The Squid's Ear Magazine


Mollestad, Hedvig Trio: Ding Dong. You're Dead (Rune Grammofon)

A scorching album of instrumental rock bridging avant, prog and jazz/rock forms, from the inspired and burning Norwegian band led by guitarist Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen and her trio with bassist Ellen Brekken and drummer Ivar Loe Bjornstad; reference John McLaughlin, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, or just focus on the powerhouse that is the Hedvig Mollestad Trio.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen-guitar

Ellen Brekken-bass

Ivar Loe Bjornstad-drums


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UPC: 7033662022199

Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog ID: RCD 2219CD
Squidco Product Code: 30122

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: Norway
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded at Amper Tone Studio, in Oslo, Norway, in September and November, 2020, by Bard Ingebrigtsen.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Only nine months after Hedvig Mollestad momentous debut solo album Ekhidna, the guitarist is back fronting her trio. With their previous album, Smells Funny, this explosive and expansive trio experienced a breakthrough of sorts, having gone from strength to strength through five albums since their 2011 debut Shoot!, gathering respect from both rock and jazz camps, sharing big stages with the likes of John McLaughlin and Black Sabbath, and being equally comfortable on jazz and rock stages.

Hedvig enforced this breakthrough with Ekhidna, appearing on both jazz and rock best of 2020 lists, like coming in third in Prog's "Album of the Year" poll. With the hypnotic title track, the spacious ballad "Four Candles" and generally a more varied mood, Ding Dong. You're Dead. is the trio's most dynamic album to date. That said there's still enough solid and creative riffing here to satisfy the headbangers, as well as the jazzheads, as they further explore the free and open landscapes most notably started with their Black Stabat Mater album and continued with Smells Funny.

As Nate Chinen wrote about Black Stabat Mater in JazzTimes: "Her trio, which has Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bornstad on drums, caught my ear then with its audacious style references: the loose swagger of early Black Sabbath; the density and prowl of peak Led Zeppelin; the expeditionary urge of Jimi Hendrix; the incantatory fervor of John McLaughlin."

This trio radiates confidence and have become a surefire hit on the Norwegian live scene. And while we rightly praise Hedvig's exceptional abilities, let's not forget how important the rhythm section is to make it all work so well. Ellen Brekken is an accomplished bassist, driving the band just as hard on the electric bass as on the acoustic. Then there's Ivar Loe Bornstad, not your regular rock drummer, not your regular jazz drummer, but in possession of the loose swagger mentioned above."-Rune Grammofon

Also available on vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"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.

"Ellen Brekken (born 20 June 1985) is a Norwegian jazz musician who plays upright bass, bass guitar, and the tuba.

Brekken was born in Tynset, Norway. She attended the Toneheim Folk High School in 2005, and completed a bachelor's degree in Improvised Music on the jazz program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo from 2006 to 2010, including a period of exchange studies in Cape Town, South Africa. She is leading a 7-mans folk/jazz big band called Gruvar with co-composer Lars Jakop Rudjord and she has also led her own Ellen Brekken Quartet including Dag-Filip Roaldsnes (piano), Eskil Sæter (guitar) and Jon Audun Baar (drums). Brekken also collaborates within Hedvig Mollestad Trio including with Ivar Loe Bjørnstad, releasing the albums Shoot! (2011), All of Them Witches (2013), "Enfant Terrible" (2014), Black Stabat Mater (2016) and the live album Evil in Oslo (2016) . For the album "All of them witches" they were nominated to the Norwegian "Grammy" award in the rock category. She also plays in the band MAAR, which play Norwegian folk music and was nominated for Folkelarmprisen for their album "Vrangsvevd". She has been working a lot for Concerts Norway (Rikskonsertene), different theatres in Norway (Nationaltheatret, Folketeatret, Oslo Nye teater, Trøndelag teater) in addition to playing with musicians such as Espen Rud, Staffan William-Olsson, Frode Nymo, Bugge Wesseltoft, Frode Alnæs, Jens Wendelboe, Aasmund Nordstoga, Ine Hoem and she is currently a member of Caledonia jazzband and plays with artists such as, Lise Hvoslef and Kjetil Flatland. She also leads the band Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4, playing music for kids."

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

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

"Ivar Loe Bjørnstad (born 1981 in Surnadal, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz and rock musician (drums), brother of the dancer Marit Loe Bjørnstad (1983) and the singer Ingebjørg Loe Bjørnstad (1978).

Bjørnstad studied jazz at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo together with Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen and Even Helte Hermansen (guitarist of Bushman's Revenge). With an origin as a rock musician, he also mentions the guitarist Bill Frisell as one of his inspirations, accompanied by the major Norwegian drummers Audun Kleive and Per Oddvar Johansen. He resides in Oslo, and has since the turn of the Millennium collaborated with countless bands and constellations in a variety of genres. He has collaborated with artists like Bjørn Kjellemyr, Jon Eberson, Karl Seglem, Ken Stringfellowcurrently, and currently (2013) play within the bands Hedvig Mollestad Trio, the Hilde Marie Kjersem Band and Cakewalk. The debut album Shoot! of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio was recorded live in the studio with only a few minor overdubs."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivar_Loe_Bj%C3%B8rnstad)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Leo Flash' Return to the Underworld 7:30

2. All Flights Cancelled 5:27

3. Ding Dong. You're Dead. 7:08

4. Gimbal 5:32

5. Magic Moshroom 5:32

6. The Art of Being Jon Balkovitch 4:42

7. Four Candles 5:32

Related Categories of Interest:


Rock and Related
Progressive Rock
Improvised Rock
Improvised Music
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Trio Recordings
New in Rock Forms

Search for other titles on the label:
Rune Grammofon.


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