Cassettes

It seems like we have a new back to basics trend with cassettes going.

I saw a Norwegian comic strip the other day, where some hipsters told a straighter guy that it was OK to stream music, that is if you recorded it on a tape recorder first, and then played it!

Anyway I think I have to get myself a new cassette deck soon.

The cassettes of the day in this blog are the first ever musical meeting of the trio B/B/S, being Aidan Baker (Nadja, Canada), Andrea Belfi (Italy) and Erik Skodvin (Svarte Greiner / Deaf Center, Miasmah label, Norway) and Susanna Wallumrød´s Best Of-series of three cassettes, celebrating her ten years as a recording artist (2014).

The Best of Susanna cover design is by Lasse Marhaug.

The B/B/S cassette may also be downloaded from Bandcamp.

December Video Festival 2014

- Evan Parker, Peter Evans, Charles Evans @ The Stone 9-10-14
- Frode Gjerstad Trio (Gjerstad, Strøm, Nilssen-Love) @ Inage Candy 24 May 2014
- Supersilent @ Dokkhuset (Trondheim) 2014-11-17
- The Thing & Ken Vandermark @ Music Unlimited Wels, Austria, 2014-11-08
- Paal Nilssen-Love, Jim O'Rourke, Lasse Marhaug @ Inage Candy 19 January 2013
- Alan Silva, Mette Rasmussen, Ståle Liavik Solberg @ Dome of Visions, Copenhagen, October 23rd, 2014
- George Russell and the Big Bang Band of 1967 @ Circus in Stockholm (1), !Sweden
What an intro! What a gang! Jump to next video after 29 min.!
- George Russell and the Big Bang Band of 1967 @ Circus in Stockholm (2), Sweden
- Vashti Bunyan & Gareth Dickson @ Jazzhouse, Copenhagen, 18 November, 2014
- Charles Bradley in the backyard of Daptone's House of Soul, featuring Menahan Street Band
- Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - "White Christmas"

Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit at Moers 2014

Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit playing "Culius" at Moers Festival, June 2014.

The band according to Moers´ site: Thomas Johansson (tp), Mats Äleklint (tb), Børre Mølstad (tuba), Kasper Værnes (sax), Klaus Holm (sax), Lasse Marhaug (elec), Ketil Gutvik (git), Jon Rune Strøm (b), Christian Meaas Svendsen (b), Andreas Wildhagen (dr) and Paal Nilssen-Love (dr).

Brute Force

Brute Force, a new rocking noise trio from Norway, for your pleasure!

The musicians are Karl Haugland Bjorå (Guitar), Egil Kalman (Bass) and Ole Mofjell (Drums), and their album "Brute Force" was released by Va Fongool on the 25th of April.

The record company describes the music as "brutal improvised avant-garde noise", and I´m adding - with a rock attitude.
Brutal or not, I have to confessthat I slept through half of it the first time I heard it, the reason being to much spring sun I believe, so PLAY LOUD just in case.

You may listen to an excerpt below, lasting almost three minutes (of the total of 28 min).

Cover, mixing and mastering done by Lasse Marhaug.

Personal Best #4

Lasse Marhaug has let loose #4 of his fanzine "Personal Best". This year´s subtitle being "fanzine for noise, music and mic placement"!

Interviews from 2012 and 2013 with Jim O´Rourke, Norway´s Kai Kobi Mikalsen and Årabrot, Ray Ahn (The Hard-Ons), Okkyung Lee by C. Spencer Yeh (on film mostly), Kimihide Kusafuka, Marco Fusinato and Keith Fullerton Whitman (on running a mail order for weird music).

May be ordered from Marhaug Forlag, or bought from selected shops.

Check it out.

And visit Fullerton Whitman´s Mimaroglu Music Sales!

Whole Lotta Nilssen-Love

Anyone trying to keep track of Paal Nilssen-Love´s activities live and on records? Puh!

He is out with a duo album called "Scarcely", with Arto Lindsay (DNA, Golden Palominos, Lounge Lizards etc) on his own PNL label. It was recorded live in Rio De Janeiro in July 2013, and sounds like it must have been a really hot noise party!
And please note that side A plays on 33rpm and side B on 45rpm.

Mix master and art director: Lasse Marhaug.

Here is the PNL label discography, but how about PNL019? Does it exist?

Lasse Marhaug & Paal Nilssen-Love: Stalk (PNL 001, 2007)
Nils Henrik Aasheim & Paal Nilssen-Love: Late Play (PNL 002, 2007)
Magnus Broo & Paal Nilssen-Love: Game (PNL 003, 2008)
Sten Sandell Trio: Face of Tokyo (PNL 004, 2009)
Paal Nilssen-Love: 27 Years Later (PNL 005, 2010)
Paal Nilssen-Love & Anders Hana: AM/FM (PNL 006, 2010)
Paal Nilssen-Love: Miró (PNL 007, 2011)
Slugfield (Nilssen-Love, Marhaug, Ratkje): Slime Zone (PNL 008, 2012)
Lasse Marhaug & Paal Nilssen-Love: No Combo LP (PICA 028/PNL 009, 2011)
Anders Hana & Paal Nilssen-Love: Hosanna and Parallel Sevens 10" (PNL 010, 2011)
Fire Room (Nilssen-Love, Marhaug, Vandermark): Wels 2008/11/08 LP (Pica 030/PNL 011, 2011)
Terrie EX & Paal Nilssen-Love: Hurgu! (PNL 012, 2011)
Double Tandem (Nilssen-Love, Vandermark, Baars): Cement (PNL 013, 2012)
Bradford, Gjerstad, Nilssen-Love: Dragon (PNL 014, 2012)
Frode Gjerstad Trio: Hide Out (PNL 015, 2012)
Paal Nilssen-Love, Joe McPhee: Red Sky (PNL 016, 2013)
Jim O'Rourke, Paal Nilssen-Love, Lasse Marhaug: The Love Robots (PNL 017/Pica 031, 2013)
Otomo Yoshihide, Paal Nilssen-Love, Lasse Marhaug: Explosion Course (PNL 018, 2013)

Arto Lindsay, Paal Nilssen-Love: Scarcity (PNL 020, 2014)
Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit: First Blow (PNL 021, 2014)

Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit

Paal Nilssen-Love and his Large Unit are touring Norway these days, and I heard them in Bergen Sunday evening. Damned great music, they dish out everything from noise to moments of marching band music, and me I liked them best of all when they approached rocking sounds.

These fine gentlemen were playing:
Jon Rune Strøm - bass, Andreas Wildhagen - drums, Paal Nilssen-Love - drums, Mats Äleklint - trobone, Christian Meås Svendsen - bass, Klaus Holm - alto, Kasper Værnes - alto, Thomas Johansson - trumpet, Børre Mølstad - tuba, Ketil Gutvik - guitar, Lasse Marhaug - electronics.

I heard their concert at the Moldejazz festival last summer, and parts of that concert may now be listened to again, if you get yourselves Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit: "First Blow" (PNL 021, 2014).
There is 20 minutes of music. The vinyl edition plays 45 rpm.
I can´t find it on Catalytic Sound yet, but see Subradar or attend some Nilssen-Love concert.

Cover: Lasse Marhaug.

December Video Festival

Gare Du Nord from Lotta Melin on Vimeo.

I have been surfing YouTube and Vimeo a lot these last days, to catch up after my lost autumn in hospital.
Here is a selection of jazz, imrov, noise and dance for you.

- Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang and Ingar Zach at the Nefertiti 6 Dec 2013.
- Mary Halvorson, Peter Evans and Weasel Walter - Dither Extravaganza - Gowanus Lofts 26 Oct 2013.
- C Spencer Yeh, Chris Corsano and Stine Janvin Motland at Wels Unlimited 9 Nov 2013.
- Lasse Marhaug & Kjell Bjørgengen at Wels Unlimited 8 Nov 2013.
- "Gare Du Nord". Coreography Lotta Melin. Music Maja Ratkje.

All Ears 2014

Oslo´s great All Ears festival 2014 is happening 9-12 January.
Unfortunately I´m not able to go, but recommend the festival, both for the music (impro, noise ++) and the atmosphere.

9 January:
Kim Myhr / Axel Dörner
Jooklo Duo
Ken Vandermark

10 January:
Lasse Marhaug in conversation with Thurston Moore
Ståle Liavik Solberg / John Russell
Pär Thörn
Great Waitress
Aspec(t)
Thurston Moore / Pika

11 January:
Rob Young in conversation with John Tilbury and Eddie Prevost
Elisabeth Harnik
Frode Gjerstad / Monkey Plot
Thurston Moore
Kjetil Hanssen / Ronny Wærnes / Pika
Selvhenter / Staer

12 January:
Agnes Hvizdalek
Ken Vandermark / John Tilbury / Eddie Prevost

Ikue Mori and Maja S. K. Ratkje

Please note that a new album by Ikue Mori (laptop) and Maja Ratkje (electronics, voice) has been released!
"Scrumptious Sabotage" (Bocian Records 2013) contain live recordings from Belfast (31 March) and Ulverston (29 March) 2012, all made into a really fine piece of varied music in the impro-noise field

Let me just steal this from Bocian´s site:
"In these carefully crafted, long and nuanced compositions , both artists maneuver between meditative, ritual areas and irregular, elusive noise blots. The most astonishing element of this superb performance is the realization that even though the compositions are entirely intuitive, created without any previous planning, guidelines or negotations, the listener can sense a nearly palpable sense of deep connection and understanding between the artists".

You have to fight for one of the 250 copies on black vinyl, 100 on orange vinyl, or go for the CD.
I have had no problems when ordering from Bocian, quick delivery and all.

Cover design: Lasse Marhaug.

Pan Gu

In Chinese mythology Pan Gu is the primeval man, born of a cosmic egg, but Pan Gu is also a duo with Lasse Marhaug (elektronics) and Leslie Low (guitar, voice). They have released an album called (prepare yourselves now!) "Primeval Man Born of the Cosmic Egg" on Utech Records (2013). The music is all improvised, it´s dark but beautiful (yes!) and spiced with noise elements. The music was recorded by Stian Westerhus in Oslo in 2011.

You may also listen on Utech´s Bandcamp, and download the album for a small amount of money.
I bought a vinyl copy at Tiger in Oslo, and you may shop from the record company too. 300 copies made, it seems.

Here are a couple of videos from September and December 2012.

Okkyung Lee: "Ghil" (Ideologic Organ 2013)

Are you game for some improvised noise cello? Alright!

Okkyung Lee recently released the album "Ghil" on Ideologic Organ (2013). The music was recorded on an old portable cassette player by Lasse Marhaug in Norway (Oslo, Nesodden and Rjukan) in 2012.

Let´s cite the record company: "..Marhaug wanted to record Ghil in an expressionistic way – to purposely use crude equipment and unorthodox microphone placement in order to give a more raw and direct depiction of Okkyung playing her music".
And yes, it is raw. Free improv, drone darkness (like in "Cheol-Kkot" and "Hollow Water") and (please don´t get mad!) cello playing that makes me think of Hendrix (listen to the opening of the SoundCloud track above). It´s tough enough.

This is not background music at, but is benefiting from some focused listening. I tried listening on the bus one day, surrounded by noisy passengers. Not good for my blood pressure at all!

Personal Best #3

The third issue of Lasse Marhaug´s fanzine "Personal Best" is out, this time with the subtitle "fanzine for noise, music and random chaos", and is a must read. Again some great interviews with musicians, no pussyfooting, and not always about music.

This time let me mention the talks with Norwegian bass player Guro Skumsnes Moe, and musician and Miasmah boss Erik Skodvin (he does not like his Svarte Greiner project to be classified as "dark ambient". Now he says!). I also enjoyed the interview with the Australian drummer Will Guthrie very much, and i confess here and now, that I will never attend a concert by Torturing Nurse, if they still keep touring! No way!

Marhaug: You´re a victim of fusion?
Guthrie: Yeah, a victim of fusion.
Marhaug: I´m sorry to hear.

Order "Personal Best" from Marhaug Forlag, or fine stores like Tiger (Oslo) and Robot (Bergen). And don´t worry, the fanzine is all in English of course.

Here are a few words on #1 and #2.

Fire Room live in Bergen

I already mentioned Fire Room´s new album "Second Breath" (Bocian Records 2013), and their recent tour, in this very blog.

I´m glad i got to hear Paal Nilssen-Love (drums), Ken Vandermark (sax, clar) and Lasse Marhaug (electricity and turntable) do a great concert at Bergen Kjøtt 6 June. Only 25 people in the audience (!), and most of us got seated in soft chairs and sofas.

The trio play a really fine mix of jazz, impro and noise, and since you probably didn´t get a chance to see them this time, try to find the new album! The music on "Second Breath" is at least similar to what they played in Bergen, and was recorded at The Vortex in London in 2011 (released on both CD and vinyl).

Fire Room: Second Breath (2013)

Fire Room, that is Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilssen-Love and Lasse Marhaug, have a new album out soon (?), called "Second Breath" (CD and vinyl, on PNL perhaps ?), and a tour coming up.

I stole the cover from Lasse Marhaug, and the tour list below from Paal Nilssen-Love.

Previous releases by Fire Room: "Broken Music" (Atavistic 2008, CD + mp3) and "Wels 2008/11/08" (Pica/PNL 2011, 157 copies - vinyl).

27/05/2013
DOM/Moscow/Russia

29/05/2013
Kulturforum/Villach/Austria/

31/05/2013
21.00@Chelsea/Vienna/Austria

01/06/2013
Magasin 4/Brussels/Belgium

02/06/2013
Stadtgarten/Cologne/Germany

04/06/2013
MIR/Oslo/NO

05/06/2013
Stajazz/Stavanger/NO

06/06/2013
Bergen Kjøtt/Bergen/NO


Added 11 June:

"Second Breath" is on Bocian Records.

Stone Floor Records

I might be a little late here, but I still want to point you towards the new independent Norwegian free jazz (and other improvised music) label Stone Floor Records.

They released three albums in 2012:

- All Included: Reincarnation of a free bird (SFR 001, 2012)
Martin Küchen: saxophones; Thomas Johansson: trumpet; Mats Äleklint: trombone; Jon Rune Strøm: double bass; Tollef Østvang: drums.
Read a review in AAJ.

- SAKA: Cementen (SFR 002, 2012)
Kristoffer Berre Alberts: tenor saxophone; Jon Rune Strøm: double bass; Dag Erik Knedal Andersen: drums.
Read a review in AAJ.

- Universal Indians: Nihil is now (SFR 003, 2012)
John Dikeman: saxophones; Jon Rune Strøm: double bass; Tollef Østvang: drums.
Read a review in AAJ.

So far I have been listening to All Included and SAKA, and they are highly recommended!

Coverdesign on both of "my records" (and probably the third one too): Lasse Marhaug.

Borealis 2013

I´m a bit busy this week! The Borealis festival of Bergen is happening right now.

Wednesday I went to the grand festival opening with (among other concerts) Lasse Marhaug´s powerful commissioned work for Ny Musikk (New Music org); "Waste music (for two furnaces )" - giving us the sonic recycling of a waste plant. Both earplugs and helmets this time! Great day at the waste plant!

Espen Sommer Eide has several performances in his exhibition "Dead Language Poetry" at the Bergen Kunsthall, Wednesday hi deid one together with Alexander Rishaug, Janne-Camilla Lyster, Signe Lidén, Tolga Balci and Trine H. Friis.

Trond Lossius is presenting his sound installation "Lontano" in the Haukeland Unversity Hospital´s anechoic chamber. The sounds of railway stations, parks, the birds at night and a even a full storm, is a strong and strange experience in a completely sound isolated room like this one.

Read more about all this over at Borealis, and feel free to check out more of my photos on Flickr.

BOREALIS 2013

This year´s Borealis (festival for contemporary experimental music and sound art) is happening in Bergen 6 - 10 March.

It may become a grim month of March, since the festival theme is "The End", but the program is promising still!

It all starts with garbage, and Lasse Marhaug ´s "Søppelmusikk (for to avfallsovner)" ("Waste Music (for two furnaces)"), and I´m happy to say that Peter Blegvad and Richard Skelton is coming to town!

There will also be performances in Espen Sommer Eide´s March exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall.

All Ears vorspiel in Bergen

The All Ears 2013 festival is happening in Oslo right now, but a vorspiel was held in Bergen yesterday, with solo concerts by Lasse Marhaug, Robert Piotrowicz and Fred Frith.

Great high tech noise from Marhaug og Piotrowicz (who experienced loss of power twice during his set!) was followed by an intense and beautiful set by Fred Frith, playing more or less prepared guitar, using fingers, bow, bowls and rice to get the right sounds.
Absolutely wonderful!

I´m suddenly having trouble embedding a video without playlists now, so head on over here to look for videos if this looks messy.

You´re Next

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