On their 6th recording as a trio concept, The Fire! trio of Mats Gustafsson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass guitar) and Andreas Werlin (drums) add to their energetic approach to free improvisation through Mats Gustafsson performing on both baritone sax and flute, and by the addition of guests Goran Kajfes on quartertone trumpet and Mats Aleklint on trombone and sousaphone.
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Mats Gustafsson-flute, baritone saxophone, live electronics
Johan Berthling-electric bass
Andreas Werliin-drums
Goran Kajfes-quartertone trumpet
Mats Aleklint-trombone, sousaphone, horn arrangements
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UPC: 7033662022175
Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog ID: RCD 2217CD
Squidco Product Code: 30089
Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: Norway
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded at the Village recording, Copenhagen, Denmark, in October, 2019, and February, 2020, by Thomas Vang.
"Fire! tracking new paths and reaching new levels of excellence, still honoring their 12-year-old vow of presenting a fresh approach to improvised music. Their debut album, You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago, was released in 2009 to wide international acclaim. "The basic strategy of pairing the expressive energy of free jazz with a sturdy sense of groove has yielded something potent and self-contained" --New York Times.
Between this and Defeat there´s been five albums, including collaborations with Jim O'Rourke (2011) and Oren Ambarchi (2012). No two Fire! records sound the same, but with Defeat they have taken their biggest leap so far, with Mats Gustafsson giving the flute a prominent place in the sound image, a surprising and most successful move, his both expressive and ornamental approach given ample room to breathe, especially on the two long tracks bookending the album. In places more subdued than on previous efforts, but with the distinctive bass figures and hypnotic mood fully intact. There are some lively stretches with guests Goran Kajfes and Mats Aleklint, bringing to mind their big band offshoot Fire! Orchestra, albeit on a smaller scale.
For over 20 years Rune Grammofon have made a habit of releasing music that is beyond easy classification, in later years typified by Hedvig Mollestad, Elephant9, and Krokofant, but cemented by Fire! and their exploratory curiosity and deep love of music in general. Many have tried to compare the trio to other groups, but listening to Defeat you realize how futile this is. Given the above there's no doubt there are many influences at play, but the resulting brew is in a class by itself. "-Rune Grammofon
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Mats Gustafsson ^ Hide Bio for Mats Gustafsson • Show Bio for Johan Berthling "Johan Berthling (* 1973 in Stockholm ) is a Swedish jazz and improvisational musician ( contrabass , electric bass , also piano ). Berthling studied at the Royal Music College in Stockholm from 1996-1998 . Since then, he has worked in the Swedish and international jazz and improvisation scene in various ensembles including David Stackenäs , Raymond Strid , Fredrik Ljungkvist , Sten Sandell , Paal Nilssen-Love , Akira Sakata , Mats Gustafsson , Jonas Kullhammar and the Christer Bothén Acoustic Ensemble. In the field of jazz, he was involved in 23 recording sessions between 1996 and 2014. He also worked with folkmusicist and songwriter Nicolai Dunger ( roasting och herren , 2007)." ^ Hide Bio for Johan Berthling • Show Bio for Andreas Werliin "Andreas Werliin (* 1982 ) is a Swedish drummer of creative jazz and new improvisational music . Werliin, who grew up in Strömstad , studied at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. There he met his wife, Mariam Wallentin , with whom he formed the duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums . The band presented several albums since 2007 and toured internationally, in 2008 it was awarded the Swedish Jazzact of the Year. With Mats Gustafsson and Johan Berthling he formed the trio Fire! , Who went to Japantournee with Jim O'Rourke in 2010, and since 2013 for now (2016) four albums to the large format Fire! Orchestra. In 2010, Dan Berglund got him to his Tonbruket project, which then became a collaborative band, which was awarded the Gyllene Skivan in 2012 and the Jazzkattan in 2016." ^ Hide Bio for Andreas Werliin • Show Bio for Goran Kajfes "Goran Kajfes, born 22 June 1970 in Tyreso Assembly, is a Swedish trumpeter. Kajfeš is the son of Davor Kajfeš. Goran has worked with, among others, Eric Gadd, Stina Nordenstam, Fläskkvartetten, Kent, The Tiny, Bruno K. Öijer, Neneh Cherry, Robyn, Mando Diao, Lester Bowie, Blacknuss, Sugababes, Nicolai Dunger, Håkan Hellström, Janet Jackson, Moneybrother, Freddie Wadling, José González, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Eric Malmberg, Club Killers, Monica Zetterlund, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Eldkvarn, Matti Bye and Bo Diddley, The Thing XL, weeping willows, Cheik Lo. Solo debut Home (2000) was released on the EMI (Kaza / Blue Note) and a lot of attention for his mix of jazz and electronics. Sequel HeadSpin won a Grammy (2004). The third album, X / Y (2010) was nominated for this year's jazz album in The Independent, and was hailed around the world including magazine Mojo. He was also awarded the Nordic Music Prize for the disc. After the album was released (with his Subtropic Arkestra) The Reason Why Vol.1 (2012) and most recently, The Reason Why Vol. 2 (2014). Both featured in Mojo, Uncut, Songlines, The Wire, Jazz Journal and so on. Kajfeš is also featured in the jazz group Oddjob, together with among others Per "Ruskträsk" Johansson and Daniel Karlsson, who has released six full-length albums (Amigo Music, ACT, Headspin Recordings) and beyond that also Grammy Award winning children's album Jazzoo. He is also a member of the free jazz band Nacka Forum (Moserobie Records) with Kjell Nordeson, Jonas Kullhammar and Johan Berthling, Angles 9, Fire! Orchestra, Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet and skabandet Jobalites. He runs the record company Headspin Recordings, with David Österberg. Kajfeš has also composed music for films and television series including Kristian Petri's The Well documentaries and feature films Details, The Mouse of Bigert Bergstrom, The Sun of Ulf Rollof, vignette music to the SVT Cobra, All wild, a film about Birgitta Stenberg, Havana Motor Club by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt. He has written and performed music for Saw The White Buffalo Dancing with dance group Vindhäxor. Oddjob The group performed a large part of the music (composed by Matti Bye) to the hundred year old who climbed out the window and disappeared. Kajfeš produced weeping willows albums The Time Has Come, Magnus Carlson and the Moon Ray quintet and most of Titiyos album Hidden. In 2014 asked Kajfeš in collaboration with David Osterberg audio installation Batysphere on Färgfabriken." ^ Hide Bio for Goran Kajfes • Show Bio for Mats Aleklint "Mats Aleklint is a freelance trombone player, born 1979, that lives in Stockholm, Sweden. I work mostly in the fields of improvisation and jazz, but also blues, soul, theater music, pop and rock. I have been working as a freelance since the year 2000, and touring in Sweden, Norway, Canada, Slovenia, Portugal, England, Germany, and many other countries. Toured with/Recorded with: Alberto Pinton Quintet, YunKan10, Torbjörn Zetterberg Octet, Norrbotten Big Band, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Dave Holland, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Goran Kajfes Subtropic Arkestra, The Thing XXL, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Brus Trio+2, Big Band Splash, Per-Henrik Wallin, Harmonica Henry, Lisa Ullén Quartet, Blacknuss, Angles, Je Suis!, All Included, LED, and many many others. I also have a band of my own, Mats Äleklint Kvartett." ^ Hide Bio for Mats Aleklint
9/4/2024
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9/4/2024
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9/4/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
9/4/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
9/4/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
1. A Random Belt. Rats You Out. 9:03
2. Each Millimeter Of The Toad, Part 1 4:52
3. Each Millimeter Of The Toad, Part 2 5:38
4. Defeat (Only Further Apart...) 6:45
5. Alien (To My Feet) 9:57
Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Quintet Recordings
Mats Gustafsson
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Rune Grammofon.
 | O'Rourke, Jim / Mats Gustafsson Xylophonen Virtuosen (Trost Records) |
| Dedicated to Derek Bailey, these long out of print, subtle and delicate duo recordings captured in Chicago between Mats Gustafsson on tenor sax, fluteophone, flute & "junk" and Jim O'Rourke on guitar, accordeon and also on "junk", were originally released in 1999 on the Incus label, here remastered, in some cases remixed, and adding previously unreleased material. | |
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| The chameleonic configuration of Angles is here an octet, in a powerfully building and passionate set of three recordings performed by Martin Kuchen (alto sax), Magnus Broo & Goran Kajfes (trumpets), Mats Aleklint (trombone), Mattias Stahl (vibraphone), Alexander Zethson (piano & synth), Konrad Agnas (drums) and Johan Berthling (double bass); exemplary. | |
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| Meeting at GOK Sound studio in Kichijoji, Japan in front of a small audience, Swedish baritone saxophonist Mats Gustafsson (The Thing, Fire!) also performing on flutephone and live electronics, and Otomo Yoshihide (Ground-Zero, Regenorchester) performing on guitar, turntable and banjo, recorded these eight amazing improvisations of unusual and unique attitudes and timing. | |
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 | Elephant9 Arrival Of The New Elders (Rune Grammofon) |
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| The followup to their 2019 Corbett vs. Dempsey album and formalizing their trio name as "The Underflow", is an epic double LP of diverse and inspired free-ea from the trio of Mats Gustafsson on flute, fluteophone, baritone saxophone & live electronics, David Grubbs on electric guiar & voice, and Rob Mazurek on piccolo trumpet, wooden flute, electronics, percussion & voice. | |
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| Named for a Don Cherry composition included on this album, the core trio of The Thing--Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums--is joined by saxophonist and pocket trumpter Joe McPhee, recording classic free jazz and harmolodic pieces by Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer, Frank Lowe, & Joe McPhee. | |
 | Various Artists (Guy / Leandre / Mazur / Nilssen-Love / Kaucic / Fernandez / Gustafsson / Vandermark / Trzaska / Brotzmann / Ste Swell / Holmlander / Homburger) Not Two... But Twenty [5 CDs in Wooden Box] (Not Two) |
| Not Two Records celebrates their 20th Anniversary with a festival in Wlen, Poland, inviting 13 of the finest European & US improvisers--Guy, Leandre, Mazur, Nilssen-Love, Kaucic, Fernandez, Gustafsson, Vandermark, Trzaska, Brotzmann, Swell, Holmlander, & Homburg--performing in configurations from duo to quintet, released in a limited 5-CD wooden box set. | |
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| Two thirds of the free jazz group "Boom Box"--saxophonist Thomas Borgmann and drummer Willi Kellers--and referencing that band's 2011 album titled Jazz, Keys & Screws is rounded out as a trio with double bassist Jan Roder, following the format of Jazz with compositions from each player following head/solo format, fueled by each player's extensive experience. | |
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| A unique album blurring acoustic recordings from saxophonist Mats Gustafsson with the electronic machinations and rhythms of Wendy Gondeln, aka Albert Oehlen, a German experimental electronic artist, the two inviting Martin Siewert for additional guitar on two tracks, and Wolfgang Voight to remix two tracks; funky, unpredictable, amusing, and seductively tantalizing. | |
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| The third album from the Arashi trio of Akira Sakata on alto saxophone, Bb clarinet & vocals, Johan Berthling on double bass, and Paal Nilssen on Love on drums & percussion, formed in 2013 at the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway and touring steadily since, here captured live at Pit Inn, in Tokyo for four intense free improvisations of inspired power. | |
 | Angles 9 Beyond Us (Clean Feed) |
| Now a distinct edition of saxophonist Martin Kuchen's concept, the Angles 9 ensemble is captured live at the Zomer Jazz Fiets Tour in The Netherlands in 2018, performing Kuchen's embraceable and lyrical compositions, allowing his masterful band--including Magnus Broo, Johan Berthling, Mattias Stahl, &c.--great opportunities for collective playing and profound soloing. | |
 | McPhee, Joe / Mats Gustafsson Brace For Impact (Corbett vs. Dempsey) |
| Drawing on many collaborations, from Peter Brotzmann's large groups to Gustafsson's The Thing, this duo album recorded in 2008 is finally issued to unleash 1 blistering album of saxophone duos, Joe McPhee on altos sax, alto clarinet, pocket trumpet and voice, with Gustafsson on baritone and slide saxophone, alto fluteophone and live electronics; brace yourself! | |
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| Unexpected directions in this meeting between Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and Chicago vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, in an introspective album of beautiful tonal conversations, relaxed and sophisticated dialogs that mostly eschews the more aggressive side of both musicians in deference to a thoughtful, reflective and elegant set of tunes. | |
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| With members from Angles, Universal Indians, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Friends and Neighbors, &c. the quintet of Martin Kuchen (sax), Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Mats Aleklin (trombone), Jon Rune Strom (bass) and Tollef Ostvang (drums) play modern, energetic jazz that kicks Satan's ass; highly recommended! | |
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