Another release party with 1982

A couple of weeks ago, 1982 sent a message in a bottle from Bergen. The bottle contained a limited version of their album "Pintura" (Hubro 2011), now available in Norway on CD, LP and mp3 files (international release late November).

Yesterday they held a more traditional release party at the Bergen Jazzforum. Sigbjørn Apeland (organ), Nils Økland (fiddle) and Øyvind Skarbø (drums) were on the floor, with the audience on the stage and floor surrounding them. In this intimate setting they did a great concert, flavored by improv, contemporary classical, folk and jazz. We heard incredibly beautiful melodies, free and playful parts and fiddle virtuosity, all of it improvised. For a while the music was made only from the cracking of the wood of the organ and Økland´s shoes while Skarbø was brushing the drums. And I am not lying, towards the end of the concert Skarbø was doing a duo with a hail storm outside the windows!
Buy the album and hope to see 1982 live, and don´t forget their previous album on NORCD

And if you find one of the bottles they have thrown into the sea, make me an offer. OK?

The animals of Bergen

Street artist Argus seems to have opened a zoo.

Odyshape

What a great reissue! The post-punks The Raincoats released their album "Odyshape" (Rough Trade 1981) on their own label We Three. And this is still damned fine music!
"Odyshape" was released on CD in 1993 too, but this is remastered and released both on CD and vinyl.
The band is Ana Da Silva, Gina Birch and Vicky Aspinall, but let´s mention a couple of the other musicians too, drummers Charles Hayward and Robert Wyatt. Wyatt plays on the track "And Then It's O.K."

Bert Jansch (1943 - 2011)

Today we got the sad message that guitar player, singer and Pentangle member Bert Jansch died.
Play some old and new solo albums, and some Pentangle albums too, to honor a great musician.

I also recommend Colin Harper´s book "Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival" (Bloomsbury 2006).

Kjetil Møster/Staer 12"

Warning: This blog post is mainly for hardcore record collectors.

Kjetil Møster and Staer released a one sided 12" clear vinyl on the new label Drid Machine (Co-released with Mozart Kebab and Action Jazz).
Møster´s track "Mø/Staer" plays the usual way (from edge to the middle of the record), while Staer´s "Triangle Pinks" plays from the label towards the middle.
The music is recorded, mixed and mastered by Møster and Jørgen Træen.
Meant for sale at concerts, but try Drid Machine or Tiger in Oslo.

Kjetil Møster´s track is on SoundCloud, and I will post it here when the site is working properly again (having trouble this Tuesday).

MÖ/STAER by kjetilmoester

Mixed candy

I have fallen a bit behind here, and try the easy way out with a list of recommendations, instead of one blog post for each album. Mixed candy? At last mixed, but I guess the different tastes does not fit together perfectly for all of you. Check out some of them then, if you have the time.

- Altar of Plagues: "Mammal" (Candlelight 2011). Dark, epic metal.
- Humcrush with Sidsel Endresen: "Ha!" (Rune 2011). Strønen, Storløken and Endresen improvisering. Nuff said!
- In the Country: "Sounds and Sights" (Rune 2011). Sad and beautiful, but not too sweet. You get a DVD too!
- Richmond Fontaine: "The High Country" (El Cortez 2011). Dramatic short prose, dressed in black country-americana, all weaved together into one story. Fine!
- Josh T. Pearson: "Last of the Country gentlemen" (Mute 2011).I missed this artist at the Bergenfest festival this spring. very sad and very slow, but perfect for some of the hard days we all meet.
-Two albums by veteran sax player Kris Wanders on Not Two: "Taken by Surprise" (Kris Wanders / Mani Neumeier Quintet) and "In Remembrance of the Human race" (The Kris Wanders Outfit). Great stuff!

I Was A King and Robyn Hitchcock

The Norwegian band I Was A King recorded the EP "Twilight Anniversaries" with Robyn Hitchcock.

Muscians:
Frode Strømstad - guitars/vocals
Anne Lise Frøkedal - guitars/vocals
Robyn Hitchcock - guitars
Patrick Berkery - drums
Josh Stamper - bass/mellotron/guitar
Emil Nikolaisen - drums/bass
Erica Miller - violin
Naomi Gray - cello
Andy Ramsay - percussion
Hans Jørgen Undelstvedt - background vocals
Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen - background vocals

Info in Norwegian over at groove.no.