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Review
Food drummer Thomas Strønen and Supersilent keyboard player Stâle Storløkken are our hosts for this latest Nordic foray into the world of electronic jazz (or jazzy electronica, if you prefer). Though on occasion it's hard not to feel a bit swamped by the constant stream of such loveliness pouring out of Scandinavia, Humcrush is one that's worth tracking down.
Recorded live in the studio, our two sonic warriors fire off a bewildering variety of textures in therse dense, knotty improvs. Swooning, proggy mellotron sounds, crunchy electronic percussion, fat blobs of analogue synth, gamelan chimesand digital noise compete for centre stage in quickfire exchanges. Fans of Supersilent will find much to entertain them here; Storløkken's palette is immediately distinctive despite its huge range. If there's a missing link between Brian Eno and Herbie Hancock, then it's him. Check the fractured moogy pyrotechnics of the title track and the distorto-funk of "Pusher" for proof; both take the proto-techno fusions of Sextant and shove them (kicking and screaming)into multidimensional space.
Strønen's hyperactive clatter is shot through with a quick, responsive wit. He's not afraid to be funny as well as subversive, whether coaxing alien rattles or chunky breakbeatsfrom his adapted kit or triggering stuttering electro-grooves from a bank of shiny boxes.
Despite the presence of a couple of slightly more restrained pieces (including the closing "Japan"), Humcrush is packed with incident. There's so much going on here...sometimes too much. But in the right frame of mind, this one'll tickle your synapses like nothing else. --Peter Marsh
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun!,
By Xepha (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Humcrush (Audio CD)
This is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. In the past I've been scared off by the 'improvised music' tag that implies windy, self-indulgent skronking, but this is nothing like that stereotype. Instead it's constantly inventive and playful, very percussive in places, but with meditative sections too. It's a very absorbing listen, full of perfectly-judged changes of tack that keep the listener's attention. There's a lot going on in this music, but it keeps a sense of space and purpose - nothing's out of place.
I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the great Rune Grammofon label or the New Music scene in Norway, which has been producing a lot of excellent, innovative stuff for a long time now.
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4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
You haven't heard anything like this before..,
By Eugene - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Humcrush (Audio CD)
I saw Humcrush in concert at this year's Montreal Jazz fest, more or less on a lark. Just picked the concert at the last moment; it sounded interesting. Their music really amazed me. Very difficult to categorize. It is basically electronica but only with a minimal amount of manipulation (loops and samples, yes, but in an improvisational mode). Norwegian musicians, Thomas Stronen (drums, percussion,electronix), and Stale Storlokken (keys, electronix), play their instruments with finesse and virtuosity, and use the electronics on the fly, constantly driving each other on to new musical heights. A meeting of two great musical and creative minds to be sure. The resultant sound varies from moody soundscapes, to whimsical child-like tunes and includes plenty of funk and complex polyrhythms. Grooves that will make you want to get up and dance. Their concert consisted of 2 lengthy improvisational pieces, with various intersections flowing nicely one into the next. This CD is but a sample of that experience, but covers much of the same territory that I witnessed in Montreal. My only complaint is that the recording quality is rather flat and does not convey the depth and intensity of their concert sound. I'd suggest turning up the volume as loud as tolerable, and perhaps toying with the EQ on your system to get the best audio. Yes, buy this one, and listen as I did the first time, without any preconceived notions. It just might bring a smile to your face.
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