Norwegian bass hero Ingebrigt Håker Flaten says that he loved painting and drawing as a kid, and now the re-connection to painting helps him shape and color his musical ideas and communicate them to his powerhouse ensemble, (Exit) Knarr. Drops, the fourth album of (Exit) Knarr, and its third studio album, relates to Håker Flatten early love and is perhaps his most personal album to date.
Drops begins with an inspired, powerful deconstruction of Wayne Shorter’s iconic «Deluge» (from the classic Juju, Blue Note, 1965), recorded live in the studio at Børsen Kulturhus in Tangen in December 2024. (Exit) Knarr – Danish, alto sax player Amalie Dahl, Swedish tenor sax player and electronics player Karl Hjalmar Nyberg, Polish pianist and electronics player Marta Warelis, American guitarist Jonathan F. Horne, Norwegian drummer Olaf Olsen, and Håker Flaten, augmented by former members – Danish alto sax player Mette Rasmussen and Norwegian drummer Veslemøy Narvesen, transform Shorter’s soulful melody into a restless, rhythmic beast that is buzzing with its electrifying energy. A most unique homage to the great master.
The other three pieces were penned by Håker Flatten and were recorded at the same studio and use Håker Flaten’s graphic scores. Håker Flatten says that he was inspired by the Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky and the Swedish abstract artist and mystic Hilma af Klint, as well as the graphic scores of Anthony Braxton and Mats Gustafsson for his NU Ensemble, with ideas drawn from free jazz, electronic music, Chinese and Egyptian mythology, and astrology. (Exit) Knarr used electronic tools both live and in the studio—not only to enhance the sound but to expand the textures and moods. The cover artwork by Julien Schútz intensifies this colorful sonic vision.
The title piece experiments with an abstract and introspective chamber texture. The 17-minute «Kanón», dedicated to Håker Flaten’s soul mate, drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, best captures the free-associative and stimulating dynamics that drive (Exit) Knarr into lyrical, mysterious, or abstract, always unpredictable sonic terrains. The music sounds fresh and bold, and flows with a potent, joyful rhythmic vibe. «Austin Vibes (tweaked by Karl Hjalmar Nyberg)» reflects the organic incorporation of noisy electronics into the rhythmic, free jazz aesthetics of (Exit) Knarr.
Drops is a great album that guarantees many repeated, insightful listening experiences.
Eyal Hareuveni
Amalie Dahl (alto saxophone), Karl Hjalmar Nyberg (tenor saxophone, electronics), Marta Warelis (piano, electronics), Jonathan F. Horne (guitar), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (double bass), Olaf Olsen (drums), Mette Rasmussen (alto saxophone), Veslemøy Narvesen (drums)
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