The young Norwegian trio ükya, is the first band that its album released by the Nakama label-musicians collective though it is not part of the collective. The trio features trombonist Emil Bø, guitarist Kristian Enkerud Lien (who plays acoustic baritoneg uitar ans is a member of Laupsa Lokomotiv sextet) and drummer Michael Lee Sørenmo. The debut album of ükya, We Come for an Experience of Presence, focuses, as its title tells, on free improvisation and was recorded in one studio day in April 2022 by Børge Fjordheim (the drummer of The End).

The six, untitled free-improvised pieces suggest the inclusive sonic vision of ükya, embracing elements and ideas from Korean traditional music, just intonation, European art music, minimalism, jazz and the British school of free improvisation. The spirit is restless and risk-taking, with a clear anti-virtuous approach to music. The pieces lean toward open-ended textures but with a rigorous organization of sound.

Obviously, Bø, Lien and Sørenmo employ an array of extended breathing, bowing, plucking and percussive techniques to expand their sonic palettes and explore the timbral possibilities of the acoustic instruments. The trio keeps a stimulating tension in improvisations like «One», «Two» and «Three» and develops, in slow-cooking manner, subtle dramatic narratives. But «Four» and «Six» introduce a delicate, lyrical touches while «Five» exhausts ükya’s full power.

We Come for an Experience of Presence testifies that ükya has found its idiosyncratic sound.

Eyal Hareuveni

Emil Bø (trombone), Kristian Enkerud Lien (guitar), Michael Lee Sørenmo (drums)