★Rune Grammofon
As Good As It Gets
LP version. The combination of Espen Eriksen Trio and UK saxophone giant Andy Sheppard is truly a match made in jazz heaven, and in the words of Andy: "I knew from the first time I heard the trio play that I would fit right in. I loved the melodic sense and vibe and was thrilled when I was invited to guest with the trio in London in 2016." The common conclusion drawn in reviews of their first album Perfectly Unhappy was simply "more, please," and now Rune Grammofon is delighted to introduce As G…
Silver Mountain
It´s not often a "jazz" band take the big step from the club scene to a 1300 capacity rock venue like Oslo´s Rockefeller. But then again, Elephant9 is not your ordinary jazz band, often being named as Norway´s best live band - surely quite rare for an instrumental band - they are equally popular in jazz and rock circles. Here Elephant9 once again join forces with Reine Fiske - who brings another dimension to the band - for an epic slice of mindblowing modern rock´n´jazz prog psychedelia. The cor…
Dodovoodoo
Black vinyl reissue limited to 300 copies. Gatefold sleeve. Already a firm live favorite on the Norwegian scene for a couple of years due to a handful of highly energetic and very enthusiastically received concerts, the trio of Ståle Storløkken (Supersilent, Humcrush), Nikolai Eilertsen (The National Bank) and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums finally deliver their debut album. Ståle Storløkken is widely considered to be the most inventive and musically creative keyboard player to spring out o…
Arrival Of The New Elders
LP version. After a solid run of five studio albums and 2019's two double live albums, Psychedelic Backfire I and II, Elephant9 had taken their groovy mix of high energy rock and power jazz as far as they could. In this respect, Arrival Of The New Elders comes as a welcome and most timely addition to their recorded output. More varied, mature and reflective, don't let the self-ironic (?) title mislead you, they are as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented, with the longest tr…
Atlantis
2024 Stock. On their fourth album, counting the limited vinyl-only Live At The BBC (RLP 2118LP), Elephant9 join forces with Reine Fiske, the quite excellent Swedish guitarist from Dungen, The Amazing and Träd, Gräs och Stenar, for yet another heavy slice of mindblowing modern rock'n'jazz psychedelia. Writers have called upon names like Tony Williams´ Lifetime, Deep Purple, Brian Auger and early '70s Miles Davis to describe Elephant9's music, pointing to the fact that they are comfortable in both…
Catching Fire
"Elephant9 established their reputation as a live powerhouse well before their album debut in 2008 and have since released six more studio albums as well as the two double live albums in 2019, Psychedelic Backfire I and II, the latter with guest guitarist Reine Fiske, whose favourite guitarist happened to be Terje Rypdal. With both albums out of print, Catching Fire is a most welcome addition to their discography. Recorded at a remarkable concert from 2017 in Oslo, Rypdal would turn 70 later in …
Mythical River
*300 copies limited edition* Their previous album Arrival of The New Elders presented a more varied and reflective trio, still as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented, earning them a 9/10 review in Uncut and a spot in their albums of the year list, noting their telepathic communion and concluding with “this is an Elephant9 you´ll never forget”. Reviews in Jazzwise, Shindig, Prog, Electronic Sound, The Quietus and several others followed in the same fashion. We´re delighted t…
Electric
*2024 stock* Arne Nordheim is among Norway’s most important post-war composers, particularly among those working within the field of avant-garde electronic music. Nordheim studied studied Musique concrète in Paris during the mid 1950’s, expanding his practice in Holland toward electronics and synthesis during the end of that decade. Upon returning home, he embarked on a stunning body of work, stretching over the coming decades. The composer’s works in these fields are a marvel - standing with th…
Nordheim Transformed
*Stock 2024* When Rune Grammofon got going as a record label, one of their first projects was reissuing pioneering work by Norwegian artist Arne Nordheim, who dealt in some experimental works in the late 60s before developing a career as a composer. As a response of sorts from the next generation, Biosphere and Deathprod endeavoured to remix some of Nordheim's prescient pieces through their respective modern lenses. Originally released in 1998 and sounding as vital and inventive 25 years later, …
Testament
* Clear Vinyl edition * Fire! have always been about finding the essence by getting to the core of the music. Their 8th album sees the trio - for the first time on record - stripped down to the bare-bones essentials; with no flutes, no electronics, no guests and no extras, recorded live in the studio to analogue tape - the Steve Albini way - with the master himself at the controls in Electrical Audio in Chicago. Thus, this album stands as a true testament to the group´s expressive power and glow…
Free Jazz and Improvisation on Vinyl 1965-1985 (Book)
*2023 stock* Over the years the fantastic, genre-defying Norwegian label Rune Grammofon has published a few books mostly celebrating its own snazzy design aesthetic and rich history, but a gorgeous new volume by art historian Johannes Rød focuses more on the music and artifacts that have influenced label owner Rune Kristofferson, who penned one of the forwards for Free Jazz and Improvisation on Vinyl 1965-1985 (there’s a second one by notorious “discaholic” and reedist Mats Gustaffson). Rød deli…
Evil In Oslo
Evil in Oslo represents the Hedwig Mollestad Trio at a critical juncture in their musical development. It was released on the same day as their studio offering Black Stabat Mater. Though both are comprised of Mollestad compositions, they couldn't be more different. Black Stabat Mater is tighter, its musical terrain is more easily discerned as jazz-rock. Evil in Oslo is a different beast. Recorded in two clubs, its tracks feature jams from Mollestad's first three albums in four medleys. It's a si…
Maternity Beat
Rune Grammofon mainstay Hedvig Mollestad joins forces with legendary 12-piece Trondheim Jazz Orchestra on her latest prog-jazz-metal opus.
Salad Days Vol. 2
*2023 stock* "Motorpsycho's Salad Days vol. 2 includes the following titles, with all artwork recreated by from the very best available original sources and the music remastered from the original tapes where these were available: Mountain EP; Another Ugly EP; Live at Blitz '93 (LP); Demon Box (2LP)."
Salad Days Vol. 1
Tip! *2023 stock* If there's one thing the fans have been craving for when it comes to catalogue re-issues, this is surely it. It's simply incomprehensible that early Motorpsycho releases (except Demon Box) haven't been available on vinyl since they first came out some 30 years ago. Salad Days vol. 1 includes the following titles, with all artwork recreated by Håvard Gjelseth from the very best available original sources and the music remastered by Helge Sten from the original tapes where these…
Arrival
White double LP version. Their first two albums, Exit and Enter, were presented with sizable and ambitious line-ups of 28 musicians. Ritual saw it reduced to 21 and with Arrival it's been trimmed down to a "mere" 14, with the core trio of Fire! (Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin) and the two singers Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg being the only constant members since the beginning. Apart from this reduction, the main line-up difference is the introduction of a string qua…
Echoes
Mats Gustaffson and the Fire! Orchestra return with an album recorded in the company of Jim O'Rourke entitled Echoes and to be released on 14 April 2023 by Rune Grammofon. For the 14th anniversary the Fire! Orchestra presents itself with a gigantic line-up of 43 elements. Within the big band we also find the confirmation of singer Mariam Wallentin, as well as the addition of the voices of David Sandström and Joe McPhee (also present as tenor sax).
Echoes is a new chapter within the discography o…
Happy Village
LP version. Back in 2020, Kafé Hærverk, Oslo's live hotspot for a wide range of jazz and experimental music invited Master Oogway to do monthly concerts from August to December, bringing along a guest for each occasion. Two had to be moved to 2021 due to Covid restrictions, but the other three were recorded for possible use later. Initially, Rune Grammofon thought about doing a "best of" from all of the recordings, but after further listening it soon dawned on the label that the concert with Hen…
6
Supersilent have been a solid cornerstone in Rune Grammofon since the very beginning and are seen by many as representing the very essence of the label. From the monumental hardcore blizzard storms of 1-3 to the elegant electrojazz of 4 and the almost quiet soundscapes of 5, this new album is where the sum of all things Supersilent comes together in a shape of almost epic proportions. Like 1-3 and Scorch Trio, it was recorded at Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway. More than ever it appears clear t…
11
This is the eleventh release in the Supersilent series. These recordings are taken from the very fruitful sessions that resulted in Supersilent 8, but are no mere leftovers. Indeed, Supersilent 8 was originally scheduled as a triple release, but producer Deathprod (Helge Sten) finally decided to split it. This is also the first vinyl-only release from the band. Supersilent 8 was recorded during a five day studio session at Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway, the all-analog facility where other Run…