Nov 3 2018
Recommended: Geir Sundstol – “Brodlos”
The music of Geir Sundstøl is elemental. The guitarist’s spellbinding melodies are a stiff breeze in a sonic atmosphere that settles in right from the first note and doesn’t fade until the last has sounded. His latest solo release Brødløs does nothing to diminish this reputation. An inspired medley of Bowie’s “Warzawa” and Coltrane’s “Alabama” is the album centerpiece, but just as compelling a facet of Sundstøl’s sound is the dizzying array of instruments put to use. Pedal steel, Shankar guitar, moog, banjo, loops, mandolin are just a few of the sonic textures Sundstøl layers atop one another. Add to this the guitarist’s enlistment of an equally diverse set of musicians on tabla, keyboards, effects, wind instruments and percussion, and this music’s hypnotic effect is amplified a hundred fold.
This is truly singular music.
Your album personnel: Geir Sundstøl (pedal steel, six string bass, banjo, harmonica, cümbüs ̧ National Duolian, Shankar guitar, Moog MiniTaur, Lexicon organ, pianochordia, marxophone, timpani, optigan, guitar, mandolin, Prime Time loops), David Wallumrød (Minimoog, Prophet 5, Arp Pro Soloist and Juno 60), Erland Dahlen (drums, drum machine, frame drum, steel drum, log drum, marching toms, xylophones, dulcimer, musical saw, Schulmerich handbells, blossombells, triangle, metal plates, and vocals), Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet), Jo Berger Myhre (Fender VI, Moog Minitaur), Sanskriti Sheresta (tablas, vocals) and Mats Eilertsen (acoustic bass, vocals).
Released on Hubro Music.
Listen to another album track at the artist’s Soundcloud page.
Music from the Oslo, Norway scene.
Available at: Amazon
Think of a city that is the physical manifestation of a state of serenity. It is constructed with the building blocks of tranquility, and peacefulness is the binding agent that keeps its infrastructure in place. The daily commute is traversed via meditation. Birds chirp happily in the trees, cats curl up purring in your lap, and it’s a battle between a cheery sun and a cool breeze for which is the most soothing balm to your troubled soul. Everything is perfection- that’s what the tourism pamphlets would state, and nothing about the surroundings would give any other indication.
The sophomore release from 
The 12-piece band Skadedyr is out doing its own thing, and there’s really nobody else that comes close to sounding like them. That said, they’re not all alone. Arguably, they could be considered the Nordic counterparts to the jazz inventiveness of NYC musicians Todd Sickafoose and Chris Lightcap. On the wildly expressive Culturen, Skadedyr mixes in psychedelic pop music, ambient electronica, indie-rock, Nordic folk and anything else that seemed like a good ingredient at the time. But the point isn’t so much the ingredients as it is the determined process of using whatever tools available to forge a raw tunefulness out of misshapen melodies. The grumble and growl of “Bie” leads into a raucous chorus bordering on euphoria. “Datavirus” wobbles between states of post-bop and post-jazz. Or how about the way that “Trålertrall” transforms from an acerbic dissonance to waves of gorgeous harmonies. There’s nothing conventional about the means or the methods employed by the ensemble, and yet it’s made to coalesce in kaleidoscopic imagery that almost seems logical.
Nov 23 2018
Recommended: Moskus – “Mirakler”
On their newest release Mirakler, a pattern emerges, and where once unpredictability was key to success, this sense of duality brings a different kind of satisfaction. The minimalist tendencies are yet present, but they are interspersed by equal doses of heavy melodicism, and those are often accompanied by something bordering on a groove.
The meandering “Anslag” slides easily into the catchy “Irsk Setter,” forgoing a preamble by way of interlude. “Sang Til C” drifts like clouds across a grey sky until the cheerful bounce of “Eventyrdagene” breaks through like a beam of sunlight. It’s that kind of transition back and forth, trading states of freedom for structure, that makes Mirakler so damn enjoyable, and where each state of expression engenders an appreciation for its counterpart.
I’ve been writing about Moskus for about as long as this site has been up and running. I hope to keep getting opportunities to do so. A fun, curious trio and that makes fun, curious music.
Your album personnel: Anja Lauvdal (grand piano, upright piano, MS10, Yamaha DX100, Hammond organ, electric organ), Hans Hulbækmo (drums, percussion, vibraphone, recorder, casio MT-65, electric org, musical saw) and Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (double bass).
Released on Hubro Music.
Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Soundcloud page.
Music from Oslo, Norway.
Available at: Amazon
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: Hubro Music, Moskus, Oslo