Record Reviews

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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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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