Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey

…the whole album seems to combine his distinctive and mysterious sound palette with more rumbustious guitar work – the space age imagery of ‘Inbound’ that has extra terrestrial sounds swimming... — Jazzwise, November 2021, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 24th Sep 2021
Catalogue No: 3779392
Label: Jazzland

Jazzwise

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November 2021
Presto Recording of the Week

29th October 2021
Presto Recordings of the Year

Finalist 2021

Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey

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Interview, Eivind Aarset on classic rock influences and 'Phantasmagoria'

23rd November 2021

We spoke to the Norwegian guitarist about his latest album Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey, his early rock influences and how he keeps himself inspired.

Recording of the Week, Eivind Aarset 4tet, 'Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey'

29th October 2021

On his ninth full-length record, Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset combines influences from ambient music, Nordic jazz and hard rock to spellbinding effect.

'Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey' by the Eivind Aarset 4tet, features Eivind Aarset, Wetle Holte, Erland Dahlen and Audun Erlien. The album is no departure in terms of the compositional quality contained therein, as it remains gold standard. But sonically and texturally? This album features more traditional guitar sounds and techniques than can be found on almost all of his previous albums taken together, while still incorporating his signature tonal manipulations that render the guitar sound into almost unrecognisable forms.

The album traverses the full gamut of the instrument's tonal possibilities, from Joe Pass tones to ambient textural soundbeds, from blistering shredding to controlled noise and signal. The line-up is augmented by Jan Bang and John Derek Bishop on several tracks, and Arve Henriksen on one.

The compositions by turns can be straightforward instrumentals with a heavy groove, rhapsodic tone poems, quasi-ambient jazz, expressionistic campaigns of sonic annihilation, delicate variations and improvisational explorations built upon melody and harmony, and, not infrequently, a combination of any or all of the above.

Reviews

November 2021

…the whole album seems to combine his distinctive and mysterious sound palette with more rumbustious guitar work – the space age imagery of ‘Inbound’ that has extra terrestrial sounds swimming through the mix, while ‘Outbound’ is a boogie from beyond the final frontier.

29th October 2021

Like much of the Norwegian jazz ilk with harder-rocking tendencies, Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey also shares rock’s accessibility, and makes for a fun, listenable record even despite some of Aarset’s oddball tendencies. Despite this, the quartet’s well-honed jazz sensibilities keep the tunes loose and free, facilitating plenty of exciting spontaneous moments throughout.

Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey

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Interview, Eivind Aarset on classic rock influences and 'Phantasmagoria'

Recording of the Week, Eivind Aarset 4tet, 'Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey'

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Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey

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