Archive for the ‘IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS’ Category

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF ELEVENTH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM FROM BUSHMAN’S REVENGE

Posted: June 27, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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What better way for a band to celebrate its twentieth anniversary than with a brand new album, and that is exactly what Norwegian Jazz veterans BUSHMAN’S REVENGE are planning to do, courtesy of Is it Jazz? Records.

“All The Better For Seeing You” is the album that will mark this momentous occasion, and it promises to be a memorable ride because with BUSHMAN’S REVENGE all the energy of Rock is given free rein thanks to the band’s Jazz elements.  

With artwork by Per Spjøtvold, track listing for “All The Better For Seeing You” is as follows:

  1. Halvannen Time – an hour and a half, more than enough
  2. Last Cup Of Zorro
  3. Hollowed Be Thy Fame
  4. Stolen From a Blind Monkey
  5. Raptus Norvegicus
  6. Takk For Seg

“All The Better For Seeing You”, which will be BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s eleventh full-length album,  will be released on the 8th September in CD, Digital and Green Vinyl formats, and is available to pre-order now from:

Bandcamp: https://bushmansrevenge.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-better-for-seeing-you
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/ **

**  Using the code “bushman” when Pre-ordering “All The Better For Seeing You” through the Is It Jazz? Webshop qualifies you for a  30% discount on all other Is it Jazz? Records releases.

Obviously, in the two decades since its inception in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, has had ample time to develop a distinctive sound.  It could even be said that, by exploring and experimenting with different sounds and directions, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE has, in fact, created a genre all of its own.

In addition to the ten previously released albums, BUSHMAN’S  REVENGE also has 300+ live performances under its belt, and together these two facts have earned the band a fearsome reputation amongst fans and critics alike, both for its studio output as well as its stage presence.  

And, with the album-led 20th Anniversary celebrations kicking off in earnest, fans will be able to witness for themselves the power of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE on stage when the band hits the road on their 20th Annivarsary “All The Better For Seeing You” Tour.  Routing as follows:

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2023
“All The Better For Seeing You”
30.06: Mandaljazz (NO)
19.08: Blå, Oslojazz (NO) feat; Alexander Hawkins-Organ
19.09: TBA, Bergen (NO)
20.09: Apollon, Bergen (NO)
21.09: Inderøy jazzforum (NO)
22.09: PØKK, Trondheim (NO)
23.09: Munkehaugen, Arendal (NO)
24.09: Union Scene, Drammen (NO)
05.11: Karensminde Kulturhus, Copenhagen (DK) (with Kresten Osgood3)
06.11: TBA, Hamburg (DK)
09.11: Sarajevo Jazzfestival (BA)
10.11: Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL)
11.11: Rockit, Groningen (NL)
12.11: Comment Dire – Dialograum Kreuzung an Sankt Helena, Bonn (DE)
07.12: Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo (NO)

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/
Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com 
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES NEW SINGLE FROM  UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: June 16, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Fans eagerly awaiting the release of the debut full-length album from SOLSTEIN, the new project that features in its lineup multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEl), drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO),  guitarist Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN), and Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) on keyboards,  get to hear another track from the album before its 7 July release, courtesy of Is It Jazz? Records who have released a second single from the self-titled album.

Titled “Intersection”, this is what the band had to say about it:

“Intersection” is named for its somewhat busy feel and on it the band is stripped down to its core trio of Larsen on fantastic lead guitar, Carlock on inimitably groovy drums, and Holm-Lupo  anchoring on bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. It was one of the first tunes written for the album, and one we feel represents the sound of the band well.

“Intersection” is available to download or stream from a variety of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Intersection

Drawing their inspiration from jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s  musicians are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs, as long as it feels right to everyone.  By combining jazz harmony with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves SOLSTEIN’s sound is elegant, oscillating, as it does, between funky fusion and rock.

The result is a debut album that is both accessible, whilst at the same time, adventurous.  Colourful  and engaging, it succeeds in mixing  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, eschewing the usual 2020s fusion sound for an altogether funkier, more melodic range, that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

For those curious as to where the name  SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES FIRST SINGLE FROM  UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: May 23, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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With SOLSTEIN’s self-titled debut full-length album due out on the 7th July, Is it Jazz? Records have today released a single that  gives fans a taste of what they can  expect from multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo’s new project.

Titled “Hamada”, the track features SOLSTEIN’s core lineup of  Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN) on lead guitar, Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO) on drums and Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL) on bass, rhythm guitars and keyboards. Joining them on “Hamada” are American synth wizard Bill Bressler on lead synth and Fender Rhodes, Martin Windstad (KURT NILSEN, BIGBANG, ANE BRUN) on percussion, and INA A who provides some wordless vocal harmonies.

The name “Hamada” is partly  inspired by plane trips over the breathtaking landscape  of the Eilat Desert. On the Eastern side you can see the red rocks of Jordan, whilst the high plains desert landscape of the Hamada of the Eilat Desert are directly beneath you, and the endless deserts of the Sinai are to your West.

“Hamada” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Hamada

SOLSTEIN was formed after Holm-Lupo and Carlock had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. Finding that together they jelled, the duo decided to expand the lineup with the addition of Larsen and keyboardist Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW). 

Inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s  is an  instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and  elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock, where all the musicians involved are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs and feels right to everyone

The album itself is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

For those curious as to where the name  SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE JOINS IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: April 26, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Norwegian Jazz trio, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, whose music mixes the energy of Rock with the freedom of Jazz in a way that is exciting and exhilarating, have inked a deal with Is it Jazz? Records for the release of their eleventh full-length album.

Formed in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, have had two decades in which to explore different paths and sounds, and, in doing so, they have succeeded in creating a genre all of their own.

With 10 critically acclaimed albums under their belts, and over 300 live appearances throughout the world, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have earned a fearsome reputation, with Jazzwise commenting that they are “Insanely good! As if Jeff Beck was backed by Elvin Jones“, whilst David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that they were “Like a Marshall amp version of John Coltrane’s “Interstellar Space“

In addition to the new album, this year also marks their 20th anniversary as a band, and having been described as one of the most exciting live bands out there,  well known for their explosive energy and telepathic interplay, fans can expect a lot of celebrating on the part of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE in the coming months!

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s new album will be titled “All The Better For Seeing You”, and full details regarding its release will be revealed shortly.

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/ Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS DETAILS OF UPCOMING ALBUM FROM JACOB HOLM-LUPO’S  SOLSTEIN

Posted: April 21, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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SOLSTEIN came into being after multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL, DONNER) and drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO, JOHN LEGEND, STING) had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. The collaboration between the duo worked so well that they  decided to come together again on a whole album.

Joining Carlock and Holm-Lupo are up-and-coming guitarist Stian Larsen and keyboardists Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) and Bill Bressler, and together they form a project that is inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out.  The sound they produce is an  instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and  elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock.

Given some of the member’s prog backgrounds, there are also echoes of the jazzier side of prog, but, more than anything, SOLSTEIN is a playground for the musicians, where everyone was given free reins to do whatever they felt the music needed. If it put a smile on everyone’s face, it was deemed right.

The result is a self-titled album that is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be released on Is it Jazz? Records on the 7th July in CD, Digital and LPC formats and is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

The name SOLSTEIN means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ ROCKERS THE VERGE SIGN WITH IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: April 18, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Another new band that is packed to the brim with experienced musicians from the Norwegian music scene has found its way onto Is It Jazz? Records,  the Bergen-based offshoot of Karisma Records that is developing a reputation for nurturing some of the latest and best arrivals on the Jazz scene, as well as attracting some very  well-established artists.

The band in question is THE VERGE, a four-piece unit that started life whilst its members were studying at the Jazz Academy in Trondheim.

Comprised of  Emil Storløkken Åse (PHOENIX, EMIL STORLØKKEN ÅSE SOLO) on Guitars , Aksel Rønning (COSMIC SWING ORCHESTRA, AKSEL RØNNING TRIO) on Saxophone and Flute, Alf Høines (CARAMEL 11, LEON RØSTEN TRIO)on Electric Bass,  and Ingvald Vassbø (KANAAN, JUNO) on Drums, THE VERGE’s lineup is very definitely not short of creativity and enthusiasm.

Together they have  created an intense and energetic debut album that draws its inspiration from extreme improvisational rock and dreamy noise/dronescapes, and offers more than a nod in the direction of free form jazz.  It is an album that promises to be vibrant and multifaceted, one where the ability of the individual musicians to interact with one another is front and centre.

More information about the album, including release dates, will be revealed shortly, and in the meantime Ingvald expressed THE VERGE’s delight at joining Is It Jazz? Records.


Myself, Emil, Alf and Akse are really looking forward to releasing our debut album on Is It Jazz? Records. I´ve been a long time fan of Karisma Records and it´s an honour and a privilege to be on the same label as so many other great artists that we admire and draw inspiration from.

More information about THE VERGE can be found on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524

Additional Information
The Verge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524
Band Contact:  ingvaldvassboe@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES NEW SINGLE FROM EXPERIMENTAL DUO LEAGUS

Posted: March 23, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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With the release date of “Flora Eallin”, the upcoming album from Experimental Duo LEAGUS set for the 28 April, Is it Jazz? Records have today released a new single from the album. 

The track, titled “Tendril” can be streamed or downloaded from various services at https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Leagus_Tendril

LEAGUS had this to say about the track:

Tendril is a curly stem that some plants produce for support and climbing. The song is the fourth track of the “Flora Eallin” album, and introduces two vocalists. The lyrics concern collective and individual responsibility, and different aspects of the climate crises we have been facing for generations. Lyrics are by Frode Larsen.

When pianist Herborg Rundberg first formed LEAGUS in 2013 it was simply part of her Masters degree in Rhythmic Music at the Tromsø Conservatory. However when she was joined by guitarist Kristian Svalestad Olstad, who had himself received his Masters degree in the same subject two years earlier, LEAGUS became a fully fledged contemporary and experimental music duo.

Herborg’s Sami background, and her work with traditional and classical music, along with Kristian´s extended use of guitar and electronics,  forms the basis of LEAGUS’ sound, which has, over time, developed into an exploratory and complex sonic universe.   As for the name LEAGUS, the word itself originates in the area in which Herborg herself was born and is Sami slang for asking for something. 

Having  worked extensively on finding new, and different,  interactions between the  piano and the guitar, LEAGUS were able to develop a new and progressive kind of musical togetherness, creating  a highly dynamic sound in which musical contrasts play a big part in the overall concept.

 Alternating  between formal composed parts, open structures and free improvisation that at times feel like subdued, minimalistic psalm-like pieces, whilst at other times features more rock-oriented improvised parts, LEAGUS released two albums, and were then approached by the NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE, who, in 2021 commissioned them to write a piece for the ten piece orchestra.

This resulted in  Herborg and Kristian composing and arranging the piece “Flora Eallin”, which will be released in full on Is it Jazz? Records in CD, Digital and Double LP formats.

Featuring  the  NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE and with cover art and design by Martin Losvik, track listing for “Flora Eallin”, is as follows:

1. Kime
2. Flor
3. Vann
4. Tendril
5. Nihkui
6. Vind
7. Pripyat
8. Geo
9. Mykorrhyza
10. Eallin
11. Sol
12. Hyperion

“Flora Eallin” is now available to pre-order from:
Bandcamp: https://leagus.bandcamp.com/album/flora-eallin
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/

On stage the duo are known for their energetic and visual concerts, and will be celebrating the release of “Flora Eallin” live at the Jazzahead Clubnight at the Achat Hotel in Bremen, Germany on the 28th April. 

Details of the event and booking info can be found at https://jazzahead.de/en/program/leagus-no/ 

More  information about LEAGUS can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/leagusleagus or on their website at http://www.leagusband.com

A video of LEAGUS performing the track “Hyperion” directed by Norwegian photographer and artist Martin Losvik, and featuring the NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/6lGg70cCYlA

Losvik  is well known for his distinctive style that can contain elements of humour, surrealism and darkness. The  video is the result of Martin being given free hands to do his visual interpretation of this musical project. 

Additional Information:
LEAGUS
Website: http://www.leagusband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leagusleagus
Instagram: instagram.com/_leagus_
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@leagus3462
IS IT JAZZ RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Band Contact & Booking: kristian.s.olstad@gmail.com

PROGRESSIVE JAZZ ROCKERS KROKOFANT JOIN THE IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS ROSTER

Posted: March 14, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Originally consisting of Tom Hasslan on Guitar, Jørgen Mathisen on Saxophone and Axel Skalstad on Drums, KROKOFANT was founded in Kongsberg, Norway, in 2011 when Hasslan and Skalstad, both of whom are now also members of SOFT FFOG and who both happen to be past winners of the Kongsberg Jazzfestival Recruitment Scholarship, met in a local record store.

One year later they were joined by Mathisen, a noted saxophonist known for his work with bands such as SHAGMA, THE CORE, ZANUSSI FIVE and HUMVEE, and together they performed an impressive debut set at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival.  

Playing a free jazz style with precise and heavy riffs that are redeemed by jarring and strong improvisations, KROKOFANT’s wild saxophone solos are teamed with hugely creative, virtuoso guitar playing, and drumming that sounds like a turbocharged hybrid of Keith Moon and Elvin Jones .

They were later joined by two guest members, Ståle Storløkken (ELEPHANT9, SUPERSILENT) on keys and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (ATOMIC) on bass,  forming what is quite possibly one of the most “prog” ensembles amongst Norway’s Prog Jazz Rock bands.

KROKOFANT went on to release several full length albums that garnered much praise and won the band a considerable fan base.

Musically KROKOFANT  demonstrates  a rare melodic flair, conjuring up one catchy phrase after another. Combine this with lengthy improvisations, and you have a band that will satisfy the jazz hats of the toughest hard rockers.  And it is this sound that KROKOFANT will bring to Is it Jazz? Records, when the band’s sixth full-length album will be released.  A prospect that KROKOFANT are very enthusiastic about:

Krokofant is super excited with signing on the Is It Jazz? Records label, and are really looking forward to the collaboration. Krokofant is buckling up in the spacecraft and getting ready for takeoff to the eternal cosmos!

For those who are curious about the name “KROKOFANT”, it is the name of a mythical creature featured in a popular Norwegian children’s song – a cross between an elephant and a crocodile, “a lumbering trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of teeth in its snapping jaws…”

More information about KROKOFANT can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic

Additional Information
KROKOFANT
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic
Band Contact: jazztom@hotmail.com
IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

DRUMMER ERLAND DAHLEN JOINS IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS ROSTER

Posted: February 28, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Is it Jazz? Records have welcomed Norwegian drummer ERLAND DAHLEN to their ever-growing roster.

Having worked as a full-time, and very prolific, drummer since 1996 within the fields of Jazz, Experimental and Electronica , Dahlen has an enviable pedigree that has seen him play on more than 285 albums, and appear live in more than 35 countries.   Some of the artists with whom he has played, either live or in the studio, include Norwegian Jazz legends such as NILS PETTER MOLVÆR, EIVIND AARSET, STIAN WESTERHUS and GEIR SUNDSTØL, together with bands and artists such as MADRUGADA, KAADA, JOHN PAUL JONES, ANE BRUN, ANNELI DRECKER, MARIT LARSEN and XPLODING PLASTIX, along with a host of others!

Dahlen has received numerous industry awards for the albums on which he has appeared, including 13 Spelleman Awards, for which he has been nominated an extraordinary total of 38 times.   He  can also be found behind the drumkit of a number of Norwegian and International film scores.

As can be gleaned from the fact that his collaborations and sessions have been with a wide variety of artists from different genres  and  with differing styles, Dahlen is a musician whose considerable skills are both adaptable, and sensitive, to the needs of the musicians around him, but he is also a renowned solo artist, with his own style and ideas.  The sound he creates is both massive and intricately layered, and is enriched by the use of a plethora of percussive instruments.

To date he has released four solo albums, starting with 2012’s “Rolling Bomber”, followed by 2015’s “Blossom Bells” and 2018’s “Clocks”,  and culminating in “Bones”,  which  was released in 2020 and proved to be a sophisticated audio-collage, whose key elements weave their way in and out of the melodies throughout the album.

It is with great anticipation, therefore, that Is it Jazz? Records will release Dahlen’s fifth full length album, and Dahlen himself confirms that he is “really excited to release some new music next year on Is it Jazz? Records!”.

More information about ERLAND DAHLEN can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063804630105 and https://www.facebook.com/erland.dahlen  or on the Artist Page at https://isitjazzrecords.no/artists/erland-dahlen/

Additional Information
Erland Dahlen
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063804630105
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Artist Page: https://isitjazzrecords.no/artists/erland-dahlen/
Band Contact: erlanddahlen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
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Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

DETAILS OF UPCOMING ALBUM FROM CONTEMPORARY EXPERIMENTAL DUO LEAGUS REVEALED ALONG WITH  DEBUT TRACK AND VIDEO

Posted: February 23, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Formed in 2013 by pianist Herborg Rundberg as part of her Masters degree in Rhythmic Music at the Tromsø Conservatory, LEAGUS became the contemporary and experimental  music duo that it is today when Herborg was joined by guitarist Kristian Svalestad Olstad, who coincidentally also  received his Masters degree in the same subject two years earlier.

Following the release of two albums, LEAGUS were commissioned by the NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE in 2021 to write a piece for a ten-member orchestra, which resulted in Herborg and Kristian composing and arranging the piece “Flora Eallin”, which will now be released in full by Is it Jazz? Records. 

By way of introduction, the label has released the track “Hyperion”  from the album, and you can stream it, or download it from a variety of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Leagus_Hyperion

A video of LEAGUS performing the track “Hyperion” directed by Norwegian photographer and artist Martin Losvik, and featuring the NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/6lGg70cCYlA

Losvik  is well known for his distinctive style that can contain elements of humour, surrealism and darkness. The  video is the result of Martin being given free hands to do his visual interpretation of this musical project. 

As regards the track itself, LEAGUS had this to say:

This song is the final track of the one hour long commissioned piece “Flora Eallin”, which we wrote for Nordnorsk Jazz Ensemble. The piece is an ode to plant life. The song “Hyperion” is named after the world’s tallest living tree and therefore marks the symbolic ending of the piece.  

“Flora Eallin” features the  NORTH NORWEGIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE and  will be released on the 28 April in CD, Digital and Double LP formats. With cover art and design by Martin Losvik, track listing is as follows:

1. Kime
2. Flor
3. Vann
4. Tendril
5. Nihkui
6. Vind
7. Pripyat
8. Geo
9. Mykorrhyza
10. Eallin
11. Sol
12. Hyperion

“Flora Eallin” is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://leagus.bandcamp.com/album/flora-eallin
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/

Over the years the duo have  worked extensively on finding new, and different,  interactions between the  piano and the guitar, leading them to develop for LEAGUS a new and progressive kind of musical togetherness.  LEAGUS’  sound  is thus highly dynamic with musical contrasts playing a big part in their concept,  and alternates between formal composed parts, open structures and free improvisation that at times feel like subdued, minimalistic psalm-like pieces, whilst at other times makes use of more rock-oriented improvised parts,

The name LEAGUS is actually  Sami slang for asking for something, and originates in the area in which Herborg herself was born.  It is her Sami background, and her work with traditional and classical music, along with Kristian´s extended use of guitar and electronics, that forms the basis of LEAGUS’ sound, which has, over time, developed into an exploratory and complex sonic universe. 

On stage the duo are known for their energetic and visual concerts, and more information about LEAGUS can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/leagusleagus or on their website at http://www.leagusband.com

Additional Information
LEAGUS
Website: http://www.leagusband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leagusleagus
Instagram: instagram.com/_leagus_
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@leagus3462
IS IT JAZZ RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Band Contact & Booking: kristian.s.olstad@gmail.com

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