Eka Trio is Pan-Scandinavian group, featuring three young musicians based in Malmö – Swedish guitarist Tomas Hörnberg, Norwegian electric bass player Anne Marte Eggen and Finnish drummer Pontus Häggblom. Eka Trio was formed in the fall of 2015 and «Eka» is the trio debut album. The trio describes its sound as characterized with a melancholic tone, contrasting troubling issues as autumn, snow melting and entomophobia (excessive or unrealistic fear of one or more classes of insect) with warm, empathic interplay.

Guitarist Hörnberg penned most of the pieces on «Eka» and the first ones convey his dominant, leisured-breezy fusion sound, with a clear phrasing that references American guitarists as John Scofield and John Abercrombie. But slowly and patiently Eka Trio varies and intensifies its rhythmic interplay, transforming it into a more balanced one. Then it sounds much more interesting.

«Nästan nästa» suggests a haunting cinematic atmosphere and the following «Chimär» is already charged with a much more urgent drive and tough sound. Häggblom only piece, «Kastrup», offers a catchy, song-like piece, abstracted by the whole trio as a tight, balanced rhythmic unit. «Insects!» even has a heavy funky feel. Eka Trio concludes with «Mars» that highlights the emphatic-supportive interplay of Hörnberg, Eggen and Häggblom.

Eyal Hareuveni
Tomas Hörnberg (g), Anne Marte Eggen (b), Pontus Häggblom (dr)