving electronic soundscape. With track titles […]
The title of the latest Am Are reflects 2022's Be Am, but is almost the antithesis of that light piano conversation with himself. Here, the ten tracks presented are made up of sessions with four different trios as well as a solo piece, a duo and a vocal track. It feels as though he has gone to the pub and it is filled with different groups of friends that are intent on different conversations, and he is flitting around like a social butterfly, dipping in here and dipping in there.
Perhaps because of other commitments, Behind Closed Doors is only her third album since 2014 and although coming from a place of loss and sorrow, still manages to sound uplifting and vivacious. The core quartet of violin, piano, bass and percussion is augmented across the seven tracks by vibes, trumpet, lute, oud and the resonant voice of Stratis Skarakis to ensure a varied and satisfyiong journey.
Using the likes of Hardanger fiddle, mouth harp and langeleik, the duo seems to have taken it upon themselves to take original recordings of these venerable pieces and manipulate them to their own ends, then thrusting them into a modern environment to see how they might exist amongst their younger siblings.
It has been seven years since Building Instrument's previous album, not that the three members have been quiet in the downtime. Mari Kvien Brunvoll was involved in last year's Barefoot In Bryophyte, while Øyvind Hegg-Lunde has been involved with Erlend Apneseth and Electric Eye, among others; but when they and Åsmund Weltzien reconvene with their combination of glockenspiel, electronics, subdued beats, found sounds and dreamy vocals, you know that there is magic in the air.