Sunday, February 11, 2018

Black Flower - Intermediate State (SDBAN RECORDS 2018)



Musicians make albums. But in this case it’s different. The four tracks on this ten inch release were created in between. It's an intermediate piece that sits between two albums, reflecting on a series of special moments and special evolutions of Black Flower. 

The inspiration came from Salvador Dali's creative dreaming ritual. With a pair of scissors in his hand, he sat back, closed his eyes and slid into sleep. The moment his body and mind enter deep sleep, the scissors dropped and waked him up. Dali then started painting using the inspiration he gathered from his dreams. These paintings can be considered the result of an intermediate state between consciousness and subconsciousness, a zone between being awake and sleeping. 

Black Flower has derived four dream-tracks from their individual intermediate state, materialised into microscopic grooves on a black vinyl disc.


- ‘Almaz’ occurred as the first dream. It became Black Flower's very first cover song. An Ethiopian traditional, famous thanks to legendary singer Mahmoud Ahmed. Immediately, this dreamy track pulls you deeply into the intermediate state.

- ‘Maqam Tizita Saba’ was a vision about an unexpected connection between the Arabian and the Ethiopian world. Black Flower utilised an extended musical scale, beginning with the peaceful, consonant Ethiopian Titzia, and fusing it with the upper structure of the dissonant Arabic Saba scale.

- In the ‘Good Side of Bad’, Black flower commemorated its recent collaboration with Dijf Sanders’s latest album which is a groovy patchwork between electronics and his field recordings in Indonesia. Samples from this part of the world pass by just like that. No distance is to big in the intermediate state.

- ‘Fly High Oh My’ happened just before the scissors fell back on the ground. Strong energy propelling high into the ecstatic sky.


Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas: Listen to the new album now (GREENLEAF MUSIC 2018)


Introducing Scandal, the new album by Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas

Scandal sets a new standard in jazz as co-leaders Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas present their second recording with pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Joey Baron.

The super group heads off into swinging, heartfelt and sophisticated new territory inspired by saxophonist giant Wayne Shorter. Two of Shorter’s pieces receive special treatment. A truly fantastic and original group playing new originals and music by Shorter.

Learn more about the new album or listen to the first track and pre-order the full album below.

Mats Gustafsson / John Russell / Raymond Strid - Birds (2018)


Recorded and mixed on August/06/2011 at Hagen Festen 2011, Dala Floda
Mastered April/01/2012 at Norlings Rör, Heby
Released by Den, 2012

1. The Earth as the Sun and the Ravens are Watching 43:18
2. The Birds. They Fly as They Want, Don't They? 04:34

Mats Gustafsson - soprano, baritone saxophone
John Russell - guitar
Raymond Strid - drums

The Thing - Mono (2018)


1. Viking 08:52
2. Alfie's Theme 06:15
3. Bruremarsj 03:48
4. Triple Fox 08:57
5. Silver Slipper 02:24

Recorded 31st January - 1st February in MONO at Headgap Studios, Melbourne, Australia.
Mastered at 14th April 2011 at Chicago Mastering Service.
Released February 6, 2018.

Mats Gustafsson: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: Bass
Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums

Rune Mortensen: Design
Joakim Haugland: Executive-producer
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Bob Weston: Mastering
The Thing: Producer
Casey Rice: Recorded

Neneh Cherry & The Thing - The Cherry Thing Remixes (2018)


Original tracks recorded at Harder Sound Studios, London, England, and Atlantis Studios, Stockholm, Sweden. 
Original tracks appear on the album Neneh Cherry & The Thing "The Cherry Thing" (STS229LP/CD).

1. What Reason Could I Give (Remix By Kim Hiorthøy) 04:46
2. Dream Baby Dream (Remix By Four Tet) 08:45
3. Accordion (Remix By Hortlax Cobra) 04:51
4. What Reason Could I Give (Remix By Carmen Villain) 04:35
5. Accordion (Remix By Jim O'Rourke) 06:11
6. Cashback (Remix By Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas) 09:54
7. Sudden Moment (Remix By Merzbow) 08:22
8. Golden Heart (Remix By Nymph) 05:00
9. Dirt (Remix By Christof Kurzmann) 06:01
10. Golden Heart (Poole Blount Legacy Dub) (Remix By Lasse Marhaug) 06:40

Performed by Neneh Cherry & The Thing: Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Mats Gustafsson, Neneh Cherry, Paal Nilssen-Love 
Mastering: Chris Sansom 
Kim Hiorthøy: Design

Two Bands And A Legend - Two Bands And A Legend (2018)


Two Bands And A Legend is formed by The Thing, Cato Salsa Experience and Joe Mcphee 

Recorded at Grand Sport Studios in March 2005. 
Mixed at Grand Sport Studios in May 2005, except "The Witch" which wasn't mixed. 
Mastered at Strype Audio in January 2006.

1. Who The Fuck 02:36
2. The Witch 04:12
3. Too Much Fun 01:40
4. Tekla Loo 06:00
5. Louie, Louie 05:39
6. You Ain't Gonna Know Me 'Cos You Think You Know Me 07:36
7. The Nut 07:36
8. Baby Talk 04:03
9. I Can't Find My Mind 06:51

Christian Engfelt: Bass, Vocals
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: Double Bass, Electronics
Jon Magne Riise, Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums
Bård Enerstad: Guitar, Organ, Theremin, Vocals
Cato Thomassen: Guitar, Vocals
Mats Gustafsson: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Electronics
Joe McPhee: Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet (Pocket), Vocals

Gregorio / Gustafsson / Nordeson - Background Music (2018)


Recorded 19th January 1998 at WNUR Studios, Chicago 
Released by Hatology, 1998

1. Vanderin' (To Ken Vandermark) 04:22
2. A Tiny Bit More (To Tiny Kahn) 17:34
3. Cannots 04:55
4. Worn - First Variation 02:11
5. Worn - Second Variation 05:01
6. Worn - Third Variation 04:06
7. Just About Five - Beginning 04:52
8. Just About Five - Between 04:59
9. Just About Five - Conclusion 04:48

Mats Gustafsson - tenor saxophone, fluteophone
Guillermo Gregorio - tenor, alto saxophone, clarinet
Kjell Nordeson - drums, percussion

Strountes - Strountes (2018)


Recorded March 2nd 2006 at Studio Cobra, Stockholm. 
Mixed April 3rd 2006 at Studio Cobra, Stockholm. 
Mastered May 3rd 2006 at Cosmos Mastering, Stockholm. 

Released by Slottet, 2006

1. She Sleeps, She Sleeps 03:05
2. Sing Sit Here 05:23
3. I Have a Cloud In My Arms 05:36
4. I Turn in the Room Sleepless 06:50
5. You Also I 05:05
6. I Hate Being in Love 06:09
7. As if Caught 03:12
8. Stones That Can Only Be Themselves 05:57

Mats Gustafsson - baritone, tenor, slide saxophone, electronics, fluteophone 
Maria Eriksson - vocals, acoustic guitar, toy piano 
Magnus Broo - trumpet 
Anla Courtis - electric guitar, violin, electronics, pocket theremin