Svenska Kaputt

Svenska Kaputt (quartet)

Svenska Kaputt (Moserobie; 2012)

Jonas Kullhammar (sax, organ)
Reine Fiske (guitar)
Torbjörn Zetterberg (bass, piano)
Johan Holmegård (drums)

One of things I enjoy about the European jazz scene is the ability for the artists to constantly want to work together and craft something different from individual material. A new supergroup of swedish jazz-rock, Svenska Kaputt delivers a solid flowing and genre-bending self-titled debut.

Opening with absorbing and ethereal piano classical textures, "Tröstlösa tårar" has a slow bassline and billowing sax chords which set a funky fusion groove. This is joined by a seductive layer of organ that provides a sound that felt like I experienced an extended set from Nucleus, Soft Machine or the very little known Mark-Almond Band. This mini album flows like a comfortable soundtrack to one of your better dreams.

"Syster Per" is dark, mythical and majestic. The quartet take a "third stream" approach here and it's very effective. The sound revolves of Kullhammer's very bold notes but Fiske, Zetterberg and Holmegard add superb swirling and entrancing lines that capture the listener to move things forward.

"Happy Ending?" really is just that. Holmegards lays down a nice set of tones on the kit. While Zetterberg's bass is funky but understated, Fiske rides high with some excellent rising chords on guitar. A nice midtempo piece that keeps the atmospherics of the album's journey but also gives you a taste what the band can do in the future.

Svenska Kaputt might be hard album to find but it is an excellent debut from the always adventurous European scene. This is great stuff. While worth seeking out.