ORJAN HULTEN ORION - Minusgrader
OCD-012
Orjan Hulten Orion: saxophones; Tobjorn Gulz: piano; Filip Augustson: bass; Peter Danemo: drums
Recorded September 2018 by Otto Wellton at Kingside Studio
This is the fourth outing from Orion. A change on the piano stool (with Gulz replacing Adam Forkelid, who played on the first three CDs) has introduced a shift in the dynamics of the group. On this outing, rather than solely relying on Hulten’ compositions (as on previous sets) the quartet share song-writing duties. However, they still continue with Hulten’s guiding principle of composing, but not composing too much. The sound and approach to music, though, remains the same: with the group producing a warm, contemporary take on bop that showcases the fluidity of Hulten’s playing. A good place to start is ‘October in May’ (track 2) where Gulz’s composition gives plenty of space for Hulten to soar over a swinging bop backing, with Gulz stabbing chords to steer the piece. Here, as on several tracks, Gulz uses the upper register of the piano to produce sounds that seem to come from a vibraphone which, with his bouncing left hand, give the impression of two instruments working together.
The title track takes it inspiration from a poem by Nobel Laureate Tomas Transtromer. As a poem, ‘Minusgrader’ (or minus degrees) has a mix of the surreal and the disturbingly real. A few lines in translation might give an idea here: “We’re at a party that doesn’t love us…/ Orion hangs over the frozen ground… / The light grows slowly like our hair.” The poem has a sense of the normal covering something ominous but hidden, and I like the way that Hulten’s composition captures this. The piano and sax lines feel familiar, but the slightly out-of-kilter rhythm and the arco bass solo convey an undercurrent that is a little sinister.
Hulten and Gulz combine beautifully in the ballad ‘Unless it’s you’ (track 3, composed by Danemo); both in the opening bars and then as they take solos during the piece. Danemo’s other contribution to this, ‘1961 (Echoes)’, also provides an excellent base from which sax and piano are able to fly. Much as all the compositions on this set are of high quality, I’d like to hear more of Danemo’s work as the pieces have an instinctive lyricism that is arresting. But this is a collective, and while the band build around Hulten’s majestic saxophone lines, they create music that is immediate and timeless.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
OCD-012
Orjan Hulten Orion: saxophones; Tobjorn Gulz: piano; Filip Augustson: bass; Peter Danemo: drums
Recorded September 2018 by Otto Wellton at Kingside Studio
This is the fourth outing from Orion. A change on the piano stool (with Gulz replacing Adam Forkelid, who played on the first three CDs) has introduced a shift in the dynamics of the group. On this outing, rather than solely relying on Hulten’ compositions (as on previous sets) the quartet share song-writing duties. However, they still continue with Hulten’s guiding principle of composing, but not composing too much. The sound and approach to music, though, remains the same: with the group producing a warm, contemporary take on bop that showcases the fluidity of Hulten’s playing. A good place to start is ‘October in May’ (track 2) where Gulz’s composition gives plenty of space for Hulten to soar over a swinging bop backing, with Gulz stabbing chords to steer the piece. Here, as on several tracks, Gulz uses the upper register of the piano to produce sounds that seem to come from a vibraphone which, with his bouncing left hand, give the impression of two instruments working together.
The title track takes it inspiration from a poem by Nobel Laureate Tomas Transtromer. As a poem, ‘Minusgrader’ (or minus degrees) has a mix of the surreal and the disturbingly real. A few lines in translation might give an idea here: “We’re at a party that doesn’t love us…/ Orion hangs over the frozen ground… / The light grows slowly like our hair.” The poem has a sense of the normal covering something ominous but hidden, and I like the way that Hulten’s composition captures this. The piano and sax lines feel familiar, but the slightly out-of-kilter rhythm and the arco bass solo convey an undercurrent that is a little sinister.
Hulten and Gulz combine beautifully in the ballad ‘Unless it’s you’ (track 3, composed by Danemo); both in the opening bars and then as they take solos during the piece. Danemo’s other contribution to this, ‘1961 (Echoes)’, also provides an excellent base from which sax and piano are able to fly. Much as all the compositions on this set are of high quality, I’d like to hear more of Danemo’s work as the pieces have an instinctive lyricism that is arresting. But this is a collective, and while the band build around Hulten’s majestic saxophone lines, they create music that is immediate and timeless.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
