atomic – pet variations

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pet variations: an jazz-album by the band atomic.

recorded at athletic sound by dag erik johansen on may 8th & 9th 2018.

mixed by alexis baskind.

mastered by morgan nicolaysen at propeller mastering.

produced by atomic. executive producer andreas risanger meland. sleeve design by nick alexander.

label: odin records

lineup

fredrik ljungkvist – tenor and baritone saxophon, clarinet
magnus broo – trompet
håvard wiik – piano
ingebrigt håker flaten – bass
hans hulbœkmo – drums

critique

“when they formed in 2000, norwegian/swedish group atomic, distanced themselves from the frosty ecm sound that dominated scandinavian jazz at the time. instead, they turned to the american free-jazz tradition and to modernist classical music for their sources of inspiration. their 14th release is an album of imaginative covers that pays tribute to those influences and more. it features just one original composition, the rough-and-tumble title-track which sets up ‘pet sounds’, a bright and breezy tune by the beach boys’ brian wilson. it’s a gleefully incongruous start and it introduces a varied collection of tracks. steve lacy’s ‘art’ brings eastern modes and spools of neo-classical piano. messiaen’s ‘louange à l’éternité de jésus’ is deeply emotional, with shadowy harmonies, tolling piano chords and beautiful shifts in dynamic and intensity. and alexander von schlippenbach’s ‘inri’ is urgent and ensnared in the loose-yet-intricate unison melodies that atomic seem to specialise in. the bruised blues of jimmy giuffre’s ‘cry want’, centred around an entrancing clarinet feature for ljungkvist, is another standout moment.”

thomas rees, jazzwise

atomic – pet variation tracklist

1. pet variations / pet sounds (brian wilson / håvard wiik)
2. art (steve lacy)
3. walking woman (carla bley)
4. un grand sommeil noir (edgard varèse)
5. cry want (jimmy giuffre)
6. louange à l’éternité de jésus (olivier messiaen)
7. inri (alexander von schlippenbach)
8. karin’s mode (jan garbarek)