Although Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen’s
debut album, Sakuteiki,
was released in 2001, his career already stretches well
over fifteen years. Having studied at the Trondheim
Conservatory in the second half of the eighties, Henriksen
went on to perform with artists as diverse as Trygve
Seim, Nils Petter Molvær, Stian Carstensen, Marc
Ducret, Motorpsycho or koto player Satsuki Odamura.
Henriksen is also a founding member of avant-garde jazz
formation Supersilent
and the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, and was,
until recently, part of Iain Ballamy’s Food,
which whom he released three albums.
Over the years Henriksen has developed an interest for
various cultures, leading him to adopt traditional instruments
such as the koto, the biwa, a Japanese lute, and the
Shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute. The latter
served as the basis for Henriksen’s debut solo
album, Sakuteiki,
released on Rune Grammofon in 2001. Entirely recorded
on locations around Oslo, including churches and museums,
this album was giving a prominent space to Henriksen’s
artistry, only supported by discreet electronics provided
by fellow Supersilent
member Helge Sten, aka Deathprod.
With this second opus, which takes its name from the
Italian word for light and shade and refers to a technique
used both in photography and moving images, Henriksen
collaborates with drummer and percussionist Audun Kleive
and sampling artist Jan Bang to create a more complex
piece of work. This time recorded in a variety of venues
across Norway in concert conditions, the recordings
were then taken back to the studio and mixed by Bang
and Erik Honoré. Retaining the ethereal nature
of its predecessor, Chiaroscuro gives Henriksen
the opportunity to once again experiment on his own
terms. Sometimes reminiscent of Supersilent’s
more atmospheric moments, this album also hints at more
obscure emotions, partly encapsulated in Henriksen’s
sung melodies and falsetto voice. Often evoking religious
incantations, these vocal layers appear as the human
continuation of the trumpet and define some new spaces
for his music to flourish. Yet it is the trumpet that
features at the heart of this record. Henriksen’s
visionary approach to his instrument allows him to generate
impressive sounds, which, once treated, constitute the
organic nucleus around which Bang’s electronics
and Kleive’s percussions define structures for
the melodies to develop. This results in Chiaroscuro
being at once more intricate and more robust than its
predecessor. One of the most talented musicians of his
generation, Arve Henriksen creates here a stunning series
of superbly crafted vignette. A true innovator, he takes
his sound further into uncharted territories and constantly
redefines the musical scope in which he evolves. Unmissable.
4.7/5 |
