Record Reviews

NAKAMA ~ BEFORE THE STORM NAKAMA 001 (Barcode: 7090040250001) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, Japanese (resident in Norway) pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform four original compositions, all by Svendsen. The album was recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo and engineered by Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist. It is very difficult to try and label this music by any conventional standards, as it is as unconventional as humanly possible. Composed and improvised, reminiscent of contemporary Classical Chamber Music, with elements of Industrial, Serial and Minimalist music amalgamated into a "weird" whole. It takes a bold and open-minded listener to listen to this music or even to go through the opening tune which lasts for over seventeen minutes and consists of a mono-rhythmic repetition of a single chord with infinitesimal changes and a slight development towards the very end. The rest of the music is slightly less confronting, but the members of Nakama certainly don´t make it "easy" on the listener and demand his total attention, involvement and cooperation. And yet, despite the effort and intellectual tension, the music manages to move and even become enjoyable in time. This is probably the greatest effect Nakama manages to achieve on this album. Playing such uncompromising music usually ends up with the music being unable to penetrate the listeners, but in this case the magic, at least for me, does happen. One must of course praise these young musicians for their pioneering spirit and their courage to stand behind what they believe in. In today´s feebleminded word, where intellectual effort is considered ridiculous, people who step beyond convention are a tiny minority. Lucky for us, such people / Artists still exist. This album is highly recommended to all brave-hearted listeners, who welcome challenge and adventure. It is certainly full of these elements. Listening to this music is a form of recognition that musicians need in order to continue on their paths and if we want our Culture to keep evolving, we need to support it.

Updated: 03/06/2016Posted: 03/06/2016

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NAKAMA ~ GRAND LINE NAKAMA 004 (Barcode: 7090040250063) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, Japanese (resident in Norway) pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by Svendsen. The elaborate and beautifully designed packaging of the album explains a concept of musical compositions and form compositions, their correlations and how the music on this album presents a new approach to music making. Personally I listened to this music based on what I hear, rather than trying to follow the conceptual structure, as I believe that the sounds speak for themselves, often regardless of what the composer and the performers had in mind. The music has a very Classical / Chamber character, and although improvised, it sounds quite tamed and organized most of the time. The overall character of the music is similar to contemporary Classical pieces, composed in Europe in the last fifty years or so and can be heard during contemporary chamber music festivals. The melodic fragments and rhythmic pulses work together like pieces of a puzzle, creating a kaleidoscopic collage, which keeps changing all the time. Surprisingly and quite against the odds I find this music to be very communicative and engaging, which for this type of music is very rare. The musicians share the process of creation very effectively and each of them adds a different layer, which then amalgamates and intertwines with the layers created by the other players, creating a kinetic sound sculpture which develops on the fly. Although "strange" and innovative, this music offers a lot of space and silence between the notes, which enables it to breathe and the listener to absorb and respond, both emotionally and intellectually, without being overloaded. As a result this music is fun to listen to and does not require the listener to follow the "plan" behind it, but accept it in its "natural" form. Even though basically very far away from the Jazz idiom, Free Jazz / Improvising Music fans should be able to enjoy this music immensely. I definitely propose to everyone to check it out, as it surely deserves to be discovered. It is also worth mentioning that the sound quality of this recording is stunning, which is hardly surprising since it was recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo and engineered by Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist.

Updated: 01/06/2016Posted: 31/05/2016

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NAKAMA ~ MOST INTIMATE NAKAMA 008 (Barcode: 7090040250148) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the third album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform fifteen short pieces, collected into two cycles, which were this time composed by all four members of the quartet in contrast to the two earlier albums which featured music composed only by the leader. As usual with Nakama, the music is completely beyond classification and the partly composed / partly improvised sonic experience covers many or none known musical sub-genres. Although the music, as stated by Svendsen, is not conceptual per se, there is a precise concept as to the actual execution, which features the musicians swapping instruments and playing pieces dedicated to each other, which results in solo, duo, trio and quartet appearances. The music is quite introspect and minimalistic, completely non-aggressive and always aesthetically fulfilling, presenting the infinite range of possibilities music is able to offer to the listener, which can be perfectly understood and loved, even if they are novel and unexpected. The phrase "Jazz is the Art of the unexpected" fits this music perfectly. Although Improvised Music and other forms of Avant-Garde expression often are not able to cross over from the live performance / recording session stage to the record listening stage, the music if Nakama never suffered any difficulties in that area. I have not heard as of yet the quartet live, but it appears to be obvious that their live performance should be as powerful and satisfying as their recorded work, which of course is worth checking out. Nakama announced that they will be expanding the quartet lineup to a quintet with the addition of the Austrian vocalist Agnes HvizdalekFind albums by this artist. I am most anxious to hear the next recording of Nakama in this new lineup. The album, released on the collective independent label called NakamaFind albums on this label Records, is beautifully recorded and exquisitely packaged, proposing a whole Artistic offer from the outside in, which is wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/05/2017

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CHRISTIAN MEAAS SVENDSEN ~ AVIN NAKAMA 010 (Barcode: 7090040250186) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garge Pop Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a solo project by Norwegian bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist, which adds singer and songwriter to the list of his qualifications. The album presents seven songs (six with lyrics in Norwegian and one instrumental), all by Svendsen, arranged for an octet, which comprises of his musical friends, including members of his NakamaFind albums by this artist ensemble, which is his usual musical environment. Don´t be fooled by the "conventional" description above, as there is, as expected, nothing conventional about this album. The arrangements, which involve strings and brass (but no drums) are absolutely stunning intricate pieces of "friendly" Avant-Garde, which transport the concept of "songs" into a completely new dimension. Svendsen sings / hums / recites and manipulates his voice in many innovative ways, again transforming the concept of "singing" into previously unexplored territory. He plays acoustic guitar on this album and leaves the bass part to another musician. To be perfectly honest, any attempt to describe this music verbally is futile and the only way to get exposed to this music is of course by listening to it. In the world where almost everything created in music is derivative and follows patterns, such individuality and total lack of conventionality as present on this album are truly miraculous. Although this music eschews any precise musical classification, open-headed listeners, who like amalgamations and exciting cross-genre explorations, will find this music irresistible. Jazz, Classical, Pop and everything in between, this music really manages to convince that not everything is lost in human creativity. Hats off!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/05/2017

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AKMEE ~ NEPTUN NAKAMA 011 (Barcode: 7090040260208) ~ NORWAY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Norwegian quartet AkmeeFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Erik Kimestad PedersenFind albums by this artist, pianist Kjetil JerveFind albums by this artist, bassist Erlend Olderskog AlbertsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. The album presents four lengthy pieces, two composed by Jerve and one each by Albertsen and Wildhagen. The music floats between composed themes and freely improvised passages, developing slowly and allowing all the members of the quartet to express their ideas and exchange ideas with others, always respectfully and gracefully. As usual in these circumstances there are several fracture groups within the quartet, like trumpet / rhythm section or piano / rhythm section trios, in addition to the full quartet performances of course. The individual performances by all four members of the quartet are very impressive and interesting. There is an obvious effort to search for new ways of expression and even new sonic possibilities on their respective instruments. There is nothing expected here and every new sound opens new possibilities for the quartet to follow suit. Pedersen soars on his trumpet, Jerve is cool like northern ice, Albertsen is steady like a rock and keeps the proceedings in check and Wildhagen wonderfully ornaments the music which his highly unconventional percussive approach. Of course, as expected, the music has ingredients of the typical Norwegian school, but is not overall stylistically lethargic, mixing fire and ice exactly at the right proportions. Personally the work of Jerve is the most fascinating to me, but to be fair all four young musicians are examples of the superb new European Jazz generation, which contributes to the Renaissance of the genre. The album is relatively concise and lasts only slightly above the half an hour mark, but considering the intensity and complexity of the music perhaps this is a wise decision, delivering just the right amount of music which a listener is able to sit through before getting distracted. The album is another excellent release on the young independent Norwegian label NakamaFind albums on this label Records, which consistently manages to put out superbly challenging contemporary European Jazz. Well done!

Updated: 27/09/2017Posted: 27/09/2017

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NAKAMA ~ WORST GENERATION NAKAMA 013 ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by the Norwegian ensemble called NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist, which also includes violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist, and also for the first time the new member of the ensemble, vocalist Agnes HvizdalekFind albums by this artist. The album presents five improvised pieces, all credited to the ensemble. The decision to move towards completely Improvised Music represents the new direction Nakama is pursuing on this album, letting go of all pre-composed elements and immersing into extreme spontaneously created Avant-Garde music. As a result the music on this album is even more difficult and estranged than their previous recordings, which might limit their contact with the established followers´ base. Devoid of any clear melodic / harmonic / rhythmic elements, the listener is faced with an abstract expressionist collection of sounds, free to react to those sonic stimuli completely unrestrained by any cognitive limitations. As a result this music might sound completely different to each and every listener, with varying degrees of conceptual communication. Perhaps this is the strongest asset of this music, which expands the communication between the ensemble members further towards the listeners as well. In spite of the abstract nature of this music, it is neither chaotic nor aggressive. I had no problem to listen to the entire album from the very first time and in fact quite enjoyed it, as I might have enjoyed an exhibition of abstract painting or any other form of abstract Art. Despite the weird and eerie external, there is some internal aesthetic in these improvisations, which manages to come through and touch the listener. This is quite rare occasion when extreme Avant-Garde manages to personally touch my musical perception so profoundly, which of course I find quite miraculous. Overall this is an album for a small and "brave" group of hyper-adventurous listeners, who are able to free themselves from all pre-conceptions and miss-conceptions and dive head first into the big unknown. Some of those people might even emerge with a smile on their face, like yours truly.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 10/11/2017

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