Heaven Hill Fragmentarium is a new Norwegian trio based in Trondheim and initiated and led by the young baritone guitarist Nicolas Leirtrø (who is also a double bass player), known from the bands I Like to Sleep, TEIP Trio and Noize R Us, and two heroes – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on electric bass and electronics, and Ståle Storløkken on synthesizers, Hammond organ and electronics. Håker Flaten and Storløkken collaborated recently on the album of Krokofant trio, Q and Fifth, Rune Grammofon, 2019 and 2021 and before on Sky Music: A Tribute To Terje Rypdal, Rune Grammofon, 2017. The trio recorded its debut album at Heaven Hill Studio in Selsbakk in February 2022, and it is released by Håker Flaten’s Sonic Transmissions which also released the debut album of Leirtrø’s TEIP Trio.
The music of Heaven Hill Fragmentarium is freely improvised but considering the experience, resourcefulness and imaginations of Leirtrø, Håker Flaten and Storløkken it has a strong sense of composition and story-like narratives and instant composition. The unorthodox and unique instrumentation and sonic palette, augmented with massive usage of electronics, enhances the restless and powerful dynamics with otherworldly, noisy atmospherics, or as the trio calls it: «stories sewn together by fragments of bubble jackets, space travels, garden parties and ancient balloons».
Leirtrø, Håker Flaten and Storløkken create their very own spontaneous and intuitive sound universes that flirt, blend deconstruct and reconstruct rhythmic motifs and melodies that may be associated with space-prog-rock, post-rock, noise, Sun Ra’s school of space jazz and industrial music, and often it is impossible to tell who makes what with these intriguing sounds. This fresh and bold take on free improvised music, sometimes even monstrous but always arresting, flows beautifully and surprisingly organically and calls for more such highly productive meetings of this trio.
Eyal Hareuveni
Nicolas Leirtrø (bar.g, elec), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (el.b, elec), Ståle Storløkken (synth, Hammond organ, elec)
