A rundown of what Hubro Music has been up to lately (Pt.2)

We really need to talk about the Hubro Music label.

Jo David Meyer Lysne – Henger i Luften

There is a methodical procession of strange and beautiful sounds on the debut from Jo David Meyer Lysne.  Individually, they are pretty damn compelling.  But it’s over the course of time, as their lingering sonic effect accumulates in both the space of the room and the embrace of the listener’s memory, that they take on a panoramic quality that gives them more depth and expanse than originally unveiled.  It’s the mirror effect of another Hubro guitarist that, too, utilizes a vast array of unconventional instruments in combination with one another, but where Stein Urheim goes wild with rich textures and thick sonic expressionism, Lysne practically curates each individual sound and fine tunes their combinations in the way that provides the cleanest pairings and where nuanced details resonate like mad.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Jo David Meyer Lysne (acoustic guitar, prepared 12-string guitar, synth), Karl Hjalmar Nyberg (sax, synth), Johanne Skaansar (viola), Joel Ring (cello), David Timme Cariano (vibraphone, bass drum) and Martin Lie Svendsen (bass, synth).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

Hilde Marie Holsen – Lazuli

This is the kind of soundscaping that will erase all of the existing stress from your life, but substitute a little nervous tension of its own just as a reminder of how impermanent and precious the eye of the storm truly is.  The trumpet of Hilde Marie Holsen soars and dips and blasts off with a fluidity that eclipses its suddenness, while the electronic backdrop keeps inching its way forward, as if subsuming everything in sight is the inescapable outcome.  There are moments so delicate, a melodic inspiration threatens to dissipate into a haze, and there are moments on this recording of a striking imagery that never come close to fading away.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Hilde Marie Holsen (trumpet, electronics).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

Skadedyr – Musikk!

Skadedyr is an orchestral performance given while running through a carnival funhouse.  The distortions and collisions of sound are thrilling to no end, and the unexpected moments of sublime beauty and dreamlike imagery bring an immense wonderment to all of the excitement.  The music possesses an abiding sense of humor, but this is no joke… this ensemble takes their experimentation seriously, and it’s why the onslaught of transitions and turmoil remain gripping throughout, radiating a charisma that elicits admiration as effortlessly as it does a smile.  Their previous release, Culturen, earned the #18 slot on this site’s Best of 2016, and the ensemble continues to show every sign that they are able to achieve, and exceed, that high bar set for themselves.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Hans Hulbækmo (drums, percussion, recorder), Øystein Aarnes Vik (drums, percussion), Heida Mobeck (tuba), Anja Lauvdal (piano, synths), Adrian Løseth Waade (violin), Ina Sagstuen (voice, effects), Ida Løvli Hidle (accordion), Torstein Lavik Larsen (trumpet), Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø (trombone), Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (double bass, electric), Lars Ove Fossheim (electric guitar, synth guitar) and Marius Klovning (lap steel guitar, dobro).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Read more about Skadedyr on Bird is the Worm.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon