Lund Quartet

Lund Quartet (group)
Lund Quartet (self-produced; 2012)
Simon Adcock (piano, theremin)
Sam Muscat (drums)
Jake Wittlin (turntables, electronics)
Rob Childs (bass)

A real surprise for me earlier this summer was the discovery of the band Lund Quartet. I first heard the band after a jazz competition in their hometown of Bristol. I didn't hear anything about them again until last month when I stumbled across their name the site Bandcamp. They've been on the scene for about 3 years, but have built a nice following in the UK jazz scene. And finally everyone else gets to find out what they are all about, with their self titled debut.

Combining the raw urban energy of the vibrant Bristol scene with European aesthetics, Lund Quartet explodes in your ear drums like a bouillabaisse of Harold Budd, Portico Quartet, Arve Henriksen and Portishead. It's a mixture that's delicate, dark and industrial. "Sequoia" reflects the band's diverse interests of ambient tones, trip hop grooves and pulsating piano dynamics. Lots of echo treatments and subtle uses of electronics/turntables hitting against Child's tight drum kit. The reverberation soon becomes hypnotic and emotional.

"Loves Madness" adds a playful Latin tinge aided by dark, eerie sampled vocals from the great African singer, Miram Makeba, that float in the mix are almost reminiscent of Beth Gibbons (of Portishead) combined with Ute Lemper. Adcock's performance is strong and holds the piece together with mastery. "Lonn" allows Muscat and Wittlin to carry the weight with a deep funky progression in association with Adcock and Childs' circling notes. Adcock adds in his violin, which sounds so beautiful within the texture of this groove. It really is killer. The soft touch of "Zill Bell" is the absolute perfect way to end this experience, filled with an almost classical reverence but infused with a sense of dark ambience projected through Adcock and Muscat's abraded notes.

Lund Quartet's subtle use of electronics and turntables is brilliant. It helps in the deconstruction of acoustic instruments and allows the group's personality to rise above the notes. The ethereal quality that the quartet emits is exquisite and should be applauded by fans of jazztronica and European jazz alike. Lund Quartet again show that the UK scene is bubbling with creative talent from every direction of the isle. This is an album that I can't stop from its infinite loop. Highly, Highly Recommended!

Admiral Awesome

Admiral Awesome (group)

Admiral Awesome (Gateway Music; 2011)

Jacob Danielson (sax)

Christian Windfeld (drums)

Thomas Sejthen (bass)

Fredrik Lungkvist (sax)

Admiral Awesome are a young new Danish trio whose work is fresh and cracking with energy. Their self-titled debut is aided by legendary saxophonist, Fredrik Lungkvist of the group Atomic. As with Bobo Stenson's work with the young Swedish trio Plunge, Lungkvist gives a hard, grittier edge that challenges the group to reach new heights with each track.

In terms of experience, Admiral Awesome is not new. Each member has considerable work with artists such as Arve Henriksen, Fuzz n' Us, and Jakob Bro in addition to individual efforts. So there is no shortage of skill and creativity within this group. Admiral Awesome grew out of a number sessions and live performances over the last year or so. And the fruit of those experiments has resulted in a exciting and all around triumphant debut, consisting of live and studio material.

While your first thought might be the bombastic brass that sits on top of the melodies--this is more than just your usual free jazz session. The quartet quietly introduces itself on "LSB Vals" with a heavy downbeat from Windfeld just before the rest of the group come soaring in. Eventually the piece steams towards a jubilant cacophony only to return gently to its organic beginnings. "Different Directions" is a fierce little number with a jumpin' bebop touch that Charlie Parker would be proud of. The improvised moments are fun and still keep within a linear compositional structure. Something even the uninitiated to free jazz might still be able grasp hold of and enjoy.

"Stockholm Wilderness" has elements of spy-jazz, improvisation and what feels like a little tribute to Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" mixed in. There is a beauty duel between Danielsen and Lungkvist makes this one of my favourite cuts on the album. The stop/start pace and electricity of the performances here from the entire quartet are killer. "Piratsangen" begins in Brotzmann-esque style with powerful blustery notes from Danielsen. His improvised notes take listener or rocky ride that worth all the eight minutes. As the rest of the group slow move into focus the tune becomes more a bluesy ballad. It's haunting and beauty and closes with band singing farewell to a live audience. And that's a perfect way to end the album.

Admiral Awesome is one of those records I assure you will sneak up on you as the year continues. It is currently available on the Admiral Awesome website and will be released widely later in the year. This is an excellent debut and exciting on multiple levels. It's creative, well balanced and fun between the improvised lines. A great listen. Enjoy...

The Intersection: Equilibrium

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.

Equilibrium (group)

Sissel Vera Pettersen (voice, sax, electronics)

Mikkel Ploug (guitars)

Joachim Badenhorst (clarinet)
(photo: Carsten Villadsen)

Soft, delicate and almost floating above the clouds. That's where Equilibrium stand. When we talk about musicians and groups pushing the genre forward and seeking what can truly be done with sound and thought, this trio is what we mean.

For me, Equilibrium evoke all the elements of other Eastern European adventurists such as Arve Henriksen, Sidsel Endresen, Karin Korg, Treje Rypdal to the ethereal sounds of American, Ralph Towner. There is ability for Sissel Vera Petterson to meld her voice into a parallel of her electronic instruments. And then there is an inventiveness of both Badenhorst and Ploug to create inviting and enveloping soundscapes around that voice.

The trio began working together as a result of a number session meetings, first between Ploug and Vera, then Badenhorst joining in later. Each musician had already established themselves through their individual works. But as a trio they have developed something altogether different.

On their self-titled debut, Equilibrium (Songlines, 2009), the trio provide a blueprint of both ethereal architecture and jazz improvisation. On "November", the unison of the musicians and the rhythmic nature of the chords reminded me of the classic Philip Glass piece "Facades". "November" is a beautiful piece that is dense yet open to investigation by the listener. The clarinet work from Badenhorst and his performances deserves much wider recognition. On "Fri" he delivers an undulating exhibition that is breath-taking. Both Pettersen and Ploug join in on sax and guitar midway through giving the piece more colour, but it is Badenhorst who dominates this piece. Moving in a more gentle Scandinavian folk direction, "Soft Spoken" and "Chords" both shine with contextual beauty and pristine orchestration.

When Equilibrium returned earlier this year with Walking Voices (Songlines, 2011), you might have expected more of the same. Well, you kind of get that but its more than just lovely melodies and themes. There's more instrumentation. More adventure. More harmonic moments. Equilibrium make the case for being one of the most "different" groups you will hear all year.

Opening with "Addicted To Changes" the group continue to explore their unique melding of voice, guitar, clarinet and electronics. The best way to generally describe this would be a journey through "experimental folk." It has set the tone for Walking Voices. This is an even more diverse outing than their debut. Ranging from folk, jazz, ambient to gentle pop forms (i.e. Anja Garbarek). "Chagan" is one of my favourite tracks. It has a wonderful harmonic structure and Badenhorst's clarinet sounds expansive. Plough carries on in an acoustic rock fashion while Pettersen's electronics and vocal experiments add an extra sense of avant garde.

Walking Voices is rich and contains a little more depth than it's predecessor (which is what you would expect), but what you don't expect is to be completely blown away by how advanced a step the artists have taken in just a short period of time. The title track opens with an erie mixture of serene beauty and haunting ambience. Pettersen's voice is almost unrecognizable with electronic resonance. Badenhorst and Plough play a nice counterpoint towards the end of the piece. "Walking Voices" emits the enterprising nature of this trio. "Sires" ambient is a lovely way in which to depart this journey of soundscapes called Walking Voices. It's lustrous with movement up and down, like gentle waves from a pebble being thrown into the lake.

For many, Equilibrium will be hard to describe. Well, it is. The trio move in many enlightening directions. But at its heart, it is music of exploration. Music that has many origins and many roots. There are elements of serenity from many different avenues of influence on each of the members. Somehow. Some way. Equilibrium has made it sound so easy and so beautiful. This is an outfit that should work together for a long time. Highly Recommended and a must have for everyone.

Supersilent

Supersilent (group; formed 1997)
10 (Rune Gramoffon; 2010)
Arve Henriksen (trumpet, electronics, drums)

Helge Sten (guitars, electronics)

Ståle Storløkken (keyboards)

With the departure of Jarle Vespestad on drums many fans didn't know what to expect from the always excellent Norweigan powerhouse, Supersilent. What we get is Supersilent 10--the most realized, acoustic and personal Supersilent album to date. I have always recommend Supersilent 6 as the first album to go towards but I think I may have change that thought.

10 has the architecture of a good Throbbing Gristle date mixed with best motifs from Harold Budd and Brian Eno. The performances by Stolokken, Sten and Henriksen are absolutely brilliant. As with each Supersilent album the tracks don't have names on numbers.

Openning on the usual atmospheric note and then flowing into more dense pastures "10.2" and "10.3" both shine brightly with the electronic effects from Sten but also the acoustic work of Storlokken on piano and Heriksen's muted spaced outed trumpet are amazing. "10.5" sounds like something that could easily fit on Throbbing Gristle's D.O.A.: Third And Final Report album. Dense, chilling stuff.

With the exploratory journey of "10.6" which feels like some of the moments of Harold Budd or Michael Brook and Jon Hassell. It's is poignant track that shows how this group has grown over the last 13 years. 10 is not a silent ambient trip or a roller coaster into white noise. It is much more than that. Storlokken is pushed into the front more on this album than ever before. His performance on gentle patterns on "10.7" are a loving lullaby that highlighted even more by Henriksen's delightful lyricism that flies along side Sorlokken on grand piano.

On "10.8" Henrikensen shows a similar understanding on liner patterns and ethereal beauty that could rival Jon Hassell. "10.9" is a fiercely atmospheric heavy piece driven by electronics which feels like Budd meeting T.G. in a cafe for a lively discussion of sound.

"10.12" closes the session in the exact manner it began--an adventurous, heavy journey into soundscapes that draws you in and doesn't really let go. It's a haunting piece driven by Storlokken's pounding keys and some electronic manipulation by Sten and Henriksen that is truly beauty in its conception.

Having had the pleasure and honour of seeing them live I can honestly say 10 is for me, without a doubt, the first time Supersilent have really stretched out in their vision and scope. These are heavy yet beauty stories told in just under an hour. Why this group hasn't seen wider recognition across the globe is bewildering me. This is the stuff landmark records are made of.

(Video footage: Supersilent 7 (Live DVD))

Joe Morris/Nate Wooley Create Fascinating Rhythms

Joe Morris/Nate Wooley
Tooth And Nail (Clean Feed; 2010)
Joe Morris (acoustic guitar)
Nate Wooley (trumpet)



For me Joe Morris is a slightly new discovery. I don't own any of his material as leader. I mainly have a couple of records he's been on with Ken Vandermark--most notably a DKV Trio recording from 1998 entitled Deep Telling (Okkadisk). Nate Wooley, I was aware of through some his work with avant garde drummer Tyshawn Sorey.

So when I found this new duo recording with Nate Wooley, Tooth And Nail (Clean Feed), I decided to give it go. Knowing that Morris is an excellent guitarist and his oblique way of playing was something that I also thought was interesting and inventive; this album is probably going to very excited. And it is.

Tooth And Nail is an improvised and technically brilliant work. There a very sparse passages throughout with Morris delicately picking in far reaching angularity. Nate Wooley's creates some interesting soundscapes that seem like combinations of Arve Henriksen and Enrico Rava. There are some very interesting exchanges on "Gigantica" and "Steelhead" where you can hear the improvised moments but they work in such a timely fashion that it becomes a beautiful melody.

"Noble Reasoning" is another moment in which Wooley and Morris really take off. There is a simpatico that occurs towards the final few minutes of the piece that the notes come rolling fast and furious but its never overbearing or distracting. And it folds perfectly into the next piece "Forest Grove" where Morris' playing feels like cello in hands of an angry child.

The closing number "A Terrific Snag" is another scale jumping moment where Wooley's work really comes to the fore. While Joe Morris sets the parameters, Wooley is exercising some lovely and ingenious phrasing.

One of things that really attracted me to this record was the pairing of guitar (especially acoustic) and trumpet. It's rare. You usually see the regular pairing of drum and sax, sax and piano or sax and sax. Tooth And Nail felt like an anomaly. But its sounds like a well woven piece of art. It's a deep bit of storytelling but I think if you are a fan of Ken Vandermark and the Chicago and New York underground scenes you will definitely find Tooth And Nail a fascinating listen.