Rune Grammofon
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Huntsville is the trio of Ivar Grydeland, Tonny Kluften and Ingar Zach.Visit product page →
Grydeland and Zach founded the Sofa label for impovised music in 2000 and appear together and in various projects on several of the label's releases. They have worked with Kluften since 1998, as the core of improvising ensemble No Spaghetti Edition.
Huntsville contrasts sharply with their earlier work, and on the evidence of For The Middle Class, reveals a quite different, more groove-based approach with strong elements of composition.
Musically there are traces from folk, country, Indian ragas contemporary music and more, resulting in an original and highly intriguing blend of instrumental approaches.
Tracklisting:
1. The Appearance Of A Wise Child
2. Serious Like A Pope
3. Add A Key Of Humanity
4. Melon -
Visit product page →This is the Japanese edition released by Bomba Records and only available in Japan. There are no bonus tracks.
It comes in a so called replica mini lp cd gatefold sleeve with hard cardboard. Great stuff and we like these very much. It also comes with an obi strip at the front as well as a 4 page booklet in Japanese.
The original artwork has been slightly modified to fit the different format. These editions are often made in limited numbers and are known to become quite expensive on the collectors market.Tracklisting:
1. My Best Friend Is A Dancer
2. Hello Walt
3. Ashes To Ashes
4. Everyone Live Their Life
5. Medicine Waltz
6. Take Me Over
7. Torch-Fishing
8. The Bear
9. Can I Come Home Now
10. Kung Fu Boys
11. Don't Walk Another Mile -
Visit product page →Ambitious, epic and grand in scale, In The Country's previous album Whiteout was an artistic triumph. Always a very powerful and exciting live act, it was only natural that a concert album should come at this stage of their career, after three studio albums and a number of Norwegian, European and US tours.
Originally planned as a concert dvd, In The Country invited video director Claus Arthur Breda-Gulbrandsen to bring a crew to film a couple of Norwegian shows in October 2010.
Claus had previously directed two videos for Morten's other band, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. Not content with merely filming these shows, Claus (and the band as well) had bigger ambitions for a more expanded type of film, of which you can see the quite stunning results on the accompanying dvd, with its mysterious Tarkovsky-like dream sequences mixed with Hipgnosis type of images.
We consider this to be one of the finest music films ever produced in Norway and a treatment rarely given to a jazz band of any origin. Looking like something with a much bigger budget, It needs to be said that this is a labour of love from all involved, and especially the director.
Also watch out for the hidden video after the film has ended.In the meantime, we also decided to make it a part of an ordinary CD and LP package, believing this will actually mean that more people will be able to see and enjoy it.
Apart from selections from all the studio albums, there are three new tracks here including a beautiful interpretation of Mark Knopfler's Brothers In Arms.
Morten Qvenild formed In The Country with fellow music students Roger Arntzen and Pål Hausken at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo in 2003.
They have released three albums, all on Rune Grammofon, This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat (2005), Losing Stones, Collecting Bones (2006) and Whiteout (2009) to much critical acclaim.
Downbeat called their debut one of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe that year, Mojo said startling, Straight No Chaser said fantastic and a host of others followed.
Tracks: Afraid, Whiteout, Slow Down, How To Get Acquainted, Kung Home, Brothers In Arms, Torch Fishing, Tree Canopy Walkway.
Said about the previous albums:
An album of wobbly serenity and arid self-assurance. New York Times (US)
Unfurl with subtlety, charm and an unadorned grace.¨ The Independent (UK)
Spaceous and memorable. The Guardian (UK)
One of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe this year.
Downbeat (US)
Carry the emotional power of a screaming stack of Marshall amps. Jazztimes (US)A startling debut. 4/5. Mojo (UK)
Sounds
1. Afraid
2. Whiteout
3. Slow Down
4. How To Get Acquainted
5. Kung Home
6. Brothers In Arms
7. Torch Fishing
8. Tree Canopy Walkway
Sights
1. Afraid
2. Whiteout
3. Slow Down
4. Kung Home
5. Brothers In Arms
6. Ursa Major
7. Tree Canopy Walkway -
Visit product page →This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat is not your typical piano trio album, meaning that pianist Morten Qvenild (26) has skipped the Keith Jarrett school. When it comes to piano players he will admit to a certain fondness for Paul Bley and the late Norwegian free player Svein Finnerud, but he also draws inspiration from pop writers when it comes to a sense of structure and modern composers such as Messiaen and Feldman for the use of space and sound.
The album includes nine original Qvenild compositions as well as a Ryan Adams cover and an interpretation of Händel's beautiful Laschia Ch'io Pianga.
The album is an analogue recording and is produced by Arve Henriksen.
Morten Qvenild is already a central force in a young generation of extremely competent Norwegian musicians operating with great ease between various genres. He is Susanna's orchestra and writing partner in Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, he is a member, writer and arranger for acclaimed Norwegian jazz singer Solveig Slettahjell, he was a writer and member of Jaga Jazzist and a member of Shining since the beginning and up to their latest album.
Finally he is a member of The National Bank, a pop/rock group with the Horntveth brothers from Jaga Jazzist in the lineup, recently enjoying several weeks at the top spot of the Norwegian charts. In The Country is the piano trio he started in 2003 after meeting bass player Roger Arntzen (28) and drummer Pål Hausken (25) at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.
As with Morten, they are both active in other groups as well, Roger most notably in Damp with Shining leader Jørgen Munkeby and Pål with singer Hilde Marie Kjersem in Tub Quartet.
This is the Japanese edition released by Bomba Records and only available in Japan. There are no bonus tracks.It comes in a so called replica mini lp cd gatefold sleeve with hard cardboard. Great stuff and we like these very much. It also comes with an obi strip at the front as well as a 4 page booklet in Japanese.
The original artwork has been slightly modified to fit the different format. These editions are often made in limited numbers and are known to become quite expensive on the collectors market.Tracklisting:
1. Where Can We Go
2. Beaver Creek
3. Tree Canopy Walkway
4. How To Get Acquainted
5. In My Time Of Need
6. Only The Birds Can See Us
7. Trio For Quartet
8. 0883 Oslo
9. Aerial Dark Bright Round
10. Viggo
11. Laschia Ch'io Pianga -
Visit product page →Ambitious, epic and grand in scale, In The Country's third album Whiteout qualifies to be called their magnum opus. Most of the music was performed and written as a thank you, as is the tradition, after leader Morten Qvenild was awarded Kongsberg Jazzfestival's prestigious Musician Award.
Other receivers have included notables such as Nils Petter Molvær, Bugge Wesseltoft and Sidsel Endresen. Qvenild is already established as a writer with a strong signature, original and melodic with elements from many genres of music.
His playing is rich in detail and dynamics but never dominant, and together with bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken's sensitive and inventive contributions we are in for a treat when it comes to trio interplay. These eight compositions are all between seven and twelve minutes and are given time to develop, much like the best exploratory jazz and progressive rock music.
Another triumph from the band whose previous effort was dubbed one of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe this year by Downbeat.
Tracklisting:
1. From The Shore
2. Kungen
3. Doves Dance
4. Ursa Major
5. Dead Water
6. W.a.r.m
7. Mother -
Visit product page →These two extraordinary guitarists first met in an Oslo studio in January 2019. Having admired each other's work for some time, they decided right there and then to record an electric guitar duet collaboration specifically to create a soundtrack for a classic Norwegian silent film.
They spent 30 minutes setting up before Kaiser suggested a short test recording to one of the less likely candidates, Roald Amundsen's 1925 documentary "Ellsworths flyveekspedition 1925". One hour and 56 minutes later they set down their guitars and shook their heads in wonder. They had played for the entire length of the film without breaks, in the process creating a complete score for the film.
Five tracks with a total playing time of 65 minutes were selected for this CD release.Henry Kaiser is an American guitarist, composer and label founder. He appears on more than 250 albums, including collaborations with the likes of Fred Frith, Richard Thompson, David Lindley, Wadada Leo Smith, Derek Bailey, Jim O'Rourke and numerous others.
Ivar Grydeland is a Norwegian guitarist and composer, most known from Huntsville (Rune Grammofon and Hubro) and Dans Les Arbres (ECM, Hubro, Sofa). He has recorded and performed with a number of musicians including Nils Petter Molvær, David Sylvian, Tony Oxley, Nels Cline, Thurston Moore and Paul Lovens. He has released two solo albums on Hubro. -
'Death Rattle' is the noise of two forces of nature in collision. Like a pair of clashing typhoons, Philadelphia based avant guitarist James Plotkin and Norwegian free jazz drummer Paal Nilssen-Love generate chaos, disturbance and a terrifying beauty in their first ever collaborative recording.Visit product page →
Free jazz and metal-edged rock never chimed so exhilaratingly together before. Paal's precision and constant invention/reinvention is mind-blowing, only matched by its intensity,'James enthuses. There's a very fluid feel to what he's doing despite the ferocity.
Instead of trying to match the chaos, I opted to build a more solid foundation of repetition and melody for him to launch from. I really appreciated the role reversal of drummer and guitarist!'
James Plotkin's distinctively extreme, aggressive guitar sound has been a constant presence in underground music since the late 1980s, when he founded the metal/industrial band OLD. As a solo artist and as a member of outfits such as Scorn, Khanate, Phantomsmasher, Khlyst and most recently Jodis, he has plotted a nomadic trail through new metal, dark ambient, industrial, noise, grindcore and drone rock.
Sought out by Michael Gira, John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Franz Treichler, Francisco LÃ"pez and many more, he has also remixed a wide range of artists from KK Null and Sunn O))) to Pelican, Earth, Nadja and Neu!. I've wanted to work with Paal for the better part of a decade,'comments James. Stephen O'Malley had played one of Scorch Trio's discs in the van during a Khanate tour and I could hardly believe it was only one drummer at work.'
Paal Nilssen-Love is one of the most intense drummers working on the planet right now. He grew up in Stavanger, west Norway, where his parents ran the city's thriving jazz club. In theory he's now based in Oslo, but there's a huge global demand for his percussive threshing machine. He's often travelling on a relentless round of musical projects and festival appearances - notably with Mats Gustafsson in The Thing, his Chicago trio with Ken Vandermark and Ab Baars, the Hairy Bones group with Peter Brötzmann and Toshinori Kondo, a trio with Massimo Pupillo and noise artist Lasse Marhaug, plus duos with Peter Brötzmann, Terrie Ex, John Butcher and others. -
Sold outVisit product page →And now for something completely different!
The young Norwegian outsider composer leads his 9-piece orchestra through a highly personal and unique collection of instrumentals, with nods to early seventees progressive rock, easy listening, film music and sophisticated pop.
A vital and life affirming rollercoaster ride combining intricate arrangements with memorable and melodic hooks.
Tracklisting:
1. Prologue
2. Awake, Wonderful And Lavish
3. I'm Not A Star I'm Just Lost In Space
4. Good Gracious
5. Cuban Serum
6. Rumba For A Slightly Excited Ape
7. Chá!
8. The Frenzied Butterflies
9. Centrifuge In D Minor
10. Tango On The Crest Of Reality
11. Ante's Inferno
12. Ariaph Orahri
13. Isle Of View
14. Epilogue - Encore -
"Melody Of A Muddled Mason" is the natural successor to "Neo Dada", Jono's masterstroke from 2009. Some of Jono's finest writings can be found here, and he has refined his already considerable arranging skills to perfection, just listen to Bach's Beach and the title track for evidence.Visit product page →
Jono lists movements like Rock in Opposition and the Canterbury scene and artists and composers like Frank Zappa, Stravinsky, Magma, Henry Cow and Gentle Giant as sources of inspiration. With his releases and stage shows he has now established his own signature, with mature compositions, refined arrangements, improved guitar playing and the introduction of subtle vocals.
"Melody Of A Muddled Mason" is the sound of a composer and producer at the peak of his powers. The mint green vinyl and Kim Hiorthøy's strikingly original artwork completes this extraordinary release. -
Visit product page →Neo Dada is an album brimming with musical adventure, odd turns, colourful combinations of sounds and instruments, complex signatures and a good portion of pure joy, all mysteriously sugared with melodic hooks that will stick to your brain like any annoying pop tune, but in a good way.
There are elements from the Canterbury and Rock In Opposition scenes and traces of artists such as Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, Magma and Gentle Giant, but Jono has used his time since the previous album well, and taken large steps when it comes to establishing a strong musical signature.
The instrumentations and arrangements are also more adventurous, there are more rock sonics and Jono has succesfully picked up the guitar again.Tracklisting:
1. Neo Dada
2. Ballet Morbido In A Dozen Tiny Movements
3. Oslo City Suite
4. Your Mother Eats Like A Platipus
5. Big Ben Dover
6. Three Variations On A Mainstream Neurosis
7. Choco King -
Visit product page →Vinyl edition includes voucher for MP3 download of the whole album.
His previous album Neo Dada (2009) was a masterstroke; brimming with creative ideas, odd turns, weird combinations of sounds and instruments, complex time signatures and a healthy dose of pure musical joy, all mysteriously sugared with melodic hooks that would stick to your brain like any annoying pop tune.
As far as musical form and content goes, this can be said to continue with Phantom Stimulance, his fourth album. It's put together to celebrate Jono's 15 years as a composer and performer and 10 years as a band leader, but it's not a mere compilation.
Recorded in Athletic Studio, home to great analogue recordings by Supersilent, Motorpsycho, Scorch Trio and countless others, it's a collection of brand new versions of stage favourites and previously unreleased songs as well as a brand new song.
Jono lists movements like Rock in Opposition and the Canterbury Scene and artists and composers like Frank Zappa, Stravinsky, Magma, Henry Cow and Gentle Giant as inspirational sources but has established his own signature with his latest releases and stage shows.
Instrumentations and arrangements have become more adventurous, he has picked up the electric guitar again and successfully added a rougher edge to the ensemble sound. Simply a must for the progressive rock fan!
Tracklisting:
1. Borrelia Boogie
2. Utopian Semi Waltz
3. La Dolce Vidda
4. Phantom Stimulance
5. Rise Of The Baseless Press-Base Toy
6. Pongery In Evention (As In Owe Egons Dreams)
7. Beggar To Beggar (Including Pfote-Brei, The Poem)
8. Moon-Strictly In Love With A Figment Foetus
9. Negation Penetration
10. Double-Edged Triplets
11. The Goat -
Visit product page →The Choko King is Jono's third album since 2009, but the recordings are from the period between 1995 and 2008, some of which predates his first album by four years.
The Choko King offers an open door into Jono's surrealistic musical universe and is a rare gift to his increasing number of fans and anyone interested in the workings of a truly eccentric and artistic mind.
The album has been meticulously assembled from home recordings, demos, rehearsal tapes, live and studio recordings and made into a completely new work by Jono himself.
This edition comes with a 14 minute bonus track. The sleeve paintings are by acknowledged Norwegian artist Christer Karlstad.
The Choko King is also available as a limited, numbered vinyl edition of only 300 copies with inner sleeve containing insanely nerdy details on each track by Jono himself.
Tracklisting:
1. Eva's Horse Dance
2. Vidda-Dixie
3. Chá!
4. Vital Requiem VII "To Live On Ones Poor Lie, Poor Thing"
5. Asia
6. I'm A Balloon I
7. Tango Dob'zanga
8. I'm A Balloon II
9. Pongery In Evention (Revised 1996 Version)
10. Ode To Arne Nordheim (1931-2010)
11. Rapphoenß (Original Version)
12. Pfote-Brei
13. Chai-Niese Bloöeze II
14. Avoiding A Void
15. Twelve Finger Intestinal Tango (First Version)
16. Utopian Dance (Original Version)
17. Vital Requiem IV "Wheelchair Abuser Scat"
18. Lobotomized Healers Rise & Fall
19. Lobotomized Healers Comeback
20. Chai-Niese Bloöeze III
21. Smother Eve
22. Sweet Blood
23. Türbø Meuz
24. Dance Of The Skin-Eating Witch
25. Evas Horse Dance (Demo)
26. Türbø Meuz (Original Version)
27. oessen Gåre Med Morra Ri'a? (How's Yo' Mother?)
28. Big Ben Dover (Vocal Version)
29. Vital Requiem (Complete) CD only Bonus track -
Sold outStill only 29 years old when composing and recording this album, Kjetil Mulelid is one of the brightest talents in Norwegian jazz, and these days that really says something. Kjetil was sceptical when we first suggested a solo piano record back in early 2018, fully aware that solo piano in jazz is considered the ultimate challenge.Visit product page →
But the idéa slowly grew on him and when the pandemic exploded and other plans had to be scrapped, he suddenly had the time as well as the means to do it. Thus the bulk of the album was written in a hectic lockdown period and recorded on a steaming hot June day in the legendary Athletic Sound studio on their unique and characteristic Bösendorfer grand piano from 1919.
Of the piano Kjetil says the sound is one of a kind, very clear and not typically 'perfect' like most new ones. We can only wholeheartedly agree, it sounds great and is also very well recorded and mixed, giving the impression that you sit next to him, and not in a concert hall.
In turn melancholy, joyful and playful, always elegant, the album fully shows Kjetil's harmonic and melodic mastery and the influence from early introductions to classical masters like Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven.
Whether staying with the tune or taking off on improvised flights, there is an ease and assurance in his playing that betrays his young age.
Tracklisting:
1. Beginning
2. Skjong
3. Dancers
4. Point Of View
5. Le Petit
6. Love Story
7. For You I'll Do Anything
8. Sailor's Song
9. Blooming
10. Kanskje I Morgen
11. The Sun -
Sold outFollowing in the footsteps of In The Country and Espen Eriksen Trio, Kjetil Mulelid Trio is the third piano trio to appear on Rune Grammofon.Visit product page →
Although they can be placed in the same musical landscape, it's also fair to say there are certain obvious differences. There is a solid dose of youthful playfulness and curiosity at work here, at the same time they show an assured maturity that belies their age (26, 26 and 29).
The music is based on compositions by pianist Mulelid - inspired by everything from psalms to free jazz - but there is also room for collective improvisation. It can be energetic, rhythmically complex and harmonically rich, but also intimate and with a beautiful melody.
They work purely with acoustic sounds and timbres and are constantly reaching for new ways to express themselves within these frames.
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. entrance
2. fly, fly
3. children's song
4. you stood there in silence, having no words
Side B
5. c & r
6. from someone else's point of view
7. time/breath
8. leaving home
9. three last words -
Only 28 years old, Kjetil Mulelid comes across as an exceptionally mature pianist and composer. His trio's debut 'Not Nearly Enough To Buy A House' (2017) received wide international acclaim, with writers most typically mentioning Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans.Visit product page →
All About Jazz noted their conversational style and sometime gospel feel, Textura made a point out of their melodic sense and folk-like character while The Wire noted the grooves, rich harmonies and lyrical melodies and concluded about "just how magical this album is". "What You Thought Was Home" continues in this tradition, with eight new beguiling Mulelid compositions expertly balancing energetic, often rhytmically complex and harmonically rich music with beautiful and evocative melodies.
It's not all about Mulelid though, bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge and drummer Andreas Winther effortlessly conjure additional layers, tones and textures, incorporating a sense of calm; an unhurried yet constantly unfolding sound world which can be said to be distinctively Scandinavian, most typically heard in Hegge's sole composition "Bruremarsj (Wedding March)".
Tracklisting:
1. What You Thought Was Home
2. Folk Song
3. Bruremarsj = Wedding March
4. Tales
5. Far Away
6. A Cautionary Tale Against A Repetitive Life
7. Waltz For Ima
8. When Winter Turns Into Spring
9. Homecoming -
This young, semi-improvising power trio - Tom Hasslan (guitars), Axel Skalstad (drums) and Jørgen Mathisen (saxophone) - typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping across the Nordic region: hard boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms.Visit product page →
Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early 70s jazz rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal, Ray Russell), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Henry Cow, and the fierce heat of Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles.
If last years debut was a fresh breath of youthful energy, this follow-up shows a trio very confident of their abilities. They ally a strong discipline with wide, exploratory arcs, Tom's agile guitar and Jørgen's snaking sax are always fighting to break out, just held in check by Axel's tough, rhythmic tumble. Only 22 years old, the young drummer is something of a sensation, combining pure energy with superior technical skills.
This is a trio where you can hear the individuals pushing each other to new hights while keeping the solid group foundation intact.
Tracklisting:
1. C.O.T.A
2. Sail Ahead
3. Nieu
4. The Ship
5. Snakedog
6. Watchtower -
Sold outKrokofant typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping across the Nordic region: hard boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms.Visit product page →
Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early 70s jazz rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, and the fierce heat of John Zorn or Peter Brötzmann'™s harsh free jazz ensembles.
If their 2014 debut album was a fresh breath of youthful energy, the follow-up showed a trio more confident of their abilities after extended live work. Their third album in just three years follows in this tradition, with Mathisen's fat syntheziser tones adding a new colour to the soundscape. They still ally a strong discipline with wide, exploratory arcs, Tom's agile guitar and Jørgen's snaking sax fighting to break out, just held in check by Axel'™s tough, rhythmic tumble.
Only 23 years old, the young drummer is something of a sensation, combining pure energy with superior technical skills. This is a trio where you can hear the individuals pushing each other to new hights while keeping the solid group foundation intact.
Tracklisting:
1. Tommy Synth
2. Clazz
3. Juice
4. Double Dad
5. Wrong Turn -
Visit product page →Ever since this expanded line-up of Krokofant released their first album 'Q' two years ago, there's been an unanimous request for a follow-up by writers and fans alike. UK's Prog magazine concluded their 'Q' review with 'This expanded line-up is said to continue. It should do, they have something very special'. And here it is, if possible, an even finer album! Thus the expanded Krokofant is everything a progressive jazz and rock fan could wish for; positive energy, melodic riches, excellent musicianship and a touch of magic served with a healthy respect for the past and a foot in the future. Guitarist Tom Hasslan's tunes are perfect vehicles for Ståle Storløkken to present the full scope of his playing; from sheer pastoral beauty to full on jazz skronk. The same can be said about Mathisen, who is given ample room for soloing as well as laying down some amazing unison interplay with the guitarist. The tunes are rich in harmonic structures and melodic hooks, but there is also room for adventures into more free passages.
Tracklisting: 1. Watcher Of The Fries 2. Big Heavy Thing 3. Five Flat Pennies 4. Pretty Frypan
