For over three decades, Norwegian trumpeter and composer Nils Petter Molvaer has stood as one of the most influential figures in European jazz. On Be Quiet, he continues to push the boundaries of his already remarkable body of work, collaborating with a different artist in a different location on each of the nine tracks.
Molvær is no stranger to bold concepts. Since first attracting attention through his work with Arild Andersen in Masqualero, his brand of Nordic restraint has carried him across musical boundaries, gaining acclaim in electronica, club music and jazz improvisation. His landmark album Khmer (1997) set his distinctive trumpet alongside beats and electronic walls of sound to open up the way for genre-fluid instrumental…
Tag Archive: Nils Petter Molvaer
Serious-minded Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær has long stood at the vanguard of eclectic, experimental music, defying preconceptions through immersive, genre-bending soundscapes with a heavy emphasis on groove and ambiance. His new album with his revitalized band Khmer is a modernist reinvention of older works — most drawn from the group’s landmark debut Khmer (ECM, 1997) — performed live in Bergen.
“Song of Sand” floods the speakers with a hip-hop beat and sampling. A trance-like bass groove supports Molvær’s relaxed trumpet lines, modulated with synth effects, before guitarist Eivind Aarset steps forward, weaving moody textures, exploratory lines, and noise-rock ambiances. “Platonic Years” opens with…