Fire! Orchestra - Exit! [Rune Grammofon]

Fire! Orchestra:
voice: Mariam Wallentin, Emil Svanangen (+ guitar), Sofia Jernberg
trumpet: Niklas Barno, Magnus Broo, Emil Strandberg; trombone: Mats Aleklint; tuba: Per-Ake Holmlander
reeds: Anna Hogber (alto), Mats Gustafsson (tenor + live electronics), Elin Larsson (tenor), Fredrik Ljungkvist (baritone, clarinet), Christer Bothen (bass clarinet + guimbri), Jonas Kullhammar (bass sax)
guitar: Andres Soderstrom, Soren Runolf, David Stackenas
piano and electronic: Sten Sandell; electronics: Joachim Nordwall; organ: Tomas Hallonsten
electric bass: Johan Berthling; double bass: Joel Grip, Joe Williamson, Dan Berglund
drums: Andreas Werlin, Thomas Mera Gartz, Johan Holmegard, Raymond Strid

Rune Grammofon 2013

Fire! burned hot with improvised psychodelia on their latest trio release ("Without noticing") as well as previous ones featuring guest guitarists ("Unreleased?" with Jim O' Rourke on the blog as well). Mats Gustafsson however is ever a restless and exploratory soul and "Exit!" is a fruit of that.

Gustafsson's fondness for playing in larger groups is evident (vital member of Chicago Tentent, and Barry Guy's LJCO as well as New Orchestra for many years now) but It was not until the Krakow Jazz Autumn and Nu Ensemble performance I had a pleasure to see him lead his own unit, performing his own material, I was  

Fire! Orchestra not only predates the Autumn festival (the material presented on "Exit!" was recorded in the january of 2012), it features Gustafsson's musical vision expanded into even larger, 28-piece strong ensemble.

Fire! - (without noticing) [Rune Grammofon]

Fire!
Mats Gustafsson - tenor and baritone saxophones, organ, fender rhodes and electronics
Johan Berthling - bass and piano
Andreas Werliin - drums



Rune Grammofon 2013

The complexity and diversity of Gustafsson's artistic oeuvre is quite astonishing, driven by deep passion he creates music that can be both elaborated as insanely wild, pure abstract, energetic rock'n'roll or tear-drenching ballad. After a whole week with Nu Ensemble, Mats comes back tonight for one evening with the group that played recent summer at the indie music festival OFF in Katowice. Fire! is a project that lives on the fringes of rock, with little focus on jazz or free improvisation.

Angles 8 - The Way of Deception (Live in Ljubljana) [Clean Feed]

Angles 8
Mats Aleklint - trombone
Goran Kajfes - trumpet
Eirik Hegdal - baritone and sopranino saxophones
Martin Kuchen - alto saxophone
Mattias Stahl - vibraphone
Alexander Zethson - piano
Johan Berthling - double bass
Kjell Nordeson - drums

Clean Feed 2012

Angles is one undoubtedly one of the most prominent jazz bands of the european scene, their previous two releases ("Every Woman is a Tree" and Epileptical West - Live in Coimbra") claimed great reviews and took top spots in any modern jazz related medium, deservingly so. The full-brass arrangaments, melodic tunes, passionate execution and music that is free in spirit and in message are impossible to resist.

Fire! with Jim O'Rourke - Unreleased? [Rune Grammofon]

Fire!
Mats Gustafsson - baritone saxophone, fender saxophone, live electronics
Johan Berthling - electric bass
Andreas Werliin - drums and percussion
Jim O'Rourke - electric guitar, synthesizer, harmonica

Rune Grammofon 2011

A follow-up to the great "You liked me five minutes ago" released late 2009 by the band and one of the many collaborations between Mats Gustafsson and Sonic Youth guitarists (be it Jim O'Rourke or Thurston Moore, or both of them).

Don't expect jazz sound of any kind here, no swinging rhythms, even no furious attacks Mats is known for, it's quite for from any kind of jazz, free-jazz or free-improv music you might look for seeing his name on the list. Instead the group offers you a 40-minutes (way too short) ride into the world of hypnotic groove and psychodelic trans. Music that is patient and focused in a way it slowly evolves, moving through dark and eerie space.