Wednesday 20 June 2012

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, From Gagarin's Point of View, 1999

This is one of the most important albums of Esbjörn Svensson Trio in my opinion. Before that, E.S.T. was known around Sweden and Scandinavia especially for their live performances and good albums from local labels such as Diesel and Dragon, however was not famous in Europe. After From Gagarin's Point of View was released in 1999 as their debut album from ACT, they became known especially in Europe as well as in USA. This album was actually recorded and released from Diesel before they signed a contract with Siggi (Siegfried) Loch of ACT. Siggi Loch discovered Esbjörn Svensson while he was playing with Nils Landgren Funk Unit and wanted to listen to their records. Siggi Loch mentioned in many interviews that after listening to From Gagarin's point of view he was very impressed and thought that he was listening to a great album. Therefore, he decided to release an album, which was already finished, in his own label for the first time. Considering the perfect links between pieces and usage of electronics (especially the title track) this album also can be classified as a milestone for the trio. You will see that following albums contain lots of things from From Gagarin's Point of View. All the compositions belong to the trio. There is no need to say that the record, mixing and master quality is perfect. The record and mixing was made (in two different periods) by Janne Hansson at Atlantis Studio in 1998, where ABBA has been recorded once upon a time. E.S.T. mentioned that they have learned lots of things during this recording session in this vintage equipped studio and after that they preferred to produce their albums on their own. It is very interesting that they were in this studio first time actually for a Danish musician's record at May 1998 and for the 3 hours that was left after that work they decided to record their own works. From Gagarin's Point of View is actually a product of these three hours. The mixing, overdub and some mastering was made at the second visit at Autumn 1998. The mastering was made by Johan Ekelund at Stereolab. As a side information; you can hear From Gagarin's Point of View piece in the advertisement of Focal Grande Utopia III. Let me give the song list:

  1. Dating (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  2. Picnic (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  3. The Chapel (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  4. Dodge The Dodo (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  5. From Gagarin's Point of View (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  6. The Return of Mohammed (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  7. Cornette (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  8. In the Face of Day (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  9. Subway (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  10. Definition of a Dog (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  11. Southwest Lones (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)
  1. Dating: It is like an introduction to this great album. The main theme of this song is also the main theme of first three songs. The entrance is made by the bass then it is accompanied by the piano. After that, we hear a minimalist percussion that is developed in time. The piano improvises the main theme. The initial melody is played back and continuously linked to the next piece.  
  2. Picnic: The piece starts like the same theme with the first piece but with a faster and more hopeful tempo. The melody is just like a picnic. The dialogue between drum/percussion and bass is used for improvisation. The end of the piece is again linked to the next piece. I think these linked pieces are partitions of E.S.T.'s one single performance.  
  3. The Chapel: A great entrance following the previous piece's melody is made by the piano. We hear strange and interesting sounds coming from the drums. Bass only gives the basic notes with a smooth and melodic tone. The piece's main theme is very dramatic as if it is explaining an old but forgotten place. 
  4. Dodge The Dodo: The triplet ends just before the fourth piece and a very energetic piece starts a new series. A very aggressive drum rhythm accompanies a soft double-bass and offensive piano. The double bass is sometimes played by bow and passed through distortion. The piano is usually touched from inside. Dan Berglund improvises the main theme by his bow at the middle without the piano. Esbjörn's touches to the piano signals the ending of the first act of improvisation then with the increase in tension in the piano we again hear the same melody in the entrance. The trio's sound gets crowded through the end by means of drum and bass. Going to the end we hear a transistor radio sound which links the first part of the series to the second.   
  5. From Gagarin's Point of View: We feel like watching a space movie with the transistor radio sound coming from the previous piece and the cool drum and bass rhythm in this song. The piano, bass and drum are calm. After the end of the first 2 minutes we start to hear electronics much more. This is literally a great composition and a must listen of the album. The transistor radio in the beginning makes the last partition. 
  6. The Return of Mohammed: This piece has a link with the Mohammed Goes to Newyork pieces in the album When Everyone Has Gone, 1993.
  7. Cornette: The short entrance is made by introducing the main theme very fast. This is almost a main stream jazz piece. The improvisation is directed by the piano. You will not believe the speed of Esbjörn Svensson. He sometimes touches to the inside of the piano during this fast partitions. Dan Berglund experiments on the double-bass creating interesting sounds.
  8. In the Face of Day: A melancholic melody is played by the piano first. We hear a small piece of the same theme once again from double-bass. There is a little rise in the tension near to the end of the first half triggered by Esbjörn, but it stops with percussion of Magnus Öström. The members carry a soft melody just after that. The touches of Esbjörn to the piano are as soft as silk.  Magnus Öström prefers using brushes in such performances with small movements. Dan Berglund takes the role as the main theme. The tension is tried to be increased from time to time but the softness is certain throughout the piece. 
  9. Subway: A double-bass played with a bow makes the introduction by a very dramatic theme. The piano is on the background with cold notes. Magnus Öström's percussion is processed. It seems that Dan Berglund uses a little effect for his bass. Esbjörn creates really interesting notes from the piano consistent with his accompaniments. 
  10. The Definition of a Dog: Detached from the previous melody, this is an energetic and fast jazz piece. The piano has been improvising almost during the whole song. We hear the main theme while they are giving breaks. Besides, all members are in a good synchronization. The last minutes belong mostly to the drum and bass which is deeply accompanied by piano. Magnus Öström's performance here is just perfect. This piece became later one of the favorites of the trio in live performances.   
  11. Southwest Loner: The end is begun by a long piano partition which is later accompanied by just brushes touching to the drum-set. Dan Berglund is heard at the last minute with only main notes.  I love such endings.
Try these samples but I strongly recommend you listen to the albums from a good equipment 'cause they deserve it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYL_Xe0r6jc&feature=related


You can read my other posts about E.S.T. and their albums:

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/06/esbjorn-svensson-trio-best-trio-of-all_13.html
 
The review for When Everyone Has Gone:
 
The review for Winter in Venice:
 
The review for Good Morning Susie Soho:
 
The review for Strange Place For Snow:
 
The review for Seven Days of Falling:
 
The review for Viaticum:
 
The review for Tuesday Wonderland:
 
The review for Leucocyte:
 
The review for 301:



Wednesday 13 June 2012

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times




There were lots of periods in my life in which I am obssesed with different musicians or bands in various genres. There were certain times that I have listened to an album or a piece over and over for days long. Miles Davis, The Cure, Pink Floyd, Jan Garbarek, Radiohead and Fazıl Say are just some of them. However after all these years, I can say that there is one band that literally turned my whole life upside down and made me to reconsider everything I have listened to so far. They are like a reference for my brain and heart. When everyone has gone I always listen to Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Therefore, I think I should share my feelings and knowledge about their albums and music with you.

All the things written down here is a tribute to Esbjörn Svensson and his two wonderful friends; Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström. REST IN PEACE, ESBJÖRN SVENSSON (16.4.1964 – 14.6.2008)

Esbjörn Svensson Trio is; Esbjörn Svensson on the piano, Dan Berglund on the double-bass and Magnus Öström on the drums. All the members are from Sweden. Their debut album When Everyone Has Gone is released in 1993. I do not know whether the first-time listeners in 1993 noticed that these outrageous musicians would change the direction of European Jazz and become one of the most sophisticated jazz trio in the world, but when I have listened to it, I could get the feeling of a stellar birth of a musical beauty full of improvisations and virtuosity.

E.S.T. has released 9 studio albums between 1993 and 2008 before they (we, as the humanity that is related to music) lost Esbjörn Svensson in a scuba diving accident. These albums are When Everyone Has Gone (1993), E.S.T. plays Monk (1996), Winter in Venice (1997), From Gagarin’s Point of View (1999), Good Morning Susie Soho (2000), Strange Place for Snow (2002), Seven Days of Falling (2003), Viaticum (2005) and Tuesday Wonderland (2006). We see 2 live albums printed as CD: E.S.T. Live ’95 and Live in Hamburg (2007) and 1 DVD record: Live in Stockholm (2003) during the same interval. After 2008 we first see the incredible Leucocyte album, whose recordings are made in 2007 in their Sydney days when Esbjörn is alive. This album is actually a part of 9 hours record made in 301 studios. It is the first album for which ACT record company print an LP. Most of the E.S.T. fans (me, either) are depressed while listening to Leucocyte and again thought what a great loss he is for the future of jazz. After that, ACT released Retrospective – The Very Best of E.S.T. (2009) as a compilation for E.S.T (also printed in LP). The last part came in March 2012 in the name 301, which includes some other parts of records made by the trio in 301 studios in Sydney in 2007. In the interview of Magnus and Dan in Jazzwise of April 2012 Magnum says: “It had been sitting there all that time. Esbjörn did most of the editing on Leucocyte, so where we listened to all that material before, I was not that careful, maybe. So when we came to listen to it again I was really surprised that it was on such a level. It sounded so fresh, so I was really happy about it, that we had some good quality material for release.” You can find LP of 301.




Their live performances, which are full of crazy improvisations and limitless tension, were already very famous all around the Scandinavia in 1999, which is the year From Gagarin’s Point of View is released. After this album (the first time when one of their album is released outside Scandinavia), E.S.T. became famous around the Europe and became known all around the world.

When Everyone Has Gone is released from a small Swedish label two years after the trio is founded in 1991 during the tour of Lina Nyberg (a famous Swedish singer) when Esbjörn asked Dan to join them (two childhood friends). We see two very important studio albums between 1993 and 1999, which are EST plays Monk and Winter in Venice.

Winter in Venice was awarded as the Best Jazz CD of Sweden in 1997 (Esbjörn Svensson won the grammy in the category Best Composer in 1997) and EST plays Monk became one of the most important Monk cover albums. They were not willing enough to record a tribute album and they were actually eager to play their own music, however the managers of their early Swedish label Diesel Records tried to plan their music career and wanted them to play some famous composer's music. This way Monk is chosen. Later on, Bemsha Swing became one of their most famous pieces played as the last in the performances. Winter in Venice was the second record from Diesel which consists of EST's music as a result of the success of the trio after Monk's album. Meanwhile, since their live performances were very well known, the trio compiled a live album in 1995, whose 1999 edition from ACT also includes a live performance of Dodge the Dodo from the album From Gagarin’s Point of View. (This performance will blow you up. It is far better than the studio record and may be the most energetic live performance I have ever heard.) This Live '95 album is actually released in the name of Mr. & Mrs. Handkerchief containing their live performances in early days of the trio in Sweden which are organized by their first manager Lasse Nilsson-Wihk. The records are made mostly by Swedish radio at that time. The Rube Thing from that album stayed with them and played in some following performances.

Following their journeys all around the world they became one of the most important trio of jazz festivals especially in Europe. The next 5 albums became very successful in jazz scene, especially among trio enthusiasts. In my opinion, the sound and the spirit of the EST has changed and improved especially after From Gagarin’s Point of View. I agree that they are very near to what they play in their debut album, but what I am talking about is that they progress in the idea of the improvisation and jazz. Their albums until From Gagarin’s Point of View are generally composed of jazz pieces. The electronic sound used in the improvisations were increased and they started to feel more relaxed while doing some extraordinary things. The electronics were used by all members of trio. However, the main electronic sound responsibility -in my opinion- belonged to Ake Linton, the sound engineer for performances of EST beginning from around 2000. He was using electronics on-the-fly during the performance or record. In their last interview they say about the last recording sessions in 2007 as follows: “The idea was something like we tried in 2000, or 2002. Just go in the studio and kind of redeem ourselves! Get whatever we had of ourselves out of our system and on to tape, like a catharsis thing. We just play for fun and see what comes out. With this recording we wanted to test the energy level we had during a tour, and also try and test the improvised parts that  had grown bigger and bigger through the years we played live, and put that on tape.” You really feel and understand what they say here in most E.S.T. records. You sometimes say “this can not be a composition” after listening to some parts. Can you believe the maturity level of these great musicians: they just get into studio and play and then a masterpiece is created in just 8-9 hours! Listening to them while knowing these facts will make you cry!

From Gagarin’s Point of View album is a real concept album which you can listen from beginning to end by rarely understanding the track transitions. The album was recorded during a reminder 3 hours studio time left after a Danish musician record session. The album is later licenced by ACT. Good Morning Sussie Soho is famous for its unique bass partitions and pure improvisation pieces and was dedicated to their good days in London. These two albums' performances (From Gagarin's... and Good Morning...) became a bit more famous in USA by means of a compilation release in the name of Somewhere Else Before by Sony/Columbia in USA. Strange Place for Snow in 2002 includes many contemporary masterpieces such as Behind the Yashmak and Bound for The Beauty of the South. When you listen to the performance of Magnus Öström in especially Behind the Yashmak you can understand why he is one of the best drummers in the scene. Strange Place for Snow is their first album released worldwide. In 2003 they also released a DVD containing one of their performances in Stockholm in 2000 whose mastering was later made in legendary Abbey Studios by Peter Cobbin. Peter Cobbin later has chosen this album as a sampler to demonstrate his work. Seven Days of Falling in 2003 and Viaticum in 2005 were the most influential albums of EST until then and they are still on CD shelf of lots of many jazz enthusiasts. The performance of Dan Berglund on the double-bass in Seven Days of Falling piece always plays in my mind. In these albums, Esbjörn Svensson became a living legend by his great piano partitions and compositions in my opinion. Viaticum reflects the effect of dark times of the world on the trio members and became so famous all around the world with its wonderful compositions. It is sold around 100000 which is a huge number for a jazz album.

During the concerts of the album Viaticum, E.S.T. has also come to Ankara, Turkey. (They have also been in Turkey in 2002 and 2004) I was unable to join the event and will be regretful for my whole life because of that. However, as far as I have listened from the ones being there at this night, there was no one sitting on the seats during the ovation after the concert and E.S.T. has earned 500 new fans, most of who have no idea about this type of music. Although the trio were thinking of recording Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Klavier music after 2005, they did not like the results of rehearsals. The album Tuesday Wonderland was released in 2006 which is seen by some critics as a follower for Viaticum. For me, this album is a conceptual bridge between Viaticum and Leucocyte and it is true that EST’s perfection was always going to a higher level in time. Especially the piece Fading Maid Preludium, Eight Hundred Streets by Feet, Dolores in a Shoe Stand and Brewery of Beggars are my favorites in this album with their progressive structures. The tour of Tuesday Wonderland was recorded in the concert in Hamburg and released in 2007 with the name of E.S.T. Live in Hamburg. This album is mentioned as best jazz album of the decade by TimesLeucocyte and 301 should be accepted as their last two albums although they are released after Esbjörn Svensson's death; because most of the mastering was accomplished when he is alive. These two albums are produced from records made in 301 Studios in Sydney in January 2007 during a tour. Considering all of above discussion, we can say E.S.T.'s sound followed a 3 different progessive path: Between ’93 (When Everyone Has Gone) to ‘99(From Gagarin’s Point of View), between ‘99 to ‘05(Viaticum) and from ’05 to ‘08(Leucocyte). However, it is also very difficult to classify the albums of E.S.T. with strict lines, because you can hear a tune of When Everyone Has Gone in an album of 2000’s or suddenly hear a clue of what they will do in Leucocyte in one of their live recordings. That is a result of their spontaneous and pure improvisational character in music. 301 should really be analysed individually because although the records are made at the same time with Leucocyte, I could not accept it as an addendum to a series starting from Viaticum, followed by Tuesday Wonderland and ended by Leucocyte. You can easily hear Viaticum in Tuesday Wonderland and hear Leucocyte in Tuesday Wonderland. But in EST 301 the sound and concept suddenly became very different. Strangely, you can, at the same time, hear all the previous albums together. It’s like an abstract, it is almost at the place where they start in 1993. From this point of view, they link the end of the string to the beginning. But, how? How could they do that without knowing Esbjörn would die in 2008. This and some other questions... These are still confusing my mind.

How did they change the direction of European Jazz and why are they so sophisticated? I think the main factor was their vast musical knowledge melted in various genres such as rock, classical music, mainstream jazz and fusion. They have given the names of Radiohead and Bela Bertok as their inspirations in an interview. The tension and lyricism in their music, their wonderful namings for their pieces and their conceptual albums including hidden tracks at the end were their unique features.  

As a trio, the success of E.S.T. also resulted mainly from the harmony between childhood friends. As written in their debut album by Esbjörn Svensson, he and Magnus Öström had known each other since they are three years old. Dan Berglund joined them for the debut album in 1993. 




Esbjörn Svensson's virtuosity and genuinity in composing and improvising have a certain contribution to the success. There is a lot of talented and genius musicians all around the world but feeling the music is not always an ability that is inherently in technically perfect musicians. Or else, similarly, an extraordinary composer can rarely be an extraordinary performer. Esbjörn Svensson is a genius composer and pianist having an extraterrestrial feeling of sophisticated music deeply in heart. He says “We became stars, made tours and records, wrote autographs and gave interviews. But what was most important was the music. We created and experienced our own music.” in the booklet of When Everyone Has Gone CD. Another important aspect of E.S.T. was that they used intense electronic sound especially during improvisations and sometimes pass the instruments’ sound through distortion.


I should give the name of Åke Linton here in a dedicated paragraph. He was the sound engineer of E.S.T. for a long time in live performances. He had participated in late records and I think he had a really profound effect on the overall sound and tension of the band’s live and studio performances. We see his name with E.S.T. after Viaticum. Most of the time qualified jazz listeners assume that there are 4 members in Esbjörn Svensson Trio. He was behind the sound desk in both their live performances and studio records most of the time. As far as we have learned from some critics and ones that joined their concerts he was actively in the improvisational parts by his electronic effects such as overlapping distortions. It is also said that he added electronics during the recording sessions in the studio which can not be reversed during re-mixing process.


Before finishing this post let me give some biographical information about Esbjörn Svensson. Esbjörn Svensson was born in 1964 as a son of classical music pianist mother and jazz enthusiast father. He played classical piano in his early childhood. In his teenage years, he first interested in rock music with his friends and returned to the classical music. He finally made his way to jazz. After taking some piano lessons he has studied in Royal College of Music, Stockholm for four years. He and Magnus Öström, as childhood friends formally became a duo in 1990 until when they appeared as sidemans in Swedish and Danish jazz scene. After Dan Berglund’s joining them their debut album was released in 1993. Esbjörn Svensson was nominated as best jazz musician in Sweden in ’95 and ’96. He took several awards with his trio for their great albums and was shown as the future of jazz by several critics. His improvisation power with his friends made them one of the best jazz trios in the world. They were the first European Jazz Trio to make the front page of the American Jazz Magazine, Down Beat (May 2006). Their last album before Esbjörn Svensson's death E.S.T. Live in Hamburg was released in 2007. E.S.T.’s last performance was in Moscow Russia on May 30, 2008.

Svensson went missing during a scuba diving session on June 14, 2008,  on Ingarö outside StockholmSweden. His diving companions eventually found him lying unconscious on the seabed. Having sustained serious injuries, he was rushed to Karolinska University Hospital by helicopter, but could not be saved. He was 44 years old, married and the father of two sons.

Esbjörn Svensson also showed performances in Lina Nyberg’s two albums in 1993 and 1994. Besides, he performed with Nils Landgren several times both as a duo and as the pianist of the Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit. The duo albums, Swedish Folk Modern and Layers of Light albums are very important ones among these. You can also find some Svensson's compositions in Viktoria Tolstoy's Shinning on You and Ulf Wakenius' Love is Real album. The name Bror Falk is acutally Esbjörn Svensson which was used in Shinning on You.

To talk a little about the record quality of EST albums: First of all, I think it is hard to say anything bad. We see the label ACT behind all the albums now, except the debut one. Since they were producing sophisticated art, they were inherently careful about the sound. The members of the trio were generally inside the mixing and mastering. Especially for a trio, it is very important for the instruments to be perfectly located in the stage. I love the natural sound of E.S.T. albums. I especially like the profound double-bass sound and the beautiful piano tone spread widely over the stage. The kicks and beats are very granular. (The bass and the kicks can easily be distinguished) Considering that the trio may be getting very loud with their electronically supported improvisations, it is a success to give everything as clear as this in the record. If you can find LP's (for Leucocyte, Retrospective and EST 301) listen to them. LP records of ACT are just perfect.

To learn more about their music and albums please have a look at my other posts about EST:

The review for When Everyone Has Gone:
 
The review for Winter in Venice:
 
The review for From Gagarin's Point of View:
 
The review for Good Morning Susie Soho:
 
The review for Strange Place For Snow:
 
The review for Seven Days of Falling:
 
The review for Viaticum:
 
The review for Tuesday Wonderland:
 
The review for Leucocyte:
 
The review for 301:

Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström is continuing their musical journeys with different musicians and bands. Dan Berglund is playing with a group named Tonbruket. You can also see their names as sidemans in different albums especially from ACT. I recommend you the following albums of Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström. I am planning to write about them in the future:
http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=103
http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=118

Listen and watch these great performances of EST:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7KXq6RJ0PA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WUeZqK1FPM&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1n1i6cK28s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAvTodeMosw&feature=related

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, 301, 2012



This was a real big surprise for E.S.T. fans. When we heard that there are lost records belonging to Esbjörn Svensson Trio from 2007 we really felt like to have found a treasure. What does an E.S.T. fan expect from such an album? Actually, for me, if there were only a short piece of solo of Esbjörn Svensson recorded and mixed qualitatively and released 4 years later then he passed away it would be enough. Well, if you tell me that you have found so many records that can fill an album and already mixed by Esbjörn himself then I start to cry. 301 is such an album that made me cry. It was recorded during the same period with Leucocyte in the same studio; Studios 301 in Sydney Australia. In the interview of Magnus and Dan in Jazzwise of April 2012 Magnum says: “It had been sitting there all that time. Esbjörn did most of the editing on Leucocyte, so where we listened to all that material before, I was not that careful, maybe. So when we came to listen to it again I was really surprised that it was on such a level. It sounded so fresh, so I was really happy about it, that we had some good quality material for release.” It is very different than Leucocyte and other albums. I agree that you hear Leucocyte from time to time but different than all other albums you hear every album of E.S.T. in the album 301. The recording and mixing was made by Ake Linton. The recording is made at Studios 301 in Sydney. The mastering was made by Claes Persson. The mixing and mastering was made at Bohus Sound Recording in Gothenburg, Sweden. The album was released in 2012 by ACT records. The album was also printed on a double LP. As far as we have learned from Magnus and Dan in their last interviews, it is difficult to release another album from early records. That can be the last. Let me give the list of the songs and my comments: 


  1. Behind The Stars (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  2. Inner City, City Lights (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  3. The Left Lane (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  4. Houston, The 5th (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  5. Three Falling Free Part I (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  6. Three Falling Free Part II (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  7. The Childhood Dream (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  

  1. Behind The Stars: We recognize our legendary pianist Esbjörn Svensson just after his first touch. A very deep and sorrow murmuring of him is heard. Besides, we hear very deep bass effects beating on the background. Dan Berglund sometimes use his bow to accompany Esbjörn. This is a very soft beginning for the album. Considering to what we have listened in the first track, we can say that the ambience is similar to the Leucocyte but this album is much  softer and calmer from all perspectives. The end is linked to the next song.
  2. Inner City, City Lights: The beginning is made by a sound like an openning window. The brushes of Magnus Öström play the drums over a single tone (signal-like) piano. We sometimes hear a transistor radio. The effect, to which I have called the openning window, is heard again between percussions. The double bass produces deep basses. Esbjörn starts to produce a distorted piano (he sometimes hold the pieces inside the piano again for a cold tone) A single tone of high frequency (probably produced from a double-bass played by bow) stays on the background. This background sound is the same with the one in last piece of Leucocyte Ad infinitum. This is certainly a link with the Leucocyte. There is a link with the name of this piece and one of Magnus' poems in the liner notes of E.S.T. Live in Hamburg.
  3. The Left Lane: This is a well known E.S.T. style piece. Trio simply gives the main theme in the entrance then starts to improvise by increasing the tension especially by drums. It is very meaningful that this song is here in that album. It carries lots of memories, having sounds spread over all the albums. As I have mentioned before, 301 is different from other albums for it is carrying all the history of E.S.T. It is linked to both Leucocyte and When Everyone Has Gone. I know these are last records of the group and if Esbjörn were alive they would probably release another album from another record but this last record has a real meaning to be the last one. E.S.T. calms down in this piece for the last three minutes. The last minute is a double-bass solo. The last twenty seconds is just composed of fading brush beats.    
  4. Houston, the 5th: An electronic sound is dominant in the whole piece. This composition or performance has something to do with space or spacecrafts. This may be relevant with the fact that NASA is in Houston. We rarely hear a musical partition. 
  5. Three Falling Free Part I: The end of the previous experimental electronic piece is linked to the piano solo at the entrance of this piece. The bass starts to accompany piano by long notes. Magnus Öström's percussion is granular and soft. We hear deep murmurings from Esbjörn Svensson. The trio starts to improvise after the third minute.  
  6. Three Falling Free Part II: Some beats of Magnus Öström is carried from the ending of the previous piece. This is a great solo entrance from our great drummer. He totally improvises with spontaneous movements and feelings. Listen to that partition carefully before the entrance of the piano, he is just awesome. The piano play some cold and inanimate notes here giving a little tension to the performance. One hand gives the tension by a fast partition while the other is playing a slow changing melody. The bass enters the stage with distortion like an electro-guitar. Then the body of the piece is developed. Now they can start to improvise. Listen to these great performance from beginning to end carefully. Near to the end we really feel like listening to metal music. Magnus Öström and Dan Berglund carry the song to some strange places for jazz again. Check that distortion of the bass. I have decided that they are crazy! The last notes feel like a free fall of a plane to the ground.
  7. The Childhood Dream: This is a wonderful and emotional ending to a great album. The melody carry you to your childhood. The bass and piano talk to each other very softly and intimately. 
Try these samples: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUGBzReNDI8
You can read my other posts about E.S.T. and their albums:

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/06/esbjorn-svensson-trio-best-trio-of-all_13.html
 
The review for When Everyone Has Gone:
 
The review for Winter in Venice:
 
The review for From Gagarin's Point of View:
 
The review for Good Morning Susie Soho:
 
The review for Strange Place For Snow:
 
The review for Seven Days of Falling:
 
The review for Viaticum:
 
The review for Tuesday Wonderland:
 
The review for Leucocyte:
 

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Leucocyte, 2008

 
This masterpiece came after we lost Esbjörn Svensson in 2008. The masters were given to the ACT on May 15. Then the trio were at a concert in Russia on May 30. Everybody was depressed on learning that the new inspiration of jazz from Scandinavia passed away in a diving accident on June 14, 2008. More important than everything about music, he was married and father of two sons. We, his family, his friends and probably Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström tried to accept the situation. Leucocyte was released in legacy of Esbjörn Svensson. It was thought to be the last album of E.S.T. by fans until we met 301 in 2012. The members of the trio also probably assumed this album as the last one considering the last interview on Jazzwise of April 2012. They thought that Leucocyte was everything that was already mixed and ready for release from the 9 hours record in Sydney days in 2007. However they suddenly saw in 2011 that this was not the case. Leucocyte is a very important album not only for being a legacy album, but also with its progressive and electronic structure for being a new breakout in Nordic jazz. When I was caught at home by my wife during the first listening session, she thought that I have turned back to my high school times and started to listen metal music. Let me tell you some genres that come in to my mind while listening to Leucocyte: Jazz, Gothic Rock, Metal, Pop, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Classical... Especially the last four pieces will give you agony with their philosophies, musical structures and possible meanings. The distorted voice, which is especially played during the the third piece and met you at different instants throughout the album, is created by Magnus Öström I think. I strangely feel like this voice belongs to a man under the sea. More than that I have created strange links in my mind to think that the last piece is ended by wave sounds fading in time. I know that I am exaggerating and there may be no intention, but that's how i feel. The recording and mixing was made by Ake Linton. The recording was made in 301 Studios in Sydney. The mixing was made by Dragan Tanaskovic. The mastering and mixing was made in Bohus Sound Recording. The album was released in 2008 by ACT. ACT also printed a double LP for this album and let me say that this is the first LP record of ACT. I see this as a tribute to Esbjörn Svensson. Let  me ask a question to you before giving names and my comments of the pieces: What kind of a creativity can put an empty record of 1 minute long with the name "in the meantime" referring the time between birth and death?

  1. Decade  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  2. Premonition I. / Earth  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  3. Premonition II. / Contorted  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  4. Jazz  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  5. Still  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  6. Ajar  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  7. Ab initio  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  8. Ad interim (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  9. Ad mortem  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  10. Ad infinitum  (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  1. Decade: A dark and melancholic introduction of the album is given by the solo piano of Esbjörn Svensson. 
  2. Premonition I. / Earth : This is literally a sophisticated masterpiece of nearly 18 minutes. An electrically supported and distorted piano tone and a constant bass are heard in front. On the background we sometimes hear a feedback-like tone. Magnus Öström uses some percussion equipment here with a minimalist concept. The bass keeps on following the same rhythm and rarely play the melody. Esbjörn Svensson's piano should be carefully analysed. It has both distortion and reverberation. I know this record is made when he is alive and you find this as an exaggeration but I really feel like I am listening to a piano playing under the sea. After the first half the trio decides to increase the tension and Magnus set the fire by moving on the drum set. A constant cymbal crash gives the rhythm. Oh my god, three of them are improvising at the same time. This is a masterpiece of a genre I have invented (sorry EST has invented): Progressive Neoclassic Free Jazz. In last two minutes, we are left by some electronics sounding like a dying body (it can be a drowning one) and a snare drum gradually decreasing the number of beats in each period then disappearing. The last minute is just the feedback-like tone heard at the beginning and the ending is linked to the next song by a transistor radio tone.
  3. Premonition II. / contorted : The entrance is made by the constant rhythm of the bass and Esbjörn Svensson's piano. It goes on from where the previous one left us. In this song we see a very extraordinary electronic effect. It's like a dolphin or whale's sound at first sight but when you listen to it carefully you understand that it is produced from a man's voice. I know it is strange but it is like a man's crying under the water. That's what I have felt and I still could not be sure whether they intentionally made it or not. Although I have links with Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström through social networks, I could not and will never ask this question to them. I always feel like crying when listening to that song. The piano and bass duo in the second half is just perfect. I should again mention that Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström are wonderful musicians and they are literally contemporary legends. They are my jazz heroes.
  4. Jazz: At first, some electronic sounds are heard (like two metals are rubbed with each other) Then the piano gradually enters to the scene while the drum and bass are accompanying to it. Consistent with the name, this piece is a summary of E.S.T. Jazz. The tension is relatively high. Piano improvises the main theme while drum and bass are following a walking line. 
  5. Still: Again some electronics are used on the base of piano and bass. Sounds feel like coming from under the sea, or else we can say that they are robotic. Above all we actually hear a melancholic piano performance. Drum set accompanies to the others with a very minimal rhythm (just the metronome I think). Esbjörn Svensson's piano reminds us Erik Satie. On the background we hear Dan Berglund's bow-played double-bass that is passed through electronics. The piece travels from melancholy to emotion but in a real dark color. You feel like you lose somebody important for you. 
  6. Ajar: A short break of piano solo, similar to the first piece of the album... Esbjörn shows us his virtuosity with soft and dynamic touches.
  7. Ab initio: Welcome to a new era, in which a new jazz form will be produced. This last four pieces of the album are kind of a musical philosophies rather than just music. The names are in latin; Ab initio, Ad interim, Ad mortem, Ad infinitum. The  English words are; Birth, Meantime (Life), Death and Infinity. You can assume Meantime as the Life since the time between birth and death is the life. The first piece literally gives you the feeling of birth. Its entrance is made by an aggressive drum&bass and some electronics. After the introduction the piano starts to play from behind of a distorted noisy double-bass and percussion. Everything is crowded and confused just like in birth.  A dark melody is played by piano. The bass noise is always there, symbolically refers to the things that you can never run away from.
  8. Ad interim: This is “in the meantime”, “time between” or "temporary" in Latin. In the concept of this album, in which this piece is between initial and death, we can call it “Life”. This 1 minute record is empty, which means that the interval of life is, kind of empty, considering the importance of the birth and death.
  9. Ad mortem: This is the death in Latin. You will really feel the death in this 13 minutes piece whose first half is just full of overlapped distortions and unstable and atonal sounds. We are left with a calm electronic double-bass sound and a piano tone playing deeply (feels like coming from under the sea) at the second half. I think the first part is the aggressive and painful part of the death. The second part is full of tranquility that is saying that the life is ended and this is where we are. This is the fact. You can cry, you can long for your precious belongings, but this is the fact. The end of the piece is very melancholic and will most probably make you cry a little. This wonderful melody at the end linked to the next piece with gong-like sound.
  10. Ad infinitum: This is infinity in Latin. The gong sound is continuing for 1 minutes in the entrance after which we hear a background voice-like sound giving an extraterrestrial feeling. Above all we hear a constant piano tone then the sounds become mixed with each other. It fells like the music is immersed in water gradually or falling free into the infinity.
Try these samples: 


You can read my other posts about E.S.T. and their albums:

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/06/esbjorn-svensson-trio-best-trio-of-all_13.html

 
The review for When Everyone Has Gone:
 
The review for Winter in Venice:
 
The review for From Gagarin's Point of View:
 
The review for Good Morning Susie Soho:
 
The review for Strange Place For Snow:
 
The review for Seven Days of Falling:
 
The review for Viaticum:
 
The review for Tuesday Wonderland:
 
The review for 301:


Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Tuesday Wonderland, 2006

Having certainly acclaimed by jazz scene, the album Viaticum made EST fans longing for a new album. Especially after the tour of Viaticum the trio started to become a living legend because they were different, they were energetic and they were modest. They play like they know the old jazz, the new jazz, the old rock, the new rock, the classical period, the baroque period and the contemporary music. More than this, they feel the music inside and improvise freely with a truly technical maturity. The fans are not disappointed by Esbjörn Svensson Trio and satisfied by a great work in 2006, Tuesday Wonderland. According to what we learned from interviews and the small notes in E.S.T. Retrospective, the trio were planning to record Bach music, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier with fugues and songs alternating in all keys with jazz band. However they decided that it did not fit with the trio's style. The sound of the album is very near to Viaticum but with a more hopeful attribute. The recording and mixing is made by Ake Linton at Bohus Sound Recording Studios in Gothenburg in March 2006. The trio has recorded their five previous albums in Atlantis Studio. Ake Linton was their audio engineer for the tours thus they decided to make a change and record with him. The mastering is made by Dragan Tanaskovic at Bohus Mastering. You can find a SACD print for this album. You can also get the fabulous Live in Hamburg 2-CD to listen to a great sample from their Tuesday Wonderland tour(The Best Jazz album of the Decade). Let me give the list of the pieces and my comments:
  1. Faiding Maid Preludium (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  2. Tuesday Wonderland (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  3. Goldhearted Miner (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  
  4. Brewery of Beggars (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  5. Beggar’s Blanket (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  
  6. Dolores in a Shoestand (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  
  7. Where We Used to Live (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  
  8. Eight Hundred Streets by Feet (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  9. Goldwrap (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  10. Sipping on the Solid Ground (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  11. Fading Maid Postludium (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)  
  1. Faiding Maid Preludium: A certain melancholy is given in the beginning of the album by the solo piano, then Esbjörn Svensson Trio welcomes you with a blast of distorted double-bass and kicks&beats of the drums near to the end of the first minute. The bow technic of Dan Berglund is very unique especially when he uses distortion. A feedback-like tone signals the end.
  2. Tuesday Wonderland: Lower octaves are used by Esbjörn Svensson while Dan Berglund is using highers. Then, they change the roles and exchange the notes. This time (a more common sound) Dan Berglund plays the bass line and Esbjörn Svensson plays the main theme. I love this part. They do the same changing again in different times throughout the piece. Magnus Öström carries an accompanying rhythm. We hear electronic effects especially from double-bass while Esbjörn Svensson is trying to carry the song to another state. They do it again, I am on my knees between the two speakers while listening to this great piece of these great musicians. How can one think to use the piano in such a way and produce a composition that is like no other I have ever heard. Esbjörn Svensson is a genius. Magnus Öström sometimes pushes the others with his sticks travelling over snare-drum. The piece is ended by the distorted double-bass.
  3. Goldhearted Miner: Oh My God! Look at the great sound caught by Esbjörn Svensson from the piano. It sounds like pulling some bows of a saz (a traditional instrument in Turkey). You feel something with the ground and earth strangely. A standard composition and performance (the standard of EST is extraordinary) suddenly become a masterpiece with this addition. The dominant feeling is melancholy in nature.
  4. Brewery of Beggars: A distorted broken-piano-like sound is travelling from left to right channel then a fast piano partition (similar to Bumble Bee) is accompanied by aggressive drums and double bass which is electronically supported. The theme is sometimes changed by the distortion double-bass played by bow. At the end of the first half, the trio calms down and starts to play a soft and improvisational partition together. Magnus Öström raises the tension a little bit with his frequent beats. At the second half we hear the same loudness in the beginning, this time with atonal partitions from double-bass. There is a really deep electronic bass trying to keep the main tempo. The piano goes back to the crowd and plays a faded melody. The distortion is finished naturally linking the piece to the next one.
  5. Beggar’s Blanket: A tranquil piano and bass duo is a good break for the trio.
  6. Dolores in a Shoestand: This is a very famous piece of Esbörn Svensson Trio with its catchy melodic structure. The melody is played by the bass first. Then piano and bass play it together while a rotating rhythm (may be electronically supported) is accompanying them. Magnus Öström is again there with his perfect technique. The last part is coloured by claps and talkings of a group of people behind.
  7. Where We Used to Live: I feel like I am listening to a very early performance of E.S.T. while listening to this melancholic masterpiece. The piece 4 a.m in the debut album When Everyone Has Gone is very similar to that one. You can see the link also at the name of the piece. This is a tribute to past times. Considering that the concept of the album is progressive and energetic, this is like an island for the trio. A soft bass and brush played drum accompany our legendary pianist’s clear touches.
  8. Eight Hundred Streets by Feet: This is among masterpieces of EST and one of my favorites. Deep kicks and certain snare-drum beats are followed by a dramatic piano melody which is completed by a minimal acoustic bass. This is like a post-war movie soundtrack. Everything is broken and destroyed. However, we have the hope necessary to fix everything. Everything gonna be alright but first we need to learn to love after lots of bad feelings of war. The composition is just awesome. Near to the end we hear a little bit Leucocyte's sound which again makes us think about Esbjörn, which is depressing for me.
  9. Goldwrap: A fast and energetic electronic percussion (I suppose, it is created by Magnus Öström) keeps the rhythm for a virtuosic piano and double-bass performance. We sometimes hear distortion effect from the double-bass. The percussion sometimes take a break but generally continues till the end.    
  10. Sipping on the Solid Ground: A very slow tempo rhythm is accompanied by a crying long bass. The piano tone is made cold from time to time by Esbjörn Svensson, who holds the pieces inside the piano. It is like the last song of an E.S.T. album. You will certainly like this great composition.
  11. Fading Maid Postludium: The first piece was the Preludium and the last one is the Postludium. The same theme with the first piece is performed. This time with a darker sound and a heavier distortion on the double-bass. We, again, sometimes hear Leucocyte’s sound. The last part of the first half is passed by a piano solo. An E.S.T. classic, a hidden track waits for us at the end. If you wait for about 3 minutes you start to listen to a distortion added, electronically supported improvisational part. I think, we hear a link to both Leucocyte and 301 here. Considering that the records of these albums are made in 2006, this is meaningful.
Try these samples: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVlcMsRIHE&feature=relmfu

You can read my other posts about E.S.T. and their albums:

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/06/esbjorn-svensson-trio-best-trio-of-all_13.html
 
The review for When Everyone Has Gone:
 
The review for Winter in Venice:
 
The review for From Gagarin's Point of View:
 
The review for Good Morning Susie Soho:
 
The review for Strange Place For Snow:
 
The review for Seven Days of Falling:
 
The review for Viaticum:
 
The review for Leucocyte:
 
The review for 301: