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CD
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RCD 2189CD
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On their third album in just three years, Krokofant typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping the Nordic region: hard-boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms. Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early '70s jazz rock (think Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, and the fierce heat of John Zorn or Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles. The group was properly born during the sessions at the proudly analog Engfelt & Forsgren Studio that led to their self-titled debut released on Rune Grammofon in 2014 (RCD 2154CD/RLP3154LP). This studio, with Christian Engfelt in charge of recording and mixing, has proved perfect for capturing the essence of a group like Krokofant, so it was only natural that they went back for the second album (RCD 2177CD/RLP3177LP, 2015) and now their third with Engfelt. Real musicians captured playing together in real time, you simply can´t beat that when it comes to this kind of music. Krokofant are the trio of: Axel Skalstad, Jørgen Mathisen, and Tom Hasslan.
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LP
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RLP 3189LP
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LP version. On their third album in just three years, Krokofant typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping the Nordic region: hard-boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms. Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early '70s jazz rock (think Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, and the fierce heat of John Zorn or Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles. The group was properly born during the sessions at the proudly analog Engfelt & Forsgren Studio that led to their self-titled debut released on Rune Grammofon in 2014 (RCD 2154CD/RLP3154LP). This studio, with Christian Engfelt in charge of recording and mixing, has proved perfect for capturing the essence of a group like Krokofant, so it was only natural that they went back for the second album (RCD 2177CD/RLP3177LP, 2015) and now their third with Engfelt. Real musicians captured playing together in real time, you simply can´t beat that when it comes to this kind of music. Krokofant are the trio of: Axel Skalstad, Jørgen Mathisen, and Tom Hasslan.
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LP+CD
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RLP 3177LP
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LP version. Includes CD. First pressing of 500.
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CD
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RCD 2177CD
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This young, semi-improvising power trio -- Tom Hasslan (guitars), Axel Skalstad (drums), and Jørgen Mathisen (saxophone) -- typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping across the Nordic region: hard boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms. Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding like some unholy three-way marriage of early '70s jazz rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal, Ray Russell), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Henry Cow, and the fierce heat of Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles. If their 2014 self-titled debut (RCD 2154CD/RLP 3154LP) was a fresh breath of youthful energy, this follow-up shows a trio very confident in their abilities. They ally a strong discipline with wide, exploratory arcs; Hasslan's agile guitar and Mathisen's snaking sax are always fighting to break out, just held in check by Skalstad's tough, rhythmic tumble. Only 22 years old at the time of this release, the young drummer is something of a sensation, combining pure energy with superior technical skills. This is a trio in which you can hear the individuals pushing each other to new heights while keeping the solid group foundation intact. Originally performing as a guitar-and-drums duo, Hasslan and Skalstad met at a guitar shop in Kongsberg, a town in southern Norway famous for its annual jazz festival, where they developed a strong bond playing free music together. In 2012 they hooked up with Mathisen, who already had a reputation in musical circles after playing in groups like The Core and Zanussi Five. When the duo eventually decided to try to capture their unruly sound at the proudly analog Engfelt & Forsgren Studio in Oslo, they invited Mathisen to join them, and the group was properly born during the sessions that led to their self-titled debut. This studio, with Christian Engfelt in charge of recording and mixing, has proved perfect for capturing the essence of a group like Krokofant, so it was only natural that they went back for the second album. Real musicians captured playing together in real time -- you simply can't beat that when it comes to this kind of music!
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CD
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RCD 2154CD
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Cross-breed a crocodile and an elephant and you might end up with an ungodly hybrid: a Krokofant. Familiar to Norwegians from a popular kids' song, a real life Krokofant would be a lumbering, trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of teeth in its snapping jaws. Which pretty much sums up the music made by the Krokofant trio on their debut LP for Rune Grammofon. The young, semi-improvising power trio -- Tom Hasslan (guitars), Axel Skalstad (drums) and Jørgen Mathisen (saxophone) -- typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping across the Nordic region: hard boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms. Live, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early '70s jazz rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal, Ray Russell), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Henry Cow, and the fierce heat of Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles. Originally a guitar and drums duo, Tom and Axel met at a guitar shop in Kongsberg, a town in southern Norway famous for its annual jazz festival, where they developed a strong bond playing free music together. In 2012 they hooked up with saxophonist Jørgen, who already had a reputation in musical circles after playing in groups like Shagma, The Core, and Zanussi Five. When the duo eventually decided to capture their unruly sound at the proudly analog Engfelt & Forsgren Studio in Oslo, they invited Jørgen to join them, and the group was properly born during the sessions you can now hear on Krokofant. They ally a strong discipline (check the precision riffing of the intro to "Supermann") with wide, exploratory arcs (the closing, balladic epic, "Castaway"). Tom's agile guitar and Jørgen's snaking sax are always fighting to break out, just held in check by Axel's tough, rhythmic tumble (which gets almost funky on "Bodega"). "Our mission: more prog to the people!" says Tom. "Or having a good time playing what feels right in the moment." Krokofant: once bitten, never forgotten.
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LP+CD
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RLP 3154LP
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