Supersilent is the collaborative project of trumpeter
Arve Henriksen,
keyboard player Ståle Storløkken, drummer
Jarle Vespestad and electronics man Helge Sten, better
known for his Deathprod
guise. 7 is the quartet’s latest, and, if the
rumours are to be believed, ultimate release.
True to the spirit of Supersilent, this album captures
the band in its most seminal state, that is, on stage.
Recorded live during a performance at Parktertret, Oslo,
in August 2004, 7 was filmed by Kim
Hiorthøy and friends on 16mm black and white
film, and later on edited by Hiorthøy,
who also provides the artwork. The music of Supersilent
is always raw, intense and direct. Emulating this, Rune
Grammofon and Hiorthøy
chose to present the live performance in its original
state, with no overdubs. The DVD, which contains the
concert in its entirety, doesn’t feature any additional
material, hidden chapters or menus.
All four Supersilent albums, from the original triple
opus 1-3,
which help launch Rune Grammofon, to 2003’s 6,
have been the result of live improvisations, the band
being rumoured never to meet or even communicate in
between sessions. Yet, it is in the live environment
that Supersilent becomes totally alive. Here, it is
possible to observe how the four members work off each
other without appearing to communicate at all.
The music is, as usual, extremely complex, enthralling
and exhilarating. Improvisations are left to take their
course, expanding at will well over the fifteen-minute
mark in most cases, ranging from the surprisingly straightforward
on 7.1 to the deadly calms and syncopated violent
highs of 7.2 or 7.5 or the gentle
swathes of 7.4 or 7.6. The input of
each member is considerable, with layers of sound progressively
assaulting the audience as the band build up their tracks.
Keyboard lines become more chopped-up, the drums appear
more tempestuous, the trumpet, which can be, as show
in the opening sequence of 7.3, soft and evocative,
becomes fragmented and abrasive, with Sten’s
electronics ranging from discreet clicks to almighty
interferences, sometimes in an instant. The addition
of vocal elements, defined somewhere between tribal
chant and primal scream, provide an additional layer
of grit. The music is utterly unpredictable and visceral.
The formation is found exploring the outer limits of
musicality and noise, combining both into something
totally fascinating.
Being given the chance to visualise the creative process
as captured doesn’t dispel the mystic of the work
of these four men. In fact, if anything, it adds to
it, as, thanks to Hiorthøy’s uncompromising
editing, the viewer is often thrown right in the heart
of the action, spying on each musician almost simultaneously,
and left witnessing the exchange of ideas and complete
communication through the music. 7 is a vibrant
document of what Supersilent are, and captures the band
in its rawest and most captivating form.
5/5 |
