SKRIM - The Crooked Path

Uneasy listening – improvsed excursions to the outer limits.

Before we get to the sounds on the new album by Norwegian duo SKRIM and their accompanying guest musicians, I must mention the album design. The sleeve art features an arresting ariel photograph of the intricate traffic system in Osaka, Japan. It's modern, complicated, confusing yet somehow planned and purposeful. Open the gatefold sleeve on the vinyl edition and there's a larger shot from a different angle, that expands the view.

In many ways these photos perfectly represent the music within. It's at times similarly confusing, multi-layered and complex, perhaps designed to take the listener out of their comfort zone and to question what the role of sound and music is. There are no songs as such on The Crooked Path. Instead the album is broken down into two improvised, free-ranging parts – 'When Mammals Go Dancing' and 'Akihabara by Night', each taking up one side of the vinyl.

So who are SKRIM? Morten Qvenild and Gard Nilssen were previously know as duo sPacemonKey. (That's their chosen upper/lower casing by the way, not my bad typing!) The pair renamed themselves SKRIM for this release after the mountainous region of Norway that separates the cities of Kongsberg and Skien. SKRIM are joined on this album by Ståle Storløkken (organ/electronics) and Stian Westerhus (guitar/electronics).

Much like the mountainous region the duo named themselves after there are peaks and troughs within this music. Full on electronic cacophony at times, in other places quiet, sombre passages with space for melodies to breath and weave. There are times when riffs emerge and the quartet make a brutalist post-punk noise. Even when there's a seemingly all encompassing barrage of drums and atonal electronic squawks, there are still melodies to be found, albeit buried. Perhaps a ploy to make you listen harder, they act as gifts and rewards for making the effort.

The Crooked Path will be unlikely to find an audience outside of late night Radio Three and 6Music Feakzone listeners but I guess SKRIM are not making music to become popular. More likely their mission and purpose is to explore the possibilities of what can be achieved with four open-minded musicians in one room. If you're looking for a lesser travelled path this could be just the unsettling experience you're after. Be brave, be bold, and travel to the furthest reaches, you may enjoy it there!

 

Flukten – Velkommen Håp

Modern adventures in jazz and blues.

One trend I've noticed in my own listening choices over recent years is towards instrumental music. An odd thing given how much I love lyrics. The emotion conveyed by well chosen words and a beautiful voice can be incredible as we all know. But there's something about wordless music that allows you to make a stronger connection. The absence of lyrics allows a certain space to engage your own imagination.

In some way it must also up the game of the musicians involved; rather than providing backing for a vocalist, they're tasked with telling stories and conveying feeling with notes. Be it sadness, happiness, joy, despair, humour, anger or any point on the complicated spectrum of human emotion.

One recent instrumental album I've enjoyed recently is this debut by Norwegian jazz quartet Flukten. Recorded in two days at Propellor Studios, a converted old mill near the Akerselva waterfall, Velkommen Håp, (in English Welcome Hope) is a playful adventure in modern jazz. Bluesy in places, quite often jaunty and uplifting.

The record opens with it's title track, a hurried post-punk rush. It's not too long before the track's tightly played central motifs emerge from the sonic soup. This battle between improvisation and composition has long been a characteristic of jazz and Flukten honour this tradition, adding their own 21st century stamp along the way.

'Budeie Boogie' features the drums and bass kicking out a delightful R&B rumble with the guitar and sax playfully topping the track off with uplifting melodies. 'Framsyning' is an excursion into free jazz, opening with a series of guitar chords before all band members eventually join in and take the music to newer places.

There's wonderful use of blue notes in 'Barneblues' which is the closest the the band get to a tradition twelve bar format. They band return to this use of blue notes later on in 'Bleik Myrk Legg'. As fun as these tracks are, to my mind the best moments on the album are where the band venture into a more contemplative, melancholy mode, as on 'Jonas Og Hvalen' and album closer 'Blomstrene', a softly satisfying landing and nice counterpoint to the album's otherwise wild flights.

Flukten are - 

Hanna Paulsberg - saxophone

Marius Hirth Klovning - guitar

Bárđur Reinart Poulsen – double bass

Hans Hulbækmo - drums

Click here for Odin Records on Bandcamp.

 

Interview with Farmer Dave Scher (All Night Radio, HOO)

Los Angeles musicians Farmer Dave Scher and Jimi Hey had played in a string of bands together in the nineties, including Strictly Ballroom and Beachwood Sparks. But it was as duo All Night Radio that the pair were able to give full flight to their creativity. All Night Radio's sole album, Frequency Spirit Radio, was released on Sub Pop Records in 2004. Admired by those in the know at the time, the record's stature and reputation is such that it's now getting bespoke vinyl release later this month thanks to UK label Big Potato Records. You can hear it's psychedelic majesty via the embedded player below, or click over the jump to read the full interview with Farmer Dave about how the album came to be.

(CLICK OVER THE JUMP FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH FARMER DAVE)