Posts Tagged ‘Soft Ffog’

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

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS ANNOUNCES SOFT FFOG WILL LAUNCH THE LABEL WITH THEIR DEBUT ALBUM. NEW SINGLE RELEASED

Posted: March 25, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS
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Is It Jazz? Records, the scion of Norways Dark Essence and Karisma Records, will launch their first release on the 27th May when the self-titled debut album from Jazz Prog Rockers SOFT FFOG hits the streets.  But those curious to hear what the label has in store for them need wait no longer, because today “Chun Li”,  the opening track from the SOFT FFOG album, has been released as a single, which can be streamed or downloaded from various services at:

https://isitjazzrecords.fanlink.to/Soft-Ffog_Chun-Li

Being the first band on the label is, as you can imagine, something the Instrumental Quartet is  very much looking forward to, as the band explains:

SOFT FFOG are super stoked to be the first band signed to Is it Jazz? Records and we’re looking forward to rising into the cosmos together! So,about us. Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if JIMI HENDRIX joined DEEP PURPLE and aimed at sounding like GENTLE GIANT – but failing miserably in the attempt because too much jazz had been consumed lately? Probably not, but anyhow,  SOFT FFOG´s sound is unique, and draws parallels with the aforementioned acts somewhat in style, compositions and aesthetics, but is more rooted in jazz – with prolonged solos and improvisations.

And of course the time has now come, and we are happy to release the first single from our upcoming album.  The song is the opener on the album, and kicks off with a «The Who-esque» intro with a twisted indie rock melody, then progresses into a fuzzed out Gentle Giant-like riff. Guitar solo ahead! And then concludes with a bang!

SOFT FFOG’s genesis in 2016 was somewhat unusual in that it came about as a one-off gig commissioned by the Kongsberg Jazz Festival. Despite the success of this event, the band did not get the momentum it needed to be a proper working entity, and, combined with the busy schedules of the respective musicians, each with their other bands and projects, SOFT FFOG only played gigs every now and then. Playing live, did however,  help to define and refine the band’s  sound, so much so, infact, that founder  Tom Hasslan decided that  2020 was the right time for SOFT FFOG to record their first album.

The band consists of Tom Hasslan (KROKOFANT) who also wrote the album, on guitars, Axel Skalstad (KROKOFANT) on drums, Trond Frønes (RED KITE, GRAND GENERAL) on bass, and Vegard Lien Bjerkan (WIZRD) on keyboards.  It’s safe to say that individually the members of SOFT FFOG have probably played with everyone in the Norwegian Jazz scene, and now  they have a vehicle that allows them to do their own thing. By combining influences from KING CRIMSON with TERJE RYPDAL, DEEP PURPLE with PAT METHENY, SOFT FFOG have produced an album of blistering guitar solos, gnarly bass, crazy drums and supersonic keyboard playing!

Recorded at Studio Paradiso with Christian Engfelt engineering and producing, and mastered by  Herbrand Larsen, and with artwork by Tor Einar Evju and layout by Tom Korsvold,  track listing for the album is as follows:

1. Chun Li
2. Zangief
3. Ken
4. Dhalsim

“Soft Ffog” will be released in CD and LP formats and is now available to pre-order from

Bandcamp: https://softffog.bandcamp.com/album/soft-ffog
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Softffog
Booking: jazztom@hotmail.com
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

DARK ESSENCE AND KARISMA RECORDS ADD A THIRD STRING TO THEIR BOW WITH THE LAUNCH OF IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: February 11, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Fans of both the more Extreme end of metal as well as fans of more Progressive genres are well versed in the eclectic output of Norwegian labels Dark Essence Records for the former, and Karisma Records for the latter – labels known not only for their rosters of iconic, long-established and world-renowned bands, as well some of the most interesting newcomers to emerge on their respective scenes.

It shouldn’t therefore come as too much of a surprise that the eclectic band of people who have created the two labels, some of whom are professional musicians and producers, and some of whom have been working in the industry for many years now, should decide to expand further into territory that fits in with their ethos, and their personal musical interests. As they explain:

All you need to do is look at our catalogue of releases from both labels, and it’s pretty evident that those of us behind Karisma and Dark Essence Records have always been interested in different musical styles and genres.

One of those interests, in which we do dabble extensively, is the more progressive and experimental kind of music, music that leads us naturally to enjoying a lot of Jazz as well.  And that’s why we are now launching a new sub-label simply called IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS.

We’re sure that some of you are asking why the name of the label is actually a question. Well, there is an awful lot of music around these days that is labelled Jazz, so much so, in fact, that even within the Jazz scene there are constant discussions on what is Jazz and what isn’t. So we thought that we would really like to release bands and artists that we feel represents Jazz to us, and this could encompass a whole lot of areas. It could be the exponents of classical jazz, or the really experimental artists, the soft singer/songwriters, or the hard rocking proggers.

There’s a whole lot of Jazz out there and we hope you will come along with us for the ride and enjoy our Jazz discoveries – and let’s see if you think it’s Jazz or not!

More information about Is it Jazz? Records can be found at the following:

Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

With every intention of hitting the ground running Is it Jazz? Records plan to release the debut albums from their two new signings around summer time.  First up will be an album from the quartet SOFT FFOG, whose experienced musicians are well known on the Norwegian Jazz scene, whilst the second album will be from DATADYR, a trio of musicians from Bergen, whose four years studying Jazz at the prestigious Grieg Academy, has given them a varied take on things.

More information about the upcoming releases will be available shortly, and in the meantime you can find out more about the bands at the following:

SOFT FFOG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Softffog
Booking: jazztom@hotmail.com

DATADYR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Datadyrmusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLXhM4Pd4bZxJ0UEkAzgpg
booking: datadyrepost@gmail.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no