!!! is the third duo project of the Norwegian, Oslo-based duo of drummer-programmer of drum machine Jonas Sjøvaag (who is also a visual artist and sound engineer runs the Shipwreckords label ) and Finnish-Norwegian guitarist (and producer) Juhani Silvola, following Music for Cities and Alien Horticultures (Shipwreckords label, 2018 and 2020). Sjøvaag also plays in Silvola Trio. The duo hosts pianist and synth player Andreas Ulvo (who has played with Sjøvaag in the defunct Eple Trio).
The album features two extended, richly textured, free improvised, cinematic and immersive soundscapes – «Daybreak» and «Subtle Southern», each one capturing a distinct moment in time where sonic experimentation meets evocative melodies. Sjøvaag recorded, mixed, and mastered the album and designed the cover artwork.
The sparse, minimalist, and dreamy «Daybreak» evokes the stillness of early mornings and the slow shift from deep sleep to waking up. «Subtle Southern» offers a completely different atmosphere, more expansive, thorny, and gritty, but settles on a hypnotic groove. Ulvo, as usual, adds thoughtful, delicate colors to these introspective pieces, which reveal more and more nuances with each listening.
Eyal Hareuveni
Jonas Sjøvaag (drums, Elektron Machinedrum programming), Juhani Silvola (guitar), Andreas Ulvo (piano, Mini Moog)
