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Mollestad, Hedvig Weejuns: Weejuns (Rune Grammofon)

A new trio from Norwegian improvising rock guitarist Hedvig Mollestad with Supersilent/Elephant9's Ståle Storløkken A new trio from Norwegian improvising rock guitarist Hedvig Mollestad with Supersilent/Elephant9's Ståle Storløkken on bass and drummer Ole Mofjel, in a well-balanced album that brings to mind Crimson, ECM fusion or Mahavishnu/Miles, through a six live performances throughout Norway of burning interaction around introspective sonic environments.and drummer Ole Mofjel, in a well-balanced album that brings to mind Crimson, ECM fusion or Mahavishnu/Miles, through a six live performances throughout Norway of burning interaction around introspective sonic environments.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen-guitar

Ole Mofjell-drums

Stale Storlokken-organ, synth, Continuum


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UPC: 7033662022328

Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog ID: RCD 2232CD
Squidco Product Code: 33943

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2023
Country: Norway
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Track A1 recorded live at Bla, in Oslo, Norway, on September 1st, 2022, by Espen Hoydalsvik.

Track 2 recorded live at Spor 5, in Stavanger, Norway, on September 5th, 20-22, by Espen Hoydalsvik.

Side B, C and D recorded live at Munch Museum, in Oslo, Norway, on April 20th, 2022, by Johnny Skalleberg.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Never one to rest on her laurels and always eager to break new ground, it's full steam ahead for guitarist Hedvig Mollestad when teaming up with sublime keyboard player Stale Storlokken (Elephant9, Supersilent) and young drummer ace Ole Mofjell in a new trio bearing her name. Beautifully subtle and fiercely burning, Weejuns is a solid step into shimmering, hardcore improvisation and breathtaking instrumental interplay, a temporary move away from the composed music of her regular trio and the ensemble projects. It was not the intention, but with this in mind and great recordings of a handful of concerts, it made perfect sense to make the trio's debut a double live album. One could place the trio in the same musical landscape as Bitches Brew-era Miles, Supersilent, Henry Cow, and King Crimson '73-'74."-Rune Grammofon



"From structured compositions to hardcore improvisation? Hedvig, bring it on!

Hedvig Mollestad simply is not the person to lean back for a while. The Norwegian guitar virtuoso known for her unceasing musical exploration in the fields of hard rock-jazz, again delivers a compelling performance with her latest endeavour, Weejuns. This back-to-back-to-back album also marks the return to the familiar trio format after last year's collaboration with the full Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. This time however Mollestad didn't record with her original trio but instead connected with prodigy drummer Ole Mofjell and veteran keyboardist Ståle Storløkken. They recorded the album live in concert, for the most part, in Olso's Munch Museum. So get ready to be taken on a cosmic journey, comprising six sprawling tracks of varying complexities.

After an inertial spin of Weejuns it directly becomes clear that diverse musical sensibilities of Mollestad, Mofjell, and Storløkken come together in some dynamic interpay, resulting in rich tapestry of textures. Opener, Go At Your Peril, sets the tone with its mesmerising blend of guitar melodies, thundering drums, and bursts from the Hammond organ. As always Mollestad's guitar work is full of innovative twists and turns, while Mofjell's drumming displays his potential to become one of Europe's most agile jazz drummers.

Throughout Weejuns the trio takes us into a deep dive through the cosmos. This is most apparent on the central tracks that iteratively keep sprawling but also find its footing on the album's long, contemplative intros that mirror the vastness of space itself. The trio operates as cosmonauts that traverse stratospheres, intercepting primitive transmissions, with drums thundering and organ and guitar chasing each other amidst the remnants of vanishing worlds. If No Man's Sky ever needs a groovy score, this trio would surely deliver.

Mollestad's guitar work is both commanding and delicate, at times growling and, at other times, shimmering in distant light. Sooner or later listeners are always treated to a delirious groove filled with feedback and relentless repetition which for more than a decade has become one of Mollestad's trademark skills. The atmospheric introduction of the 21-minute centrepiece I'll Give You Twenty One introduces an element of disorder, with clashing cymbals and haunting synths gradually converging. Further on the guitar play starts to drift while semi-structured drumming takes over. Mofjell's creations gradually become context for Mollestad's colossal swirling riffs to submerge as an overall apotheosis without boundaries. The trio is in optima forma at this point of the record, so if you have no patience to go through the album from front to back this is the only track you want to hear. Just don't say don't say you weren't warned about length.

Weejuns isn't solely characterised by the monumental I'll Give You Twenty One. Tracks like Come Monday with its rolling drumming and Storløkken's colourful soundscapes offer moments of tranquillity while closing track, Pity The City, brings in a post-rock feel. Interactions by the trio here lead to circling guitar motifs and wonderful amplified synth play.

Taken all together Weejuns defies categorization, showcasing what three talented musicians can achieve with just guitar, drums, and organ. Hedvig Mollestad, known for her meticulously rehearsed compositions, unleashes her improvisational prowess on this double album. It's remarkable how fearlessly Mollestad explores the field of jazz-rock. No boundary is sacred, no convention is left alone. Mollestad sheds her compositional corset by delivering an electrifying innovative performance that will undoubtedly resonate with fans of avant-garde and improvisational music."-Wander Meulemans, Sounds from the Dark Side


Get additional information at Sounds from the Dark Side

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)
4/24/2024

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)
4/24/2024

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

"Ståle Storløkken (born 22 February 1969 in Dombås, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (keyboards, organ and piano) and composer, known from co-operations with artists like Terje Rypdal, BigBang, Supersilent and Motorpsycho. He is married to the Norwegian singer Tone Åse.

Storløkken was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (1988-90), and subsequently did his postgraduate there too. During the studies he started the band Veslefrekk together with fellow students Arve Henriksen and Jarle Vespestad (Helge Sten joined the band at a later stage). In 1997 the name of the band changed to Supersilent. They have released six critically acclaimed albums on the label Rune Grammofon. From 1995 he played in the trio BOL along with his wife Tone Åse and Tor Haugerud.

Storløkken has been active in many contexts, both as a band leader and member, for example The Stoken Experience, and Terje Rypdal's Skywards. Along with Christian Wallumrød, and he composed the commissioned work Eight Thirty to Kongsberg Jazz Festival 1994. He has collaborated on a number of albums with the named bands, and otherwise at such musicians as Gunnar Andreas Berg, Eldbjørg Raknes, Audun Kleive and Thomas Strønen.

Storløkken together with Thomas Strønen has the Humcrush duo, which has released three albums. He also plays in the trio Elephant9, along with Torstein Lofthus and Nikolai Eilertsen. He co-composed Berit Opheim's commissioned work An angel with for Vossajazz 2007, and in 2010 composed and performed his one commissioned work for Moldejazz with the band Motorpsycho, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Trondheim Soloists."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A5le_Storl%C3%B8kken)
4/24/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Go at your peril 11:48

2. Come Monday 6:41

3. Hug that tree! 17:41

4. I´ll give you twentyone 21:49

5. Stay at your peril 12:59

6. Pity the city 8:45

Related Categories of Interest:


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

Search for other titles on the label:
Rune Grammofon.


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