The Norwegian band Møster! was founded ten years ago thanks to a commission for the 2010 edition of the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, but soon has turned into a touring band. «Dust Breathing» is the fifth album of this band and realizes best its unique blend of massive doom-prog-jazz sound tied with irresistible rhythmic energy. The band still consists of primus motor and reeds player Kjetil Møster, who also plays in The End, guitarist Hans Magnus ‘Snah’ Ryan from Motorpsycho, bassist Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen from Elephant9, and drummer Kenneth Kapstad, ex-Motorpsycho.
«Dust Breathing» opens with the 14-minutes of the addictive and meditative «The Bonfire, The Sun», with Møster on the clarinet, improvising on a folkish melodic theme, totally possessed by the ecstatic melody, while ‘Snah’, Hængsle Eilertsen and Kapstad methodically and patiently intensify the massive, rhythmic pulse. Mid-piece it turns wilder and sucked into the hazy stratosphere as Møster switches to sax and adds electronics and ‘Snah’ and Hængsle Eilertsen spin the melody with their solos. The short «Waistful Tendensities’» is a super-fast and brutal attack, based on raw, primitive riffs but with a charismatic sax solo of Møster. ‘Snah’ introduces the following, lyrical «Ausculptation», and explores this contemplative melody with Møster.
The three-part suite «Organ of Bodies» rolls over us like a monumental, dramatic prog-jazz exploration. The first part «Brightness» suggests a mysterious, kind of dooms-day electronic drone, but lays the foundations for the second part «Tentactility». Here Møster! delivers its unique grandiose and complex prog-jazz essence, including with vintage synth sounds but also a spirited sax solo of Møster, an atmospheric guitar solo of ‘Snah’, and, obviously, another massive showcase of the rhythm section. The last part «Palpatience» ties together all the diverse and genre-jumping inspirations of Møster! in a surprising organic manner that makes great sense, full of expressive power and tons of fun.
Eyal Hareuveni
Kjetil Møster (ts, bs, cl, elec, perc), Hans Magnus Ryan (g, elec), Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen (b, elec), Kenneth Kapstad (dr, perc)
