Monday, December 17, 2012

Moskus - Salmesykkel (2012)

Pianist Anja Lauvdal, bass player Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson and drummer Hans Hulbækmo are all in their early twenties, and have been part of the creative milieu in the Jazz Department of the Trondheim Conservatory of Music. Anja and Hans have already made a name for themselves as part of the critically acclaimed rock bands Your Headlights are On and The Avalanche/Snøskred. In 2011 Moskus was the first jazz band towin Grappa Record Company’s annual “Debut Artist Award”.
[...]their sound is unmistakeably Nordic, and fans of e.s.t., In the Country or Tord Gustavsen will probably find much to keep them happy here.[...] Salmesykkel is a quiet joy; a thoughtful, unshowy piece of work whose maturity and poise seems at odds with the tender ages of its creators.- Peter Marsh (BBCmusic)


 Moskus combines a personal and mature mode of expression, normally found among much older musicians, with youthful energy and unprejudiced openness. The band has a dynamic presence, alternating effortlessly between uninhibited playfulness and introspective solemnity, between free improvisation and composed material. The three members of the group function as equals, and they all contribute as composers.
The musical roots of the group are firmly planted in the fertile earth of chamber jazz, but have been nourished by everything from hymns to the films of Ivo Caprino, from the music of Paul and Carla Bley to late-night skiing trips in the mountains, from post-rock to French pancakes and gospel.



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