BANGKOK LINGO - Smells/Colours/Noise
Losen Records: LOS193-2
Lyder Ovreas Roed: trumpet; Lauritz Skeidsvoll: saxophone; Olav Imerslund: upright bass; Henrik Haland: drums; Ivar Myrset Asheim: percussion
Recorded August 2017 by David Aleksander Sjolie at Kvadraturen Studio, Oslo
The opening track clearly lays out a manifesto for this sextet without a dominant chordal instrument. A bouncing bass-line introduces twin horn attack that sounds a little like a bebop fanfare, before the rhythm slows under a snarling sax riff (with trumpet squeals and riffs in the background). This would be a formidable band to catch live, and it is no surprise to learn that they are storming the Oslo live scene. The idea of dispensing with an obvious marker of the chord structure is not new, but each time it is reinvented, bands seem to find new ways of exploring the opportunities that this gives them. But with great freedom comes great responsibility (to use a phrase often misattributed to Voltaire, but in reality coined by Spiderman). This means that there needs to a solid foundation from which to build the swirling, free-form playing of trumpet and sax, and this is the role of twin percussion and, in particular, a bass player who produces hypnotic lines that stick in the mind. There is, also for the music to succeed as intended, a need to suggest the chords within each tune operates. This is cleverly done through joint playing the framing riffs by sax and trumpet, with bass providing the anchor for these, before the instruments venture off into freer realms (while always returning to the riff, either together or by quoting it in the solo). Some of these themes and bass lines recur in different forms across the pieces. In some places, like the segue from ‘Saalam Aleikum’ (track 2) into ‘Free for all’ (track 3) which retains the memory of the bass line without repeating it and gradually dissolves into freer playing. Both horn players produce effervescent solos that push and pull the rest of the band directions that feel unexpected but are completely satisfying for the listener. Very heady stuff and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them (and hoping to catch them live) in the coming years.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Losen Records: LOS193-2
Lyder Ovreas Roed: trumpet; Lauritz Skeidsvoll: saxophone; Olav Imerslund: upright bass; Henrik Haland: drums; Ivar Myrset Asheim: percussion
Recorded August 2017 by David Aleksander Sjolie at Kvadraturen Studio, Oslo
The opening track clearly lays out a manifesto for this sextet without a dominant chordal instrument. A bouncing bass-line introduces twin horn attack that sounds a little like a bebop fanfare, before the rhythm slows under a snarling sax riff (with trumpet squeals and riffs in the background). This would be a formidable band to catch live, and it is no surprise to learn that they are storming the Oslo live scene. The idea of dispensing with an obvious marker of the chord structure is not new, but each time it is reinvented, bands seem to find new ways of exploring the opportunities that this gives them. But with great freedom comes great responsibility (to use a phrase often misattributed to Voltaire, but in reality coined by Spiderman). This means that there needs to a solid foundation from which to build the swirling, free-form playing of trumpet and sax, and this is the role of twin percussion and, in particular, a bass player who produces hypnotic lines that stick in the mind. There is, also for the music to succeed as intended, a need to suggest the chords within each tune operates. This is cleverly done through joint playing the framing riffs by sax and trumpet, with bass providing the anchor for these, before the instruments venture off into freer realms (while always returning to the riff, either together or by quoting it in the solo). Some of these themes and bass lines recur in different forms across the pieces. In some places, like the segue from ‘Saalam Aleikum’ (track 2) into ‘Free for all’ (track 3) which retains the memory of the bass line without repeating it and gradually dissolves into freer playing. Both horn players produce effervescent solos that push and pull the rest of the band directions that feel unexpected but are completely satisfying for the listener. Very heady stuff and I’m looking forward to hearing more from them (and hoping to catch them live) in the coming years.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
