Posts Tagged ‘Free Jazz’

JAZZ ROCKERS KROKOFANT REVEAL NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: December 13, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Widely regarded as one of the founders of the current progressive jazz movement that is sweeping their native Norway, KROKOFANT’s sound, whilst firmly rooted in the 70s, has a distinctive  rare melodic  flair, that makes it unmistakably theirs.

It conjures up one catchy phrase after another in a  free jazz style where precise, heavy riffs are enhanced by strong improvisations,  and  where wild saxophone solos team up with hugely creative, virtuoso guitar playing, coupled with the kind of drumming that sounds like a turbocharged hybrid of Keith Moon and Elvin Jones .

With their 6th full-length album, titled “6” for obvious reasons, set for release on the 10th January, Is It Jazz? Records, have today revealed a new single from the album as a pre-Christmas treat for KROKOFANT fans.

The single, titled “Triple Dad”,  can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/krokofant-tripledad

Here is what the band had to say about it:

Triple Dad is composed by Mathisen and has a bit of a different feel to it than the traditional Kroko thing. More jazz elements and chord movements, with a rather strange melody on top. And an intense sax solo, with a  cleaner and jazzy guitar solo you would normally hear from Hasslan.

Founded in Oslo in 2011 as a trio consisting of Tom Hasslan on Guitar, Jørgen Mathisen on Saxophone and Axel Skalstad on Drums, KROKOFANT’s lineup did, for a time, include an additional two members.  But today’s band is not so much a playground for Tom´s prog-rock compositions, as it is an expansion on the idea of being a  “collective”,  sculpting their music together rather than following the more rigid song structures that is by necessity required by a quintet.

“6” is therefore very much an album from a band that has rekindled the fun of making songs together, and revels in its ability to create a sound that requires a more intense, improvisational interplay.

With artwork by Maria Risa Bornes, tracklisting for “6” is as follows:

1. Harry Davidson
2. Triple Dad
3. Oh My Cod
4. Country Doom
5. The Ballade
6. Pretentious Woman

“6” will be available CD, Digital and Hot Pink LP formats, and can now be pre-ordered at:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp:  https://krokofant.bandcamp.com/album/6

Undoubtedly, “6” is an album whose appeal goes beyond genre boundaries, and will be of interest to rock fans, free jazzers and jazz-rock nostalgics alike. The chugging riffs and catchy melodies that long-time fans of KROKOFANT will recognise, are still there, but so are more spacey, atmospheric moments.

Interestingly, Tom Hasslan and Axel Skalstad are both also members of SOFT FFOG, and both happen to be past winners of the Kongsberg Jazzfestival Recruitment Scholarship. They originally met in a local record store and one year later they were joined by Jørgen Mathisen, a noted saxophonist known for his work with bands such as SHAGMA, THE CORE, ZANUSSI FIVE and HUMVEE.

And 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…”

KROKOFANT’s next live appearance will be at the Kafé Hærverk in Oslo, Norway, on the 10th January 2025. More dates to be announced.  

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

Is It Jazz? Records recently released the track “Harry Davidson” from “6” and it can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/harrydavidson

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/
Bandcamp: https://isitjazzrecords.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ ROCKERS KROKOFANT REVEAL DETAILS AND NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: November 8, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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With five highly rated albums to their credit, Norwegian Jazz Rockers KROKOFANT are set to celebrate the new year with the release their sixth full-length, titled “6”,  which is scheduled to hit the streets on Is It Jazz? Records on the 10th January.

Founded in Oslo in 2011 as a trio consisting of Tom Hasslan on Guitar, Jørgen Mathisen on Saxophone and Axel Skalstad on Drums, KROKOFANT’s lineup did, for a time, include an additional two members.  However, today it is back to its original format, and the new album very much reflects a band that has rekindled the fun of making songs together, and revelling in their ability to create a sound that requires a more intense, improvisational interplay.

To whet the appetite of KROKOFANT fans, Is It Jazz? Records has chosen to release the opening track “Harry Davidson” as a single, and the band’s Tom Hasslan has this to say about it:

“Harry” was composed some years ago, and has been sneaking into our repertoire whenever we performed live as a trio, which was during the period when we mostly performed as a quintet with Ståle Storløkken on keys and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass.

With its heavy riffs and a catchy sax melody on top “Harry”  comes off like a classic KROKOFANT tune with  all the traits from our earlier releases as a trio.  It drives into a shreddy/quasi skronki guitar solo, complemented by a deep synth bass and creative groove-based drums.

“Harry Davidson” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/harrydavidson

It’s apparent from the moment you hear the opening track from “6”, with its chugging riff and catchy melody, that the classic KROKOPHANT sound is still intact.  The more jazzy chord based tunes like “Triple Dad”, and the spacey, atmospheric, sounds of “The Ballade”, for example, make “6” an album that will appeal to rock fans, free jazzers and jazz-rock nostalgics alike.

With artwork by Maria Risa Bornes, tracklisting for “6” is as follows:

1. Harry Davidson
2. Triple Dad
3. Oh My Cod
4. Country Doom
5. The Ballade
6. Pretentious Woman

“6” will be available CD, Digital and Magenta Vinyl LP formats, and can now be pre-ordered at:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp:  https://krokofant.bandcamp.com/album/6

KROKOFANT’s sound is deeply rooted in the 70s, with subtle nods in the direction of KING CRIMSON and SOFT MACHINE.  Whilst this is not necessarily a rare thing in the Norwegian jazz/rock scene, the band still manages to sound quite unique, and is regarded  as one of the founders of the current progressive jazz movement that is sweeping the country.

Hasslan and Skalstad, both of whom are now also members of SOFT FFOG, and both of whom happen to be past winners of the Kongsberg Jazzfestival Recruitment Scholarship, first 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.

Their resurrection as a  trio has seen the band move from being more of a playground for Hasslan´s prog-rock compositions, which was much in evidence during its period as a quintet. THE KROKOFANT of today is much more focused on the “collective”,  sculpting their music together rather than following the more rigid song structures required by a quintet.

Musically KROKOFANT  demonstrates  a rare melodic flair, conjuring up one catchy phrase after another in a  free jazz style whose  precise and heavy riffs are redeemed by strong improvisations. Its  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 .

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/
Bandcamp: https://isitjazzrecords.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEAL DETAILS OF ALBUM AND NEW SINGLE FROM AKSEL RØED’S OTHER ASPECTS  

Posted: January 13, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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When Aksel Røed (GENERAL POST OFFICE, DAG ARNESEN),  first formed OTHER ASPECTS in 2019, his intention was to write music for a school project at the Grieg Academy, but, having created an octet that had in its ranks not only some the finest young Norwegian musicians, but also others with a proven track record, the much sought-after Jazz saxophonist found himself unable to put it to one side.

In fact, OTHER ASPECTS became the focus of Røed’s attention to such an extent that in 2020 the band entered the Duper Studios in Bergen and recorded their debut album.  Titled “Do You Dream in Colours”,  and due out on Is it Jazz? Records on the 17th February, curious listeners can today get a taste of what to expect with the release of the track “I Usually Paint By Myself”, which  can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of sources at:

https://fanlink.to/Aksel-Roeds-Other-Aspects_I-Usually-Paint-By-Myself

Røed gave us an insight into the track itself, and how it was created:

“I Usually Paint By Myself”, is a bluesy piano trio ballad inspired by the old free jazz aesthetic  where easy melodies are intertwined without free parts, leading to a grand finale at the end. The tune starts with the horn section playing a rubato line followed by an easy and “kind to the ear” melody played by Lauritz and Lyder. Isach comes in after the melody and plays a solo in a typical jazz form. But he is allowed to tear up every rule we’ve established by doing whatever the music calls for. The accompaniment simply has to follow along since there is no written chord scheme. I trusted the guys. As Miles Davis said, “the composition is the band”. 

The only criteria is that the solo part should be sort of bluesy. We tie it all together when the backing from the horns comes in at a little before 4 minutes. Then the gospel harmony is soulfully introduced by the piano whilst  the horns are blowing their hearts out. The whole ends on a fiery and heavy tonic. As the title implies, I sometimes sit alone and paint (whatever it might be, sounds or pictures), but not always, and then it’s good to have seven of your mates backing you while you paint for dear life. 

The lineup of OTHER ASPECTS, which is the largest that Røed has been involved with so far, includes his brother Lyder Øvreås Røed on trumpet and flugelhorn,  Andreas Hesselberg Hatzikiriakidis on second trumpet, Sigurd Steinkopf on drums, Sverre Sæbø on bass,  and Isach Skeidsvoll on piano. Aside from Røed himself on tenor sax, the saxophone section is made up of Lauritz Lyster Skeidsvoll (BEAR BROTHER, MASTER OOGWAY) on soprano and tenor, and Michael Barnes (BERGEN BIGBAND) on baritone sax and bass clarinet.  Barnes, who Røed describes as an “Aussie who writes the best scores for large ensembles in Bergen”, also happens to be Røed’s long time mentor and friend.  

Musically Røed finds insipiration in the old saxophone recordings of Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and Pharoah Sanders, and in the composition styles of Django Bates and Charlie Hadens Liberation Orchestra, but OTHER ASPECTS bears Røed’s hallmarks, with music that constantly drifts into different and surprising directions.  As he explains:

The music is composed but not set, meaning its perfectly acceptable,  and even encouraged, to think and play outside the box. Most of the magic within the band lies in the free improvisation. 


With cover photo by William Østensen and cover design by Tom Korsvold “Do You Dream in Colours” will be available in CD, LP, and Digital formats and tracklisting is as follows:

1. Goiserer Jodler / To Whom This May Concerne
2. I Usually Paint by Myself
3. Bergen is the Prettiest in Blue
4. Moonshine Movement
5. When You Dream in Colours

“Do You Dream in Colours” is now available to pre-order from

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: https://akselroedsotheraspects.bandcamp.com

More information about AKSEL RØED’S OTHER ASPECTS can be found at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082226721671

Additional Information
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082226721671
Band Contact:  akseltr@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

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS SECOND SINGLE FROM UPCOMING DATADYR ALBUM

Posted: May 25, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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When you have a band whose lineup features three musicians who are graduates of the prestigious Grieg Academy in Norway, it is little wonder that their varied skill sets enable them to create a distinctive and original sound that makes use of what they have learned both through academia and hands-on experience. 

And this is what you get with DATADYR, a band that retains its original spontaneity and playfulness, and takes it up a notch by using the traditional sounds one would expect of jazz, whilst, at the same time, also taking those traditions into new directions – along with a good dose of improvisation.

So, with DATADYR’s debut full-length album “Woolgathering” due to be released on the 10th June, and, conscious of the fact that DATADYR is a young band, and relatively unknown to followers of the genre, Is it Jazz? Records have chosen to release a second track from the album, thereby giving fans a further taste of what to expect from an album that is set to deliver an explosive mix of Americana, Blues, Jazz and Free Jazz.

The track, “Daybreaking”, can be streamed or downloaded from a number of services at https://isitjazzrecords.fanlink.to/Datadyr_Daybreaking

About the track itself, DATADYR had this to say:

Daybreaking features Kjetil Møster on saxophone, a musician we all look up to, so it was great to have him in the studio and record two songs with him. He brought a lot of energy and passion to the music and we’re very proud to have him on our record.

Based in Bergen, Norway, DATADYR’s  lineup comprises Øystein Høynes on bass,  Amund Nordstrøm  on drums and  Odd Erlend Mikkelsen on guitars, and, whilst DATADYR may be a new band, its three musicians have considerable experience with other bands and projects, either live or in the studio, past, present and upcoming. These include FINNSETH TRIO, HERKULES, KRYPTOGRAF, DREAMARCHER, ATARI, CORT PIIL, TARA MARTINE, TREVERKET, HVO, DREAMARCHER, AVIAN ART, THOMAS LOSSIUS SEPTETT,  GUNSLINGING BIRD, MØ: SAN, DUMBO CASINO  and SHAKAI.  

 “Woolgathering” was Recorded at the Solslottet Studio at Bergen Kjøtt, and is produced and engineered by  Iver Sandøy.  Aside from the afore mentioned Ketil Møster on saxophone, the album will also feature a guest appearance by Mathias Marstrander on guitar. 

Track listing for “Woolgathering”  is as follows:

  1. Tier
  2. Krystalldans
  3. Woolgathering
  4. Daybreaking
  5. FastUp
  6. Datadyr
  7. Low Hanging Moon

With cover art by Eigil Nordstrøm and band photographs by Olav Vikingstad , “Woolgathering will be released in CD, Digital and Red Vinyl formats, and is now available to pre-order from:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: https://datadyr.bandcamp.com~

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Datadyr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Datadyrmusic
Datadyr Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLXhM4Pd4bZxJ0UEkAzgpg
Datadyr Booking: datadyrepost@gmail.com
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 FIRST SINGLE FROM UPCOMING DATADYR ALBUM

Posted: May 6, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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“A short, sweet banger of a song!” is how Norwegian Jazz Trio DATADYR describe “Tier”,  the opening track of their upcoming album “Woolgathering”, and which also happens to be the track that Is it Jazz? Records have chosen to release as the first single from the album.

“Tier” is, according to DATADYR, “One of the first songs we made together, and it’s one of the few songs that always appears on our set list whenever we play live”, and you can stream or download it from a number of services at:

https://isitjazzrecords.fanlink.to/Datadyr_Tier

“Woolgathering” itself will be released on the 10th June and is set to be an explosive mix of Americana, Blues, Jazz and Free Jazz. Recorded at the Solslottet Studio at Bergen Kjøtt, and produced and engineered by  Iver Sandøy, “Woolgathering features guest musicians Ketil Møster on saxophone and Mathias Marstrander on guitar. 

With cover art by Eigil Nordstrøm and band photographs by Olav Vikingstad , track listing for “Woolgathering”  is as follows:

  1. Tier
  2. Krystalldans
  3. Woolgathering
  4. Daybreaking
  5. FastUp
  6. Datadyr
  7. Low Hanging Moon

Based in Bergen, Norway, DATADYR is a trio comprising Øystein Høynes on bass,  Amund Nordstrøm  on drums and  Odd Erlend Mikkelsen on guitars.  All three musicians are graduates of the renowned Grieg Academy, and have considerable experience in other bands and projects such as
KRYPTOGRAF, DREAMARCHER,ATARI, CORT PIIL andSHAKAI.   

The trio have used their musical training and experience to hone their skills and develop DATADYR’s  distinctive sound, which ranges from the heartfelt and gentle to the energetic and explosive.  It is a sound that is characterised by a mix of traditional jazz, newer directions in jazz and improvisation, and which, to this day, still retains the spontaneous and playful expression that was the starting point for the band .  

Of their debut full-length, DATADYR had this to say:

“Woolgathering” is a collection of our favourite songs which were written early on in DATADYR’s career. Some of them go all the way back to 2018, while some of them are more recent. It’s a good mix of all our influences as a band and as individual musicians. “Woolgathering” means to daydream, to gather your thoughts – a fitting title in our opinion. 

“Woolgathering” will be released in CD, Digital and Red Vinyl formats and is now available to pre-order from:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: https://datadyr.bandcamp.com

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Datadyr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Datadyrmusic
Datadyr Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLXhM4Pd4bZxJ0UEkAzgpg
Datadyr Booking: datadyrepost@gmail.com 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 DATADYR SIGNING

Posted: April 6, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Having recently announced the details of label’s first ever release (from Jazz Prog Rockers SOFT FFOG), Is it Jazz? Records have today revealed more about DATADYR, the band destined to produce the label’s second release, which will be available on the 10th June.

Based in Bergen, Norway, DATADYR is a trio of musicians who are all graduates of the Grieg Academy,  where their jazz studies provided the inspiration for their music, which can be characterized by its use of traditional jazz, newer directions in jazz and musical improvisations.

All three have considerable experience with other bands and projects. Bassist Øystein Høynes, for instance, has deep-dived into both American and Scandinavian Jazz, something that can be heard in DATADYR’s music.  He likes to explore the differences in genres and mix them up, and his playing is “groovy and playful”, with a desire to drive the music forward.  Already a well-known figure on the Scandinavian Jazz scene, Høynes has played on albums by the FINNSETH TRIO, HERKULES and ATARI, and is currently playing with ATARI, TARA MARTINE, TREVERKET, and HVO.

During his time at the Grieg Academy drummer Amund Nordstrøm turned his focus towards jazz, free jazz and free improvisation. With a style that is energetic, playful and which pays great attention to tone and texture, it is somewhat extremist but nevertheless displays a controlled musical direction, with  clear references to older American and Scandinavian jazz. In a short time Nordstrøm has succeeded in making a name for himself on the music scene in Bergen. He has played a number of concerts in both Norway and Europe and released albums with AVIAN ART, THOMAS LOSSIUS SEPTETT and GUNSLINGING BIRD, with more in the works with bands such as DATADYR, CORT PIIL, MØ: SAN, DUMBO CASINO and SHAKAI.

Guitarist Odd Erlend Mikkelsen has, for several years, been involved in the Rock and Metal scene with bands like DREAMARCHER and KRYPTOGRAF. However, during the last four years he studied Jazz at the Grieg Academy, exploring improvisation. Through his studies he has developed a sound that combines the energy and abrasiveness of classic rock guitar playing, with the harmonic and rhythmic ideas derived from modern jazz.

Having used their experience and their studies to hone their musical skills and develop their distinctive sound – which ranges from the heartfelt and gentle to the energetic and explosive, DATADYR are now ready with their debut full-length album “Woolgathering”, about which the band had this to say:

It’s great to finally release our album on Is it Jazz? Records! There hasn’t been a proper label for jazz/improvised music in Bergen for a while now so Is it Jazz? Records came along at just the right time for us.

“Woolgathering” is a collection of our favourite songs which were written early on in DATADYR’s career. Some of them go all the way back to 2018. while some of them are more recent. It’s a good mix of all our influences as a band and as individual musicians. “Woolgathering” means to daydream, to gather your thoughts – a fitting title in our opinion. 

Further details about “Woolgathering” will be released in due course, and more information about DATADYR  can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Datadyrmusic

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Datadyrmusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLXhM4Pd4bZxJ0UEkAzgpg
Booking: datadyrepost@gmail.com
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no