Eivind Aarset: Phantasmagoria (2LP)

Ambient, post-rock and beat-heavy jazz from Norway's most exciting guitarist: this is what jazz fans can expect on "Phantasmagoria", the new album by the Eivind Aarset 4-tet. On "Phantasmagoria" the 60-year-old musician goes wild together with a terrific band and strong guests. Aarset is joined here by drummers and percussionist Wetle Holte and Erland Dahlen, and bassist and guitarist Audun Erlien. All are from Norway as well. The quartet is joined by longtime collaborator, Norwegian musician, DJ and sampling specialist Jan Bang and electro artist John Derek Bishop aka Tortusa on several tracks and trumpeter Arve Henriksen on one track. Nine tracks await on "Phantasmagoria", on which, according to the description, more traditional guitar sounds and techniques can be found than on almost all of his previous albums combined, while Aarset still used his typical sound manipulations that bring the guitar sound into almost unrecognizable forms. And so the album runs the gamut of the instrument's sonic possibilities, from Joe-pass sounds to atmospheric sonic tapestries, from rapid shredding to controlled noise and signal If you want to see for yourself, you can easily order "Phantasmagoria" online now, as CD and double LP au 180-g vinyl Eivind Aarset started his music career as a guitarist in a heavy metal band before discovering his love for jazz. His debut album "Électronique Noire" was released in 1998 on Bugge Wesseltoft's label Jazzland Records. By this time, however, Aarset had already worked on more than 150 jazz albums, including albums by renowned artists such as Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ute Lemper, Ketil Bjørnstad, Django Bates and Rebekka Bakken. He also gained fame through his collaboration with the Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær. His new album "Phantasmagoria" is the follow-up to "Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes" together with Jan Bang from 2020.