Om utgivelsen
Nicolas Leirtrø has been busy these last ten years as band leader and musician in several bands and projects, such as I LIKE TO SLEEP, Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie, Veslemøy Narvesen’s We Don’t Imagine Anymore, Mats Gustafsson’s Hidros o.T. and Hidros9, in addition to cooperations with Ståle Storløkken, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and more.
With ACTION NOW! Leirtrø has put together a brand new quartet featuring some of Europe’s greatest improvisers. With Gustafsson, Downes and Narvesen on board we are set for a grand journey. Compositions heavy with riffs and high energy, referencing spiritual free jazz and gnawa. «Entrance» is melodic, groovy, powerful and huge – and at the same time floating, abstract and free. During a solid double LP you’ll seamlessly float through Leirtrø’s compositions, and it doesn’t at any point feel too long. Not even the first single «Darkness», with its 12,5 minutes, has a single second too much.
Throw Leirtrø’s visual consepts in the mix, in the room with them on shows, posters and featured in the cover art, with unique lino printed graphic scores set as the foundation for improvisation. On the physical releases these works have been combined with the compositions they belong to in the titles: Soothing Shapes belongs to «Action Now», Textures to «Darkness», Faint Screams to «Pitch Black White Noise», Slow Cycle to «Organ Cycle»). This is all a natural part of Leirtrø’s patient and slow processes, and a tool these musicians have as a foundation for the music they create.
ACTION NOW! spans across different sub genres, inspirations and generations, with the intention of exploring the friction between composed music, improvisation and visual art. The name of the quartet can mean many things, but the base is Leirtrø’s need to make something unique on his own premises, embracing the slow processes in all aspects of creation. The results are uncompromising and impressive, and very visible and audible on «Entrance».
Mats Gustafsson – flute, saxophone, mini harmonica, spilåpipa
Kit Downes – hammond organ, piano
Nicolas Leirtrø – bass, percussion, compositions
Veslemøy Narvesen – drums, percussion
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Nicolas Leirtrø har holdt seg travel de ti siste åra, som både sentrum og medmusikant i en hel rekke spennende band og prosjekter. Vi har hørt han i Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie, Veslemøy Narvesen’s We Don’t Imagine Anymore, Mats Gustafsson’s Hidros o.T. og Hidros9. Han har laget en nydelig plate med Ståle Storløkken og Ingebrigt Håker Flaten i tillegg til den kritikerroste rekka med I LIKE TO SLEEP-plater!
Nå har Leirtrø laget Action Now!, en splitter ny kvartett bestående av noen av Europas fremste improvisatører: Mats Gustafsson, Kit Downes og Veslemøy Narvesen. Rifftunge komposisjoner med høy energi og referanser til spirituell frijazz og gnawa ligger som avgangsplattform. Med i prosessen er også Leirtrøs visuelle uttrykk gjennom coverart basert på linoleumstrykkede grafiske partiturer.
Mats Gustafsson – fløyte, saksofon, munnspill spilåpipa
Kit Downes – hammond orgel, piano
Nicolas Leirtrø – bass, perkusjon, komposisjoner
Veslemøy Narvesen – trommer, perkusjon
Musikere
Nicolas Leirtrø - kontrabass, perkusjon, komposisjoner, artwork, design, produsent
Veslemøy Narvesen - trommer, perkusjon
Mats Gustafsson - fløyte, saksofon, mini-munnspill, spilåpipa
Kit Downes - Hammond-orgel, piano
