Izvajalec: Lars Fiil Quartet
Založba: Samozaložba
Izid: year
Trajanje: 53:44
Ocena: 4.4/5
Glasba je kot moda. Vedno išče izvirne rešitve skozi ogromno paleto še neodkritih vzorcev, barv, možnih kombinacij itd. Ko logičnih rešitev zmanjka, navržeš skupaj kopico najbolj nekompatibilnih zadev, pa je rezultat v večini primerov odličen in ime imaš spremenjeno v modnega genija. Ko to ne pomaga, malce pregledaš “yearbooke” iz osemdesetih in svojo zadevo predstaviš kot retro. Z dotikom modernega, se razume. In zadeva seveda zopet užge. Vse podobne prijeme neizpodbitno uporablja tudi glasba. Če se oblečeš v pravo kombinacijo zvokov, ritma, barv in dolžine, boš pač preprosto izstopal od ostalih. Vendar na srečo ne tako, kot bi izstopal, če bi naključno nametal elemente skupaj. Za kar, hvalabogu, tokrat ne gre. No, vsaj ne večino časa.
Mlada danska zasedba Lars Fiil Quartet že štiri leta vozi modernizacijo jazzovskega žanra v skandinavskih delih sveta. Dokaj klasičen mozaik klaviarja, saksofona, bobnov in kontrabasa išče vedno svež pristop, ki ga glasbeniki zlahka združujejo s kar neverjetno zrelo vizijo modernega jazza. Mladost se pokaže prav tam, kjer se mora – v pristopu, ki je gonilna sila današnjega dne, ko je težko ubrati drugačno in izvirno pot. Če si še vedno sem in tja oblečejo eno zeleno in eno roza nogavico, ki niti nista enake velikosti, je to le simpatičen zdrs njihove neizkušenosti. Na njihovem albumu “Reconsideration”, ki ga lahko označimo pod žanrom progresivnega jazza, najdemo zelo širok spekter jazzovskih pogledov, pravo mavrico pristopov od balad prek glavomigajočega hitroritmičnega jazza do pravih akustičnih jazz fusion umetnin.
“Reconsideration” je sicer bendov prvi polnopravni album, ki šteje osem vmesnih sekund premora in skupno 53 minut glasbene preodličnosti. Kot omenjeno, Larsa Fiila in njegove izbrance spoznamo kot izredno raznolike in prilagodljive glasbenike, ki že pri svojih dvajsetih vidijo skozi tančico glasbene transcendence, s čimer jazz podajo na svojevrsten način. Z veliko mero ambienta, temačnega v nekoliko manjših mericah, in balad odlično odigrajo kontrapunkt nekoliko bolj norim fusion in upbeat skladbam. Absolutni zmagovalec plate je zagotovo “The Opener”, druga skladba, ki se predstavi z noro dobrim eksperimentalno-fusion pristopom in nadaljuje z razkrivanjem značaja benda skozi celih sedem minut, po katerih poslušalec skozi celoten preostali album čaka na začetek, da si bo skladbo lahko še enkrat zavrtel – sicer nekoliko neupravičeno, saj je preostanek albuma prav tako fantastičen, vendar dejstvo je, da je “The Opener” prava moderna jazz fusion umetnina – ne takšna, ko bi jo morda pričakovalo, saj zasedba iz akustičnih inštrumentov izvabi ven “modo”, barvo in zvok in ravo kombinacijo not, ki ga večina tistih fusionistov, ki ostajajo zvesti električnim zvokom, nikoli ne bo dosegla.
Lars Fiil Quartet so že s svojim prvencem podrli ovire, ki jih glasbenik sreča na svoji poti ustvarjanja. Našli so svoj zvok, prikazali pravi značaj in muziciranje gre lahko le še navzgor. Z izkušnjami bo odličnosti še več, do takrat pa bo “Recosinderation” več kot zadoščal. Če bi zaključil, da Skandinavcem v jazzu dandanes malokdo parira, bi nesramno odvrnil bralce od pravega zaključka – tako da bom raje napisal, da Lars Fiil Quartetu dandanes malokdo lahko parira.
Music is like fashion. It is always on a lookout for innovative solutions amongst a pallet of undiscovered forms, colours, combinations etc. When you are out of logical solutions, you throw together a whole lot of the most incompatible things and the result will actually be in most cases great and your name will be changed to a fashion genius. When that does not help, you go through some of the yearbooks from the 80’s and go retro. With a touch of the modern, of course. And you are spot on once again. And all of these touches and flourishes are actively used in music, too. If you are wearing the right combination of sounds, rhythm, colours and length, then you will most definitely stand out. Luckily, not in that sense when you randomly put things together. Which, thankfully, is not the case here. Well, at least not for the most time.
The young Danish group Lars Fiil Quartet has been driving the modernization of jazz forward for about four years now. The classic mosaic of piano, saxophone, drums and double bass is always looking to being fresh, which is easily combined with their unbelievably mature vision of modern jazz. Their youth comes out exactly where it has to – in their approach, which is what matters today when it is hard to be different and unique. Even though they occasionally still put on one green and one pink sock, which are not even the same size, we hear it only as a lovely slip of band’s inexperience. On their album “Reconsideration”, which can be tagged as one of the progressive jazz genre, there is to find a whole spectre of numerous jazz variants, a true rainbow of approaches from ballads over head-banging up-beat jazz to real acoustic jazz fusion work of art.
“Reconsideration” is Lars Fiil’s Quartet’s first full length album, which consists of eight seconds of silences and all-together of 53 minutes of music perfection. As mentioned, Lars Fiil and his companions are best acknowledged by their extreme variability and diversity and despite their youth, they are already able to see through the veil of music’ transcendence, with which they are able to present jazz in a really unique way. With a great deal of ambient, with dark being in smaller doses, and ballads they excellently put a “kontrapunkt” to the crazier fusion and up-beat tracks. The absolute winner of the album is definitely “The Opener”, the second track, which presents itself with exceptionally good experimental-fusion approach, which discloses the band’s true identity and character. “The Opener” is therefore a true modern jazz fusion classic and bearing in mind that it is done acoustically even enlarges the value of the track.
Lars Fiil Quarter have overcome all the barriers with their debut, where most of musicians are still struggling to find themselves. The band discovered their true sound and identity and therefore their musicianship can only go upwards. Greatness will be even bigger once the experience kicks in and “Reconsideration” will be more than enough until then. If I concluded that nowadays, Scandinavians’ ability to create jazz music cannot be met by other European artists, I would be turning the readers from the point – therefore I will write that nowadays, Lars Fiil Quartet’s ability to create jazz can be hardly met.
Zasedba
Lars Fiil – klavir
Lis Kruse – saksofon
Jens Mikkel Madsen – kontrabas
Andreas Skamby – bobni
Produkcija
Thomas Vang
Seznam skladb
1. Reconsideration
2. The Opener
3. Wholetonetonehole
4. After…
5. Let Go
6. Xenophobiaphobia
7. Ghost Town
8. Overload
9. Lost or Found?
