Artist : Arve Henriksen
Title : Cartography
Genre : Jazz / Ambient
Year : 2008
Date : 11/2008
Bitrate : VBR kbps
Tracks : 12
Label : ECM Records 2086
Source : CDDA
Encoder : Lame 3.97
Length : 51:20 min
Size : 57,2 MB
Tracklist:
----------
01.poverty and its opposite 05:36
02.before and afterlife 06:43
03.migration 05:42
04.from birth 02:45
05.ouija 02:41
06.recording angel 06:23
07.assembly 03:56
08.loved one 04:05
09.the unremarkable child 02:04
10.famine's ghost 04:28
11.thermal 02:28
12.sorrow and its opposite 04:29
-------
51:20 min
While Arve Henriksen has been one of the foremost
stars on the Rune Grammofon roster, his work for
ECM has always been as a supporting player, making
especially notable contributions to recordings by
Christian Wallumrod, Trygve Seim and Frode Haltli
(whose 2007 album Passing Images might reasonably
be regarded as a largely overlooked masterpiece).
Cartography marks a departure for Henriksen, not only
from his home on Rune Grammofon, but from the
manner in which his previous solo albums have been
recorded. Cartography features a more pronounced
electronic presence, thanks to the contributions of
sample hound and producer Jan Bang, who replaces
Deathprod as the main collaborator on the record,
weaving grainy, textured orchestral excerpts into the
stirringly beautiful 'The Unremarkable Child' and
electronically organising the vocal contribution of the
Trio Mediaeval on 'Recording Angel'.
One thing Henriksen retains from his previous full-
lengths is a richness of sonic backdrop over which
he casts his unique "singing trumpet" lines.
There's an underlying bedrock of melancholy, ambient
details and fleeting incidental sounds, but whereas the
likes of Chiaroscuro and Strjon where rather delicate
affairs - teetering on new age territory during certain
passages - Cartography feels like a much more
rigorous, deliberately forward-thinking piece of work.
Henriksen even applies some of the improvisational
discipline he's accumulated from his pursuits as part
of Supersilent, laying down two live tracks: 'Poverty
And Its Opposite' and 'Famine's Ghost'. Certain
sequences of the latter feature synthesizer lines from
his Supersilent bandmate Stale Storlokken, who helps
the ever-present Bang populate the atmosphere with
vaporous electronic textures. Another recurring
collaborator shows up in the form of David Sylvian,
who recites his own poetry over 'Before And Afterlife'
and 'Thermal' - his quietly authoritative delivery matching
the tone of the album perfectly. A marvelous album,
and one that preserves all the elements that made
Henriksen's earlier solo work so compelling, whilst still
moving his craft into new directions.
Buy it.
http://www.ecmrecords.com
http://www.arvehenriksen.no/