IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Ballrogg - Swedish country

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:54:13 -0700

Check out a sample from the new Balrogg album "Cabin music", out now via the excellent jazz/improv label Hubro.

New Stein Urheim LP coming via Hubro for RSD

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:46:41 -0700

The excellent Norwegian experimental label Hubro is doing a very limited vinyl run of guitarist Stein Urheim's new LP "Kosmolodi" for Record Store Day, his third solo release overall I believe. White label, 150 copies, digital version coming in May.

New from Hubro: Cakewalk

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:08:05 -0700

Hubro has announced the release of the new album "Wired" from improv/drone/jazz act Cakewalk, a new band featuring members from the groups Sacred Harp, Highasakite, The Sweetest Thrill and Hedvig Mollestad Trio.

Splashgirl Pressure Hubro

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:01:09 -0800

Sometimes a band or song or album that you haven't listened to in aeons will pop into your head and spark you to give it a casual listen. Whatever the reason, be it a yearning for an adrenaline injection or a desire to experience a distant, heartfelt memory, the uniting factor that draws us to do this is a love -- or even a passing fondness -- for the music in question. Regardless of the genre, from the most minimalistic ambient music to the most complex extreme metal, the music must have that certain something that inspires us and compels us to listen every once in a while. The thing about this third album by the Norwegian "dronejazz" trio is that there's not much on it that would make the average Joe -- jazz-inclined or otherwise -- decide to give the thing a spin on a whim. It's often melancholic in the way that television soundtracks like to portray sadness or hurt and the occasions where the jazz elements come into play are reminiscent of the type of seedy lounge bar music that would usually play over a noir actor's closing monologue. We could go on forever about layers and textures and guest contributions on "Pressure" and, yes, there seems to have been a lot of thought put into creating it, but at the end of the day there's nothing on this almost average album that makes me want to come back and listen ever again.

New from Hubro: Erland Dahlen, Scent of Soil

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:57:25 -0800

Up next from the exceptional Norwegian label Hubro, the solo debut "Rolling bomber" from drummer/percussionist/saw player (!!!) Erland Dahlen. Seriously: drums, percussion and singing saw and nothing else -- it's awesome.

After that, the new album from pop/jazz act Scent of Soil. Haven't heard that one yet beyond this one sample tune, but considering the label's track record, I'm sure it will be worth checking out. Details here.

Top 10s for 2011: It's a Trap!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The prospect of whittling down my list of 2011 favorites to a standard top 10 or even 20 just didn't seem quite so appropriate this year so I've opted instead to break up my selections into a few compartmentalized and highly subjective niches. When I reflect back on the year just passed, this is the method that makes the most sense to me, and besides, music is not a contest and many of these records simply cannot withstand side-by-side scrutiny. Hopefully you'll agree, but if not, there's always the comments section.

BEST ROCK/POP

For lack of a better signifier, here are a few of my favorite releases that don't fit neatly into a clever subgenre.

Peter Bjorn and John - Gimme some
I feel bad for everyone who can't move beyond "Young folks". PB&J has always been and continues to be a fantastic powerpop band and their latest album might just be their best.

Penny Century - Friends and family
A grower, not a shower. I found myself returning to this record time and time again, discovering new things to appreciate almost every time. A deeply nuanced work masquerading as sweet indiepop.

Cut City - Where's the harm in dreams disarmed?
A fitting swan song that their final release should be a perfect encapsulation of modern goth/pop/postpunk.

Kaka - The two
Brilliant, addictive and secretly subversive once you start digging into the lyrics.

BEST SCENE: Black Hole Crew/Nekromantik Norway

Excellence in consistency, consisently excellent. While no one release blew me away quite like Okkultokrati's "No light for mass" or Haust's debut LP "Ride the relapse", the Oslo horde has been regularly churning out some of the finest punk/metal/hardcore in the world today.

Key selections:
Dark Times - s/t CS
Årabrot - Solar anus
Årabrot/Okkultokrati - split 12"
Okkultokrati - Ingen veit alt 7"
Okkultokrati/Haust - Black Hole X-mas 7"
Problems - 2011 CS

ALSO SEE: Hubro & HOOB Records

Allow me to step outside my confort zone a moment to also recommend to you the not-exactly jazz labels Hubro and HOOB Records, based in Norway and Sweden respectively. Both are delivering an amazing array of excellent genre-breaking music and, while I may not be intimately familiar with the circles they travel in, I can confidently say that almost every single release they've put out is well worth investigating.

Key selections:
The Splendour - Delphian palace
Thus:Owls - Harbours
Splashgirl - Pressure
Huntsville - For flowers, cars and merry wars
1982 - Pintura

BEST INSTRUMENTAL/SOUNDTRACK

Matti Bye & Mattias Olsson - Elephant and castle
Wheezing vintage organs and the clatter of clever percussion combine to create one of the most satisfying and creepy albums of the year.

BEST METAL

Execration - Odes of the occult
Much in the same way that Obliteration's "Nekropsalms" stood head and shoulders above the rest back in 2009, Execration's "Odes of the occult" expands on the same template established by their countrymates and adds a hefty does of epic doom to their filthy death metal, thus easily enabling them to (ahem) obliterate the competition.

ALSO SEE:
Dödsvarg - Livet är en dödsorsak
Mr. Death - Descending through ashes
Rising - To solemn ash

BEST EPs

2011 was an amazing year for EPs and many of these titles I have listed make up my absolute favorite releases of the year.

Grande Roses - Hide
Hands down, the best rock record of the year. Vital and passionate in an era when so many feign indifference or hide behind irony, no one else comes close.

Kite - IV
Even if you think that they'll never write another song as good as "Ways to dance", or even if you think they already did, Kite has never had a 100% fully satisfying release until this. Five songs, all synthpop anthems.

The Psyke Project - Ebola
As said before, forget the other half of this split -- it doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned. The Psyke Project is brutality personified; every time you think they couldn't get any heavier, they do.

In These Woods - s/t
Technically a late 2010 release, but who is really paying attention to anything new in late December? Classic Swedish indie guitar-rock is saved from extinction yet again.

Alouatta - DIY
Melodic mid-tempo punk played by dudes who are old enough to know better, but also old enough to do it just right.

FOREIGN JUNK

Not appropriate to waste words on these here, in this forum, but these records are all excellent and well worth checking out:
Austra - Feel it break
Charles Bradley - No time for dreaming
The Devil's Blood - The thousandfold epicentre
Royal Headache - s/t

MP3: Splashgirl - Creature of light

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:38:51 -0800

When your bassist is also billed as "drone commander", I'm pretty much sold from the get-go. Hubro continues to champion acts that occupy the peculiar space of "drone jazz" -- see also Huntsville or the likewise excellent V. Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble whose 2010 album "Lover man" was a serious sleeper hit -- and Splashgirl is yet another exemplary example of the genre. Unlike the stereotypical notion of jazz being focused on the individual virtuoso or even the lock-step ensemble arrangements of a big band, this is music that is primarily obsessed with mood and feeling. Dynamics, texture and space are key. More and more I'm finding this to be my go-to music when I can't decide what else to listen to as it's always perfect.

Huntsville For flowers, cars and merry wars Hubro

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:33:04 -0800

This experimental Norwegian trio have taken a decent stab at the drone genre, generally opting for an askew folk/jazz aesthetic rather than the subsonic metal rumblings that often accompany the style. Its opening title track gives the impression that this could be a contemporary soundtrack to "The wicker man", which is down to the unison of Kongsberg-native Hanne Hukkelberg's eerie vocals and the uneasy nature of the music itself. The second of the recording's two major pieces, "Ear/eye connector", really needs to pull something strong out of the bag and, while it's a great background piece when played at subdued volume, it's something of a disappointment when given one's full attention. It makes a fundamental mistake in the grand scheme of music -- that of the false build up that leads nowhere. For a good deal of its almost 13 minute running time the implementation of drum and sample patterns gives the impression that we're leading into one hell of a driving beat; the pulsating feedback would remain the same but with a beat over it that would just kill. Sadly, it's not the case, which renders the track a good background listener rather than a great piece of sonic genius. It's actually something that could be said of this release as a whole, with "For the working class" seeming like a pointless entry and closer "Star spangled pillow" failing to intrigue on a concentrated listen. If it's a backgrounder you're after, though, this will do the trick. Definitely!

1982 recording of Pintura (video)

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:53:01 -0700

Go behind the scenes with Norwegian improv trio 1982 as they record their new album "Pintura", out now via Hubro.

Hubro to release new album from 1982

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:22:54 -0700

Coming soon via Hubro, "Pintura", the sophomore album from Norwegian improvised chamber act 1982, an ensemble consisting of harmonium, drums and Hardanger fiddle: http://www.hubromusic.com/index.php?cmd=17
Considering Hubro's other stellar recent releases (see: Splashgirl, Huntsville), I have to say that I'm extremely excited to hear this.

The Milk Factory interviews Splashgirl

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:50:19 -0700

The Milk Factory interviews Norwegian instrumental/jazz/drone act Splashgirl who will soon be releasing their new album "Pressure" via Hubro: http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2011/08/interview-splashgirl-crossing-the-boundaries/

Hubro to release new Mats Eilerstsen album

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:03:29 -0700

Hubro has announced that they will be releasing Mats Eilertsen's new album "SkyDive" on September 2, his sixth album overall. Preview the track "Parachute psalm" as posted above.
Besides his own quintet, Mats is also known for his work with artists such as Tord Gustavsen and Food, among others.

Hubro to release Huntsville/Splashgirl split

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:07:43 -0700

Hubro will be releasing a series of limited edition LPs starting with a split featuring Huntsville and Splashgirl, both of which also have full-length albums of their own out now on the label. Anyhow, said split will contain previously unreleased material and only 200 copies total will be made for sale. More info and preorder details: http://www.hubromusic.com/

For flowers, cars and merry wars preview

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:10:26 -0800

Check out a sample of the new Huntsville album "For flowers, cars and merry wars", due out April 1 via Hubro: http://soundcloud.com/huntsville/for-flowers-cars-and-merry

New Huntsville album in March

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:18:41 -0800

Norwegian drone/jazz act Huntsville has announced that their new album "For flowers, cars and merry wars" will be released this coming March via the Grappa Musikkforlag imprint Hubro.