reviews

LEKVERK

LIVE

From the Allaboutjazz.com article Norwegian Jazz 101a: Jazznorway in a Nutshell 2009, which covered the Nattjazz festival in Bergen.

"With drummer Jon Fält clearly someone to watch with the Bobo Stenson Trio, and given his penchant for injecting a certain element of humor into the trio's music, it was no surprise to discover that his own group, the collective Lekverk, took that rife sense of humor even further. While the trio—also featuring pianist Adam Forkelid and bassist/primary spokesperson Putte Frick-Meijer Johander—mixed a curious combination of near-slapstick humor and unmistakable musicianship on its debut, 21st Century Jump (Parallell, 2008), live the group took its comic sensibilities much further.

While some of its antics might be considered over the top, the fact is that the trio communicated on a deep level; so deep, in fact, that it was able to stop on a dime and go to unexpected, spontaneous flights of crazy dialog and instrumental silliness—with Fält a commanding presence as he took an already warped and broken cymbal, attempting to tear a strip off it and, ultimately, using that strip as an alternate texture.

The trio veered into free territory, but with the kind of absurd slapdashery that was equal parts multi-instrumentalist Han Bennink and Buster Keaton. Forkelid might start a tune with a repeated low-end note on his piano only to be stopped by Fält, who would take a cymbal, place it on his head and pretend to be deep in prayer...but only for a moment, before the entire group would break down in laughter and then suddenly coalesce into a structured tune like the staggered pulse of "Var Inte Rä Nu," where a broad, intervallic piano line acted as the basis for a solo from Johander that demonstrated abilities far beyond those of simply a crazed comedian.

While Lekverk's music seemed to be almost pieced together as an afterthought, it became clear, as the 90-minute set progressed, that there was far more consideration at play. Groove mixed with individual and collective free play to create a curious musical mix where structure veered onto a collision course with freedom steeped in multiple, self-evident traditions, even when brought together in such unusual combinations as to seem, on the surface, incongruous. Johander, Forkelid and Fält worked to create both unified and disparate sounds that made Lekverk's performance another high point of the festival."

John Kelman, Allaboutjazz.com

LEKVERK

ALBUM: 21ST CENTURY JUMP

“Debuten ‘21st century jump’ låter just lekfull. Inte flamsig eller fånig, men intensiv, engagerad och oförvägen.”

“En kvick, effektiv form av akustisk jazz utan uppenbara, stilistiska begränsningar. Ofta har de en tydlig melodi eller återkommande figurer som de liksom pepprar från olika håll och kanter. Det är ett sätt att spela som, får jag för mig, skulle kunna liknas vid att skulptera med vassa verktyg i ett hårt material.”

“Ett band man bara måste få se live.”

4 av 5

JOHANNES CORNELL, Dagens nyheter

“Gruppens musikdebut på skiva är ett stycke övning i ny svensk jazz, den som tagit avstamp i den tredje svenska jazzvågen men lånat in influenser från en mängd håll och format den efter egna lustmusikaliska principer. Ingen skiva denna höst har gjort mig så glad som Lekverks 21st Century jump. Den är ett glatt skutt upp på en ny njutbar nivå, fullt seriös jazz men ytterligt lekfull och nyskapande.”

5 av 5

STEFAN NILSON, Nerikes allehanda

LEKVERK

Obunden triojazz
"Jan Johansson tassar genom rummet. Lekverk har tagit till sig hans lekfullt avspända attityd. Här finns nyfiket lyssnande, alla får plats, inget flams."
"Musiken svänger utan brådska och är ändå på väg."
"Ibland dröjer Adam Forkelids finger ett halvt ögonblick med nedslaget, eller så dyker en oväntad ton upp, småsaker som gör det till en njutning att lyssna."
Lira gillar
LEIF CARLSSON, Lira

“Det är en grupp som skapar sina egna regler. Kompositionerna är smart arrangerade och kan leda vart som som helst. På den vackra Som om ingenting hade hänt, väntar man sig ett vanligt jazzsolo efter melodipresentationen, men istället stannar allt upp. Musikerna övergår till ett stillsamt ljudplockande på instrumenten, ...”
“Precis som arrangemangen är också layouten (helt i vitt) genomtänkt och kul. De tre jazzlejonen har till fotograferingen klätts upp i vita skjortor och kalasbyxor. En anslående syn. Lekverk piggar upp den svenska jazzen.”
JÖRGEN ÖSTBERG, Orkesterjournalen

LEKVERK

En trio värd att upptäcka
“Samarbetsåren har de använt till att arbeta fram en utpräglad egen identitet, men alldeles utan krampaktigt effektsökeri för tom originalitets skull och utan att ängsligt luta sig mot tidsbundet mode. En lyssnande lekfullhet med kunnande och intuition för varandras intentioner som botten ger utgångsläge för tämligen hisnande resor. Lyssna på hur ett minimalistiskt, enkelt tema i Var inte rädd nu växer till harmonisk komplexitet så förstår ni vad jag menar.”
“Jag hoppas att många gör sig tjänsten att upptäcka den här trion.”
JOHNNY OLSSON, Nya Wermlandstidningen

LEKVERK

Melodiska rytmer
“Jag tycker mycket om att lyssna på 21st Century Jump. Det är en rik skiva som lyckas vara både direkt och komplex. Den är lätt att fastna i, men svår att ta sig ur.”
8 av 10
PATRIK HAMBERG, Dagensskiva.com

LEKVERK

Illersprallig rastlöshet
"Här finns långa stunder av melodiös harmoni där envisa meloditeman skyfflas runt av Adam Forkelids piano med Putte Frick-Meijer Johanders bas som stadigt skelett. Men oron är större än vilan och trummas fram av slagverkaren Jon Fälts illerspralliga rastlöshet. Skenbart slarvigt knatter, slamrar och stör utan att bas och piano egentligen bryr sig.
Lekverk spelar lattjolajbansjazz med allvarliga intentioner."
4 av 5
LARS ÅBOM, Östgöta Correnspondenten

LEKVERK

Svensk trio nytænker traditionen
“Lekverk er en ung svensk trio, der som et hold intellektuelle møgunger giver pokker i opdragelsen og splitter jazztraditionen ad. Om ikke i atomer, så i klart klingende molekyler.”
“Albummet er hvidt og stilbevidst.”
“ ‘21st Century Jump’ er et begavet nyt skandinavisk jazzinitiativ, der nytænker traditionen.”
4 av 6
THOMAS MICHELSEN, Politiken (Danmark)

LEKVERK

"Lekverk er på alle slags vis et kollektiv-her spilles det kor hele tida fra alle kanter uten at det er i naerheten av å bli kaotisk. Vi har med tre svaert lyttende unge herrer å gjöre som responderer umiddelbart når det er på sin plass og som legger av når det er ”riktig”.
Tre sentrale stikkord for denne innspillinga er gode melodier, spennende musikk rytmisk og en forbilledlig bruk av dynamiske virkemidler. "
TOR HAMMERÖ, Jazznytt (Norge)

PELOTON “Selected Recordings”

“ Peloton refuses to be pinned down by genre.” “..create their own sound: a groovy space-age jazz with the simultaneously futuristic and anachronistic Moog taking a crucial role in the band's architecture of sound. What matters is also that the band not only manages to combine the different sounds into a whole but also slides convincingly between moods, thus being able to shift from the energetic groove and soaring trumpet of "Nozal" to the ethereal, low-key ballad "Munoz."

Normally, a title like Selected Recordings would be reserved for a retrospective album that gathers the best of an artist into a convenient package. This album is also a "best of" but it is of a different sort. Peloton are at the beginning stages of their career yet they're already making the sounds that define them as artists. Thus, this is an album that both looks back and ahead. If Selected Recordings is a sign of things to come then there is reason to be thrilled about the future.”

Jakob Baekgaard, All About Jazz - New York

"Selected Recordings" barely sounds like free improvisation, but like compositions with well thought-out and sensitive arrangements. Peloton do not try to extend the sedate borders, but they freely move in the tension field of the jazz of the past 50 years.”” With Peloton Petter Vågan plays the guitar. Besides, he is reserved enormously and shows an astonishing feel for atmosphere and sound variety. Also in his solo works a musician steps with him by days who searches the sounds "in his instrument.” “it is also the precise choice which makes this album so exceedingly stimulating.

Michael Freerix, Jazzdimensions - Germany

“All five much good ones, but to hit are the nature and the audacity with which they succeed to make use to a thus wide public a opened idea, free and pregnant of improvisation. Of this collective one commonly says that they are discarding completely from the roles of accompanists and soloists, typical of the game of the roles in the jazz. And it is true. But it is also true that the innovation does not reside as well as in this, but also in the way in which the instruments often changes roles.”

Luca Vitali, All About Jazz - Italy

“Their music makes you curious for more, it’s constantly changing in expressions, the horns often running together, exciting use of instruments, everything from the lyrical to the expressive. This music is constantly changing and is this autumns jazz-surprise”.

Roald Helgheim, Dagsavisen - Norway

“This record sounds like a fresh breath in the spot between melody, free-jazz and free-improvisation, caused much by Nickelsen, who has let down the B3 in favor of the Arp, Oberheim and Moog synthesizers, and fills the music with strange chords and deep low end. The two horns also make positive impressions both together and as soloists. Guitarist Vågans guitar, also including lap steel guitar, and Nylanders drumming both contributes to giving Peloton a strong recognizable voice, making “Selected Recordings” a noteworthy debut.”

Terje Mosnes, Dagbladet - Norway