Recording of the Week, Nils Petter Molvær & Norwegian Radio Orchestra - Certainty of Tides

As far as European nations go, Norway knows how to breed its cultural innovators. Whether we’re disputing the neurotic expressionism of Edvard Munch, the bone-dry psychodramas of Henrik Ibsen or the ephemeral synth-pop of the leather-clad A-ha, it has to be said that this corner of Scandinavia contains one of the world's most inspired realms of artistry. But for the Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, the notion of creativity is still very much an alive and abstract concept, forever waiting to be unpicked. Though already in his early sixties, the musician, whose appearance at live shows may best be described as a concentrated middle-aged man straddling a stool (with nothing more in terms of gimmickry than a sullen visage and an elevated laptop by his side) is very much aware of the unfound aesthetic possibilities and challenges that lie ahead of him.

It is perhaps for this reason that Molvær has chosen to look to the past for the occasion of his newest album. A half-hour chronicle of six expansive mood pieces, his latest release, Certainty of Tides, is a symphonic reimagining of some of the personal highlights from his career. For an album in which lead soloist and ensemble share as vital a role as one another, this record flows in a kindred direction to other conceptually similar works such as Promises (2021), the ethereal orchestral-electronic collaboration between Pharoah Sanders, Floating Points and the LSO; not to mention the sprawling spoken-word masterpiece I Trawl The Megahertz (2003/2019) from sophisti-pop pioneer Paddy McAlhoon of Prefab Sprout. All three of the above could be regarded, in their own ways, as therapeutic.

It is not enough for an artist to depict shimmering strings, languid harmonies and a seemingly liberated absence of rhythm and metre in order for their work to be deemed ‘spiritual’. However, what these three works all achieve on their own merits is the exceptional poise of the artists leading them: their empathy, compassion and absolute understanding of what they are working to achieve in the first place. It is this sense of purpose which underlines Certainty of Tides, as was made clear back in 2020 when Molvær invited several composers to rearrange his best-loved compositions. Upon showing the results to electronics guru Jan Bang, the producer was ultimately dissatisfied with what he heard, deeming the result too cramped and intimate for the product he had in mind. Then came the idea to remaster the original recordings from seventy six individual speakers (one for each player of the orchestra), mirroring the symphonic layout of the original ensemble. Upon taking to the auditorium of the Kilden Performing Arts Centre, Odderøya, the work you hear was successfully re-amped then re-recorded within a state-of-the-art acoustic environment. 

Under the baton of Ingar Berby, It is clear that Molvær and his collaborators here take great pleasure in the time spent concocting these arrestingly evocative tone poems. With Bang having employed the talents of two of his students from the University of Agder (Kristian Isachsen and Even Frodesen Rosstad) to contribute glimpses of their own computerised tastes, the finished result is an astounding piece of work; one entirely greater than the sum of its parts. An exercise in economy, shadowy pulsations thrum about the place while Molvær’s sly tones guide us confidently through a series of unknowable landscapes – further opening himself up with an elaborately simple yet inviting sound with every passing phrase. 

Emerging out of the misty horizon with a spine-tingling shudder, it’s not long before opener ‘Maja’ (a reworking of ‘Little Indian’, an NP3 trip-hop track from 2002) churns to life; its orchestrations perk up with the heft of a slowly awakening mountain, before giving way to similarly shattering clusters of miscellaneous notes. Elsewhere, the throbbing heartbeat of ‘On Stream’ is accompanied by aquatic knocks and bumps, followed by a merry sensation of dance-like discussion felt throughout the orchestra. Woodwind and brass graze playfully whilst their heavier low-pitched counterparts provide the necessary propulsion for an unfolding tug-of-war between leader and his accompanists. Just listen as ‘Simply So’ combusts in a dynamic foray of shadows and light before dying away into the exact same nothingness we encountered not long before.

Having seemingly reinvigorated himself through this project, Molvær continues to expand in every direction at once. With a list of previous collaborations as long as your arm, he has often been regarded as an imaginative musician at the forefront of his field. As he continues to contribute his icy soundscapes to the wider world, he emanates a dire feeling of the need to express himself clearly, even if that means setting off without a destination. It’s the journey that counts for Molvær, and this new album is quite the saga.