The Tronosonic Experience are a Norwegian 'punk jazz' act...at least that's what they call themselves. I'm having a hard time describing these guys to be honest. They certainly bring the jazz...I'm not so sure about the punk part of it, but to these ears, prog, hard rock, and avant-garde styles all seem to be present in their music. Hawkwind, Van Der Graaf Generator, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and King Crimson, just to name a few, pop up in my head while grooving to the music of this eclectic band, but, at the same time, they don't sound like any of these artists. This review is for their two brand new 2022 releases The Shadow Vol. 1 and The Shadow Vol. 2, both of which came out a short time from each other on Apollon Records, and also ironically after the tragic death of their founder and bass player Per Harald Ottesen, who died of cancer recently. Where this leaves the band as of this moment remains to be seen.
As for the music and the albums, I can highly recommend these to anyone looking for something a little bit different that doesn't neatly fit into any tidy categorization. Both albums are roughly 35 minutes long (not sure why they didn't just release this all as one CD?) and are all instrumental, featuring the line-up of Ottesen (bass, lap steel guitar, electronics), Ole Jorgen Bardal (tenor saxophone), Oyvind Nypan (guitar, baritone guitar, electronics and soundscapes), and Jan Inge Nilsen (drums and percussion). I love the heavy use of saxophone here, and Bardal reminds me of a young David Jackson from Van Der Graaf Generator with his thick, husky tones that are as much a lead vehicle as they are providing riffs. Nypan's guitar work is also quite good, jagged and angular (Robert Fripp anyone??), and these two guys go off into charts unknown over the rumbling, tumbling drums and nimble bass of Nilsen & Ottesen. Tracks to look out for include "Golden Comet", "The Last Stand", "The Shadow Of The New Praetorian", "Beehive", and the two part "Sheik".
Is it jazz? Is it punk jazz? Is it prog? Is it fusion? Is it space rock? Is it avant-garde? Well, yes, no, and perhaps all of the above. Bottom line, these two releases from The Tronosonic Experience are well worth your attention, whatever you ultimately decide to call them.
Track Listing
Vol. 1
- Sheik Pt. I 5:19
- Sheik Pt. II 0:32
- The Last Stand 6:24
- The Sunwatcher 1:44
- Golden Comet 7:28
- Totak 8:27
- Undertow 0:30
Vol. 2
- Undertow (Slight Return) 0:23
- The Shadow Of The New Praetorian 12:35
- Supernova 3:45
- Beehive 8:31
- Chiaroscuro 5:50
- Dunes 2:59
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