The Squid's Ear Magazine


Mollestad, Hedvig: Ekhidna (Rune Grammofon)

In 2018 guitarist Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen received an invitation from the festival at Vossajazz commissioning a work for the 2019 festival, for which she expanded her instrumental rock trio to a sextet with trumpeter Susana Santos Silva, drummer Torstein Lofthus (Elephant9), percussionist Ole Mofjell, and keyboardists Marte Eberson & Erlend Slettevoll.
 

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Personnel:



Torstein Lofthus-drums

Erlend Slettevoll-electric piano , synthesizer, synthesizer

Marte Eberson-electric piano, synthesizer, synthesizer

Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen-guitar

Ole Mofjell-percussion

Susana Santos Silva-trumpet


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UPC: 7033662022151

Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog ID: RCD 2215CD
Squidco Product Code: 29407

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2020
Country: Norway
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded at Amper Tone Studio, in Oslo, Norway, in January and February 2020, by Bard Ingebrigtsen.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Widely praised from Rolling Stone to Downbeat, Mojo to Wire and Jazzwise; electrifying guitarist Hedvig Mollestad hits us with a multifaceted and dynamic progressive jazzrock monster high on fierce riffs, rich textures, vibrant solos and strong melody lines.

In May 2018 Hedvig received an invitation from Vossajazz - the much loved annual festival established in 1973 - to write the commission work for 2019. This came at the right time, she had been thinking about writing for a bigger group than the trio, and this would be a good opportunity. To make it suitable for album release the full festival version was edited, sharpened and recorded from scratch in Amper Tone studio in Oslo.

In addition to Hedvig on guitar, the line-up includes powerhouse drummer Torstein Lofthus (Elephant9) and percussionist Ole Mofjell, the youngest member, but with solid experience from the European improvisation scene. Keyboard duties are handled by Marte Eberson, probably most known from her five years with Highasakite, and Erlend Slettevoll (The Core and supergroup Grand General, Rune Grammofon 2013). Hedvig first met trumpeter Susana Santos Silva in Mats Gustafsson´s NU-ensemble. Ekhidna is a figure from Greek mythology; half woman, half snake. Hevig is keen to stress that it´s not a concept album as such, but loosely tied to themes of human struggle and being a mother in times when our increasing inability to live in harmony with nature paints a bleak picture."-Rune Grammofon

Also available on Vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"Torstein Lofthus (born 10 March 1977, in Øystese, Kvam, Norway) is a Norwegian drummer and composer, married to Hege Lofthus (b. Sørvig, 1981), and known from bands like Shining, Elephant9, Mathias Eick Band, D'Sound and Ebersson/Zanussi/Lofthus.

Lofthus has had a major influence on Norwegian music through studio work, live concerts and teaching at Norwegian Academy of Music and at University of Agder (the Faculty of Fine Arts). Based in Oslo, he now tours Norway and Europe with different bands and artists after finishing his master at the Norwegian Academy of Music spring 2006. He plays several genres, well known with both jazz and pop music. He has been the most sought drummer in Norway recent years, if not on tour with Vamp, Jarle Bernhoft, Oslo Gospel Choir, Mathias Eick or Marit Larsen, he collaborates with Maria Mena, Kurt Nilsen, Torun Eriksen, Bertine Zetlitz, Silje Nergaard, Eivind Aarset, D'Sound, Noora Noor, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Jon Eberson and Per Zanussi, to mention a few, both in studio and on stage."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torstein_Lofthus)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Erlend Slettevoll is a pianist, keyboardist, arranger and composer who works before a wide range of musical expressions. He has a degree in jazz from the Department of Music, NTNU, Trondheim, where he studied under Vigleik Storaas. He has been in Oslo since 2006 and is working as a full-time musician.

He first became known for his energetic style of playing in projects like The Core and Petter Wettre Quartet. Later, he has worked before a large range of expressions, from sublte acoustic music with Beate Lech and Steinar Raknes Quartet, to heavy electronic soundscapes in bands like Grand General and Astro Sonic.

Erlend Slettevoll has collaborated with many Norwegian and international musicians, and participates on more than 40 album releases. He has worked with artists like Steinar Raknes, John Surman, Petter Wettre, Kjetil Møster, Jørgen Mathisen, Ola Kvernberg, Kenneth Kapstad, John Pål Inderberg, Ine Hoem, Håkon Mjåset Johansen, Beate Lech, Gard Nilssen, Eirik Hegdal, Heidi Skjerve And Espen Aalberg. In addition he works with projects / musicians like Mathias Eick, Arild Andersen, Karin Krog, Magnus Broo, Jonas Kullhammar, Torbjörn Zetterberg, Django Bates, Bjørn Vidar Solli, Georg Riedel and Juini Booth."

-Erlend Slettevoll Website (http://www.slettevoll.no/about)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Marte Maaland Eberson is a Norwegian keyboardist and composer, known from bands including Morning Has Occurred and Highasakite. She is the daughter of the guitarist Jon Eberson.

Eberson was born in Oslo, and obtained her formal musical education from the Music program at Foss videregående skole, "Sund Folkehøgskole", followed by a bachelor's degree from the Jazz program at Griegakademiet (UiB) in Bergen. She is involved in many different bands and various musical contexts, most recently with the band "Eberson Funk Ensemble", a band including her guitarist father Jon Eberson, Pål Thowsen, Sigurd Hole and Kim Erik Pedersen at Victoria, the Norwegian National Jazz Scene in Oslo 2013.

In spite of her young age, Eberson has an impressive record. She won the "Jazz i sikte" with the band "Lugom Trio", second place in "Urørt" final 2011 with the electronica duo "Machine Birds", and one of her new projects, Morning Has Occurred, with Natalie Sandtorv, won the "Jazz i sikte" 2012. In 2012, she was rewarded with the Sildajazzprisen. She was also a member of the critically acclaimed indie band Highasakite until 2018, and has been playing with "Sjur Miljeteig Group" since 2014."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marte_Eberson)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen (born 4 February 1982 in Ålesund, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (guitar, vocals and composing). She is known for a series of album releases and collaborations with musicians like Jon Eberson, Jarle Bernhoft and Hilde Marie Kjersem.

Thomassen is a graduate from the Norwegian Academy of Music, and collaborates in a variety of rock and jazz bands, including her own Hedvig Mollestad Trio, Thomassen Trio, Bronco Busters, Songs and Sweet Potatoes, and VOM (as "Mester Pøggs"). She also has a central role in the bands of Jarle Bernhoft and Hilde Marie Kjersem, and has performed within Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. Thomassen was awarded "The young jazz talent of the year" at Moldejazz in 2009, and showed up on a gig within Jarle Bernhoft Band at the 2011 Kongsberg Jazzfestival. When she released her debut solo album Shoot! (2011) leading her own trio, the music bears little resemblance to what she plays within Jon Eberson Group and the bands of Hilde Marie Kjersem and Jarle Bernhoft.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio (also referred to as HM3) consists of Hedvig Mollestad (guitar, vocals), Ellen Brekken (bass) and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad (drums). The trio has received numerous appraising reviews internationally, for both their studio albums and live performances. Their music is inspired by 70s heavyrock, but creates a peculiar musical mixture of ingredients like free jazz, prog and psychedelia. On its website the band describes their own music as "Outgoing & progressive instrumental rock". Since the trio's formation in 2009, HM3 has played many concerts and jazz festivals in both Norway and abroad and they have toured in Europe, Malaysia, Japan and the USA."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedvig_Mollestad_Thomassen)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Ole Mofjell (born 11 July 1990 in Søgne, Norway) is a Norwegian drummer known from bands like Brute Force and COKKO, married July 29, 2016, to singer Natalie Sandtorv.

When given a sharp drum for his sixth birthday by his father, Mofjell started his drumming career. He got his formal music education on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonsevatorium.

Mofjell resided in Berlin until he moved to Copenhagen in 2015. He performed on scenes throughout Europe with projects like the quartet 'Brute Force' with a current self-titled album (2014) and the duo 'Not On The Guest List', together with his cohabitant girlfriend Natalie Sandtorv. He is also active in other projects like 'One Out Of Town' and the duo 'Tysk Impro' with trumpeter Erik Kimestad Pedersen, in addition to the release of his debut solo album (2015)."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_Mofjell)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Susana Santos Silva is a trumpeter, improviser and composer from Porto, Portugal.

She holds a Master Diploma in Jazz Performance '2010 from Codarts, Rotterdam, where she worked with Eric Vloeimans, Jarmo Hoogendijk and Wim Both.

She holds a Graduate Diploma in Jazz/Trumpet '2008 and in Trumpet '2004 from College of Music and Performing Arts in Porto, attending the last year of the course at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in the class of Prof. Reinhold Friedrich, where she also had baroque trumpet lessons with Prof. Edward Tarr.

She is a member and co-founder of the Porto based jazz musicians association Porta-Jazz and it's label, Carimbo. 
With Coreto, an ensemble of musicians from this association led by João Pedro Brandão, she recorded in 2012 the first album of the label, 'Aljamia'. Two more were released after that, 'Mergulho' and 'Sem Chão'.

In 2011 she releases her first album as a leader of her own Quintet, 'Devil´s Dress' on Tone of a Pitch Records. With this band she played 12 Points Jazz Festival, Dublin in 2011. In 2015 she releases her second album as a leader, 'Impermanence' on Carimbo Porta-Jazz. Life and Other Transient Storms, her new project with Lotte Anker, Sten Sandell, Torbjörn Zetterberg and Jon Falt, premiered last year at Tampere jazz Happening and their new album is now out on Clean Feed Records.

Her other main projects include LAMA, a Rotterdam based trio with portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida and canadian drummer Greg Smith, 'Oneiros' (2011), 'Lamaçal' (2013) feat. Chris Speed and 'The Elephant's Journey' feat. Joachim Badenhorst (2015), all released on Clean Feed Records, a duo with swedish bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg, 'Almost Tomorrow' Clean Feed 2013, a duo with the slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler 'This Love' Clean Feed 2015, a duo with drummer Jorge Queijo 'Songs from my Backyard' Wasser Bassin 2013, a collaboration with the belgian trio De Beren Gieren, 'The Detour Fish' Clean Feed 2014, a trio with Torbjörn Zetterberg and the swedish organist Hampus Lindwall 'If Nothing Else' Clean Feed 2015 and a quartet with Christine Wodrascka, Christian Meaas Svendsen and Håkon Berre, 'Rasengan!' (Barefoot Records 2016).

She is also part of João Guimarães Octet, 'Zero' Toap 2014, Torbjörn Zetterberg 'Och Den Stora Frågan' Moserobie 2014, 'Om Liv & Död' Moserobie 2015, and Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos, with whom she played and recorded with musicians as Lee Konitz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Cheek, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Maria Schneider, among many others.

She was a member of the European Movement Jazz Orchestra, with whom she played in Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Egipt. The orchestra recorded 'EMJO Live at Coimbra', released in 2011 on Clean Feed Records."

-Susana Santos Silva Website (https://susanasantossilva.com/bio/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. No Friends But The Mountains 1:56

2. A Stone's Throw 7:08

3. Antilone 10:13

4. Slightly Lighter 3:02

5. Ekhidna 9:06

6. One Leaf Left 7:55

Related Categories of Interest:


Rock and Related
Progressive Rock
Improvised Rock
Improvised Music
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Sextet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Rock Forms

Search for other titles on the label:
Rune Grammofon.


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The Squid's Ear Magazine

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