Showing posts with label Ake Linton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ake Linton. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Tüm Zamanların En İyi Üçlüsü





(You can find the English post in this link: http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/06/esbjorn-svensson-trio-best-trio-of-all_13.html)
 
Hayatım boyunca farklı türlerde müzik yapan birçok müzisyen ve gruba takıntılı olduğum birçok dönem geçirdim. Bazen bir albümü veya parçayı defalarca tekrar tekrar dinledim. Miles Davis, The Cure, Pink Floyd, Jan Garbarek, Radiohead ve Fazıl Say bunlardan sadece bazıları. Ama bunca yılın ardından geçmişe dönüp baktığımda şunu söyleyebilirim ki, bütün hayatımı altüst eden ve dinlediğim herşeyi yeniden gözden geçirmeme sebep olan sadece bir grup var. Onlar, beynime ve kalbime referans gibiler sanki. "Herkes gittiğinde (When Everyone Has Gone)" her zaman Esbjörn Svensson Trio dinlerim. Bu sebeple sanırım bildiklerimi ve hissettiklerimi sizinle paylaşmalıyım.

 Burada yazılanların hepsi Esbjörn Svensson ve iki arkadaşına armağandır: Dan Berglund ve Magnus Öström. HUZUR İÇİNDE UYU, ESBJÖRN SVENSSON (16.4.1964 – 14.6.2008)

Esbjörn Svensson Trio; piyanoda Esbjörn Svensson, kontrabasta Dan Berglund ve davulda Magnus Öström'den oluşmakta. Bütün üyeler İsveç'ten. İlk albümleri When Everyone Has Gone 1993'te yayımlandı. 1993 yılındaki ilk dinleyiciler bu sıradışı müzisyenlerin Avrupa cazının yönünü değiştireceklerini ve dünyadaki en sofistike üçlülerden birinin üyeleri olacaklarını fark etmişlermiydi bilemem; ama ben ilk albümü dinlediğimde makamsal emprovizasyonlar ve virtüözite ile dolu bu göz alıcı doğuşun hissiyatını rahatlıkla alabildim.
E.S.T., piyanist Esbjörn Svensson'u 2008 yılında bir dalgıç kazasında kaybetmeden önce (biz de müzik ile ilgilenen insanlar olarak onu kaybettik)  1993 ve 2008 yılları arası tam 9 adet stüdyo albüm çıkardı. Bu albümler sırasıyla şöyle: When Everyone Has Gone (1993), EST 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) ve Tuesday Wonderland (2006). Aynı dönem içerisinde yayımlanan 2 live CD (E.S.T. Live ’95 and Live in Hamburg 2007) ve 1 DVD kaydı (Live in Stockholm 2003) görüyoruz. 2008 sonrası ilk olarak Esbjörn hayattayken Sydney'de 2007'de yapılan kayıtlardan oluşan harika albüm Leucocyte piyasaya sürüldü. Bu albüm 301 stüdyolarında yapılan 9 saatlik kaydın bir kısmıydı aslında. Albüm, ACT firmasının ilk kez plak bastığı albüm olma özelliğini de taşıyor. Leucocyte'i ben de -birçok EST hayranı gibi- dinlerken depresif duygulara büründüm ve Esbjörn Svensson'un ölümünün gerçekten de caz için ne kadar büyük bir kayıp olduğunu bir kez daha anladım. 2008 sonrasında, ACT toplama bir albüm olarak "Retrospective – The Very Best of E.S.T.” (2009)'u yayımladı. (Bu albüm de hem plak hem CD olarak basıldı.) Hazinenin en son parçası Sydney kayıtlarının gizli kalan kısımlarından oluşan 301 olarak 2012'de karşımıza çıktı. Nisan 2012 tarihli Jazzwise dergisinde grubun davulcusu Magnus bu albümle ilgili şöyle diyor: “Orada öylece duruyordu bunca zaman. Esbjörn Leucocyte'deki edit lerin çoğunu kendisi yapmıştı ve daha öncesinden bu kayıtları dinlediğimizde belki de o kadar dikkatli değildim. Yeniden dinlediğimizde bu seviyede olmalarına çok şaşırdık. Çok yenilerdi ve yayımlanabilecek kalitede materyal bulduğumuza çok sevindim.” Geç ve gizli kalmış güzellik 301 plağa da basıldı.




 From Gagarin's Point of View albümünün yayımlandığı 1999 senesinde E.S.T. çılgın emprovizasyonlar ve limitsiz tansiyon dolu canlı performansları ile İskandinavya çevresinde yeterince ünlüydü. Bu albümlerinden sonra (İskandinavya dışında ilk kez yayımlanan albümleri) E.S.T., Avrupa ve kısmen dünya tarafından tanındı diyebiliriz. 1993'ten 1999'a kadar 2 önemli stüdyo albümü görüyoruz; EST plays Monk ve Winter in Venice.

 Winter in Venice 1997 yılında İsveç'te en iyi caz CD'si olarak seçildi. EST Plays Monk ise en iyi Monk Cover'ı olarak raflarda yerini aldı. E.S.T., konser performansları çok ünlü hale gelince 1995 yılında canlı kayıt bir albüm çıkardı. Bu albümün 1999 baskısı ayrıca From Gagarin's Point of View albümünden Dodge The Dodo performansını da içermektedir. (Bu icra nefesinizi kesecek. Stüdyo kaydından uzak ara iyi ve benim şimdiye kadar dinlediğim en enerjik canlı kayıt olabilir.) Dünyanın farklı yerlerine yaptıkları turneler  onları festivallerin en aranan üçlülerinden yaptı. Devam eden 5 albüm caz severler arasında oldukça fazla ilgi çekti. Bana göre, EST'nin sesi ve ruhu From Gagarin's Point of View albümünden sonra değişti ve gelişti. İlk çaldıklarına çok yakın bir yerde durduklarını kabul ediyorum ancak söylemek istediğim şey E.S.T.'nin caz ve emprovizasyon fikri üstüne ciddi bir devinim içerisinde oldukları. Bu albüme kadar genellikle ana akım caz parçalarını andıran eserler görüyoruz. Sonrasındaki albümlerde elektronik etkiyi biraz daha fazla gördüğümüz söylenebilir. Bunun yanında sıradışı performanslarında daha rahat bir hale geldikleri açık. Elektronik destek ve altyapı sonralarda grubun uzun süre boyunca ses mühendisi Ake Linton'ın sorumluluğunda gibi görünse de grubun bütün üyeleri tarafından (özellikle Magnus ve Dan tarafından) sıkça kullanılmaktaydı. Ake Linton hem stüdyo kayıtlarında hem de canlı performanslarda gerçek zamanlı olarak elektronik kullanabilmekteydi. Son röportajlarında Magnus ve Dan 2007 yılında gerçekleştirdikleri son kayıtları için şöyle diyor: “Yaptığımız şey bir nevi 2000 veya 2002'de denediklerimize benziyor. Stüdyoya giriyoruz ve kendimizi iyileştirme ayini gibi birşey geçekleştiriyoruz. Sistemimizden dışarıya ne çıktığına bakıyoruz; arınma gibi birşey. Sadece iyi vakit geçirmek için çalıyor ve sonucunda ortaya ne çıktığına bakıyoruz. Bu kayıtla enerji seviyesini ve yıllar içerisinde gitgide büyüyen emprovize bölümleri test etmek istiyoruz ve sonucunda çıkanı da kaydediyoruz." Bu röportajda ne söylenmek istediğini E.S.T. albümlerinin birçoğunda görüyor ve anlıyorsunuz. Bazen, bu bir beste olamaz diyorsunuz. Bu müzisyenlerin olgunluk seviyesi gerçekten şaşırtıcı. Düşünebiliyor musunuz, stüdyoya girip çalıyorlar ve 8-9 saat içerisinde bir başka başyapıt daha ortaya çıkıyor. Bunları bilirken onları dinlemek insanı gerçekten ağlatabiliyor.

 From Gagarin’s Point of View baştan sona parça geçişlerini bile anlamadan dinleyebileceğiniz tamamiyle konsept ürünü bir albüm. Daha önceden de belirttiğim gibi, ilk kez yoğun elektronik kullanılan albüm. Daha sonra yayımlanan Good Morning Susie Soho eşsiz bas partisyonları ve saf emprovizasyon performansları ile ünlü. 2002 yılına ait Strange Place for Snow albümü Behind the Yashmak ve Bound for The Beauty of the South gibi çağdaş şaheserler içermekte. Magnus Öström'ün özellikle Behind the Yashmak performansını dinlediğinizde neden en iyi davulcular arasında gösterildiğini anlayacaksınız. Bu iki albümden oluşan Somewhere Else toplaması E.S.T.'yi Birleşik Devletlerde de oldukça ünlü yaptı. 2003 yılındaki Seven Days of Falling ve 2005'teki Viaticum o zamana kadar en çok beğenilen albümler oldu ve cazseverlerin CD raflarındeki en önemli albümler haline geldiler. Dan Berglund'un Seven Days of Falling albümündeki performansı her zaman aklımda çalar. Bu albümlerdeki piyano partisyonları ve besteleri Esbjörn Svensson'u yaşayan bir efsane haline getirmiştir bence.

 Viaticum albümünün turnesi kapsamında Esbjörn Svensson Ankara'ya da geldi. (2002 ve 2004 yıllarında da Türkiye'de bulunmuştu.) Bu konsere katılamadım ve sanırım ömür boyu bunun pişmanlığıyla yaşayacağım. Yine de orada bulunanlardan öğrendiğim kadarıyla, konser sonrası alkışlayanların hepsi ayaktaymış ve E.S.T. aralarında o zamana kadar o tarz müzikten habersiz olanların da olduğu 500 yeni hayran edinmiş. Tuesday Wonderland albümü 2006'da çıktı. Birçok eleştirmen bu albümü Viaticum'un devamı olarak görmekte. Bana göre bu albüm Viaticum ile sonradan çıkacak olan Leucocyte arasında bir köprü. E.S.T'nin mükemmelliğinin her albümde bir üst seviyeye çıktığı rahatça söylenebilir. Özellikle Fading Maid Preludium ve Brewery of Beggars progresif yapıları ile benim favorilerim. Bu albümün turnesindeki konserlerden Hamburg'da olan Live in Hamburg olarak kayda alındı ve yayımlandı. Leucocyte ve 301'in mastering ve miksajları Esbjörn Svensson yaşıyorken yapıldığından E.S.T.'nin son iki albümü olarak sayılabilirler. Bu son iki albümü de hesaba katarsak E.S.T.'nin müziğinin 3 farklı progresif yol izlediği söylenebilir; 93'ten (When Everyone Has Gone) 99'a (From Gagarin’s Point of View), 99'dan 2005'e (Viaticum) ve 2005'ten 2008'e (Leucocyte). Yine de E.S.T.'nin albümlerini kesin çizgilerle ayırmak zor; çünkü, belki 2000'lerdeki albümlerden birinde When Everyone Has Gone'ı rahatça duyabilir belki de canlı performanslarından birinde Leucocyte'de ne yapacaklarını görebilirsiniz. Bu biraz da onların spontane emprovizasyon karakterlerinden kaynaklanmakta. 301 ise bütün süreçlerin dışında ayrıca incelenmeli. Kayıtlar Leucocyte ile aynı zamanda yapılmış olsa da ben bu albümü Viaticum ile başlayan, Tuesday Wonderland ile devam eden ve Tuesday Wonderlend ile sonlanan bir serinin devamı olarak görmüyorum. Tuesday Wonderland'i Viaticum'da, Leucocyte'i Tuesday Wonderland'de kolayca duyabilirsin. Ancak 301'de sound ve konsept bir anda başka birşey haline geliyor. Yine de, ilginç bir şekilde, önceki bütün albümleri birden de duyuyorsunuz. Özet gibi, neredeyse 1993'te başladıkları yerde duran bir özet. Bu açıdan bakıldığında dizinin en son elemanını başa bağladıklarını söyleyebiliriz. Ama, nasıl? Nasıl olur da Esbjörn'ün 2008'de öleceğini bilmeden bunu yapabilirler. Bu ve bunun gibi kafamı karıştıran bir sürü soru var E.S.T. ile ilgili kafamda. 

 Nasıl oldu da Avrupa cazının yönünü değiştirdiler ve neden bu kadar sofistikeler? Bence en önemli etken rock, klasik, ana akım caz ve fusion gibi birçok farklı müzik türünün içinde harmanlanmış geniş  bilgi dağarcıkları. Radiohead ve Bela Bartok, röportajlarından birinde etkilendikleri insanlar olarak verdikleri isimler. Müzik anlayışlarındaki tansiyon ve lirizm, parçalara ilgi çekici ve anlamlı isimler koymaları, yaptıkları konsept albümlerin sonlarına saklı parçalar yerleştirmeleri, kendilerine has özellikleri olarak sıralanabilir.

 Bir üçlü olarak EST'nin başarısının ardında çocukluk arkadaşlarının inanılmaz uyumu da var. İlk albümlerinin kitapçığında Esbjörn Svensson tarafından yazılana göre, Magnus Öström ve Esbjörn Svensson 3 yaşından beri birbirlerini tanıyorlar. Dan Berglund ilk albüm için 1993 yılında onlarla sonradan bir araya gelmiş. 
Esbjörn Svensson'in virtüözitesi ve emprovize etmekteki dahiliği başarıya etki yapan başka bir önemli faktör. Dünya sahnelerinde çokca teknik açıdan mükemmel müzisyen mevcut; ancak müziği hissetmek teknik açıdan mükemmel bütün müzisyenlerin içinde doğal olarak bulunan bir yetenek değil ne yazık ki. Benzer şekilde, harika bir besteci, nadiren harika bir icracı olabilmekte. Esbjörn Svensson, kesinlikle derin bir sofistike müzik hissiyatına sahip dahi bir piyanist ve besteci. When Everyone Has Gone CD'si içerisinde Esbjörn Svensson şöyle diyor: "Yıldız olduk, turlar ve kayıtlar yaptık, imzalar dağıttık ve röportajlar verdik. Ama önemli olan hep müzikti. Kendi müziğimizi yarattık ve deneyimledik." E.S.T.'nin kendisine has özelliklerinden bir diğeri de sık sık elektronik ses kullanmaları ve enstrümanların seslerini zaman zaman distorsiyondan geçirmeleri. 

 Ake Linton'ın adına burada ayrı bir paragrafta yer vermem gerekiyor. Ake Linton, E.S.T.'nin ses mühendisi ve bence E.S.T.'nin genel müzikal ruhunda olduğu kadar, konserlerinde ve stüdyo kayıtlarındaki tansiyon üzerinde  de ciddi bir etkisi var. Ake Linton'ın adını 2000'den sonra canlı performanslarda ve 2006'dan sonra albüm kayıtlarında E.S.T. ile beraber görüyoruz. Çoğu zaman nitelikli caz dinleyicileri E.S.T.'nin Ake Linton'ın katılımıyla 4 kişilik bir ekip haline geldiğini söylerler. Ake Linton hem konser performanslarında hem de stüdyo kayıtarında ses masasının hemen arkasında. Caz kritiklerinden ve konserlere katılanlardan öğrendiğimiz kadarıyla emprovizasyon bölümleri sırasında biribiri üzerine bindirilmiş distorsiyon gibi elektronik efektleri ile çoğu zaman işin içinde. Stüdyo kayıtlarında da miksaj sırasında geri alınamayacak elektronik eklentiler yaptığı söylenmekte.
Yazımı bitirmeden önce Esbjörn Svensson'un kısa bir biyografisini vermek istiyorum. Esbjörn Svensson 1964 yılında klasik müzik piyano santçısı bir annenin ve caz tutkunu bir babanın oğlu olarak dünyaya geldi. Erken çocukluğu genellikle klasik müzik ve piyano ile geçti. Gençlik yıllarında rock müzik ile ilgilense de sonradan klasik müziğe dönüş yaptı. En sonunda yolu caza düştü. Bir süre piyano dersi aldıktan sonra Stockholm'de bulunan Royal College of Music'de eğitim gördü. Çocukluk arkadaşı Magnus Öström ile 1990 yılında ikililerini kurdular. Her ikisi de, o yıllara kadar İsveç ve Danimarka caz sahnesinde eşlikçi ve grup elemanı olarak çokça görülmüşlerdi. Dan Berglund'un da onlara katılmaları ile birlikte 1993 yılında ilk albümlerini çıkardılar. Esbjörn Svensson 1995 ve 1996'da İsveç'te en iyi caz müziyeni seçildi. Üçlüsü ile birlikte çok fazla sayıda ödül aldılar ve bir çok caz kritiği tarafından cazın geleceği olarak nitelendirildier. Emprovizasyon yetenekleri onları dünyadaki en iyilerden üçlülerden biri yaptı. 2006 yılında ilk kez bir Avrupalı grup Amerikalı Downbeat dergisine kapak konusu oldu. Esbjörn Svensson'un aramızdan ayrılmasından önce son albüm 2007 yılında yayınlanan canlı kayıt E.S.T. Live in Hamburg'dur. Son canlı performansları ise 30 Mayıs 2008'te Rusya'da gerçekleşmiştir. 

 Svensson, 14 Haziran 2008'de Stockholm yakınlarındaki Ingarö'de yaptığı skuba dalışı sırasında kayboldu. Uzun aramalar sonucu denizin üzerinde bilincini kaybetmiş bir halde bulundu. Durumu ciddi olarak helikopter ile Karolinska Üniversite Hastanesi'ne kaldırıldı ancak kurtarılamadı. Evli ve iki çocuk sahibi Esbjörn Svensson 44 yaşındaydı.

 Esbjörn Svensson Lina Nyberg'in 1993 ve 1994 senelerinde iki albümünde de performans göstermiştir. Bunun yanında Nils Landgren ile hem duo olarak hem de Nils Landgren Funk Unit'in piyanisti olarak çok sayıda albüm ve canlı performans gerçekleştirmiştir. Duo albümler, Swedish Folk Modern ve Layers of Light çok önemli albümlerdir. Ayrıca Esbjörn Svensson'un bestelerinden bir kısmını Viktoria Tolstoy'un Shinning on You ve Ulf Wakenius'un vefatının ardından çıkardığı Love is Real albümlerinde bulabilirsiniz. Shining on You albümünde ismi yazan piyanist Brar Falk aslında Esbjörn Svensson'du.

 E.S.T. albümlerinin kayıt kaliteleri ile ilgili bilgi vermek gerekirse: Öncelikle kötü birşey söylemek neredeyse imkansız; çünkü baskıların çoğu ACT'den. Şu an ilk albüm dışında hepsinin üstünde ACT markasını görmekteyiz. Sofistike müzik yaptıkları için ses kalitesine ve kayda çok dikkat ediyorlardı. Grup elemanları çoğu zaman miksaj ve mastering işinin içindeydiler. Özellikle üçlü kayıtlar için, sahnede enstrümanların yerleşimi oldukça kritiktir. E.S.T. albümlerin doğal tınısı bir harika. Güçlü kontrbas sesi ve sahneye mükemmel yayılmış piyano genellikle oldukça etkileyici. Davul vuruşları oldukça taneli ve kontrbasın bası ve davulu kolayca ayırt ediliyor. Grubun elektronik eklentilerle zaman zaman çok gürültülü hale geldiğini düşünürsek bu temizlikte bütün ayrıntıları verebilmek büyük bir başarı. Leucocyte, Retrospective ve 301 için plakların bulunup dinlenmesini tavsiye ediyorum. ACT'nin az olan plak baskıları muhteşem.

 Esbörn Svensson Trio ve albümleri hakkında daha fazla bilgi edinmek için diğer yazılarıma bakabilirsiniz. Albüm incelemelerinin bir kısmı şimdilik sadece İngilizce, yakın zamanda onların da Türkçelerini yayınlayacağım:

Winter In Venice albüm incelemesi:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2014/01/esbjorn-svensson-trio-winter-in-venice.html

Strange Place for Snow albüm incelemesi:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2014/01/esbjorn-svensson-trio-strange-place-for.html

Viaticum albüm incelemesi:
http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2014/01/esbjorn-svensson-trio-viaticum-2005.html

Diğer İngilizce yazılar ise şöyle:

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:
 
The review for 301:
Dan Berglund ve Magnus Öström müzikal yolculuklarına farklı şekillerde devam etmekteler. Dan Berglund Tonbruket adında yeni grubuyla müzik yapmakta. İsimlerini özellikle ACT albümlerinin bir kısmında eşlikçi ve konuk sanatçı olarak görebilirsiniz. İleride hakkında yazı yazmayı düşündüğüm Dan Berglund'un ve Magnus Öström'ün şu albümlerini öneririm:
http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=103
http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=118

 EST'nin şu harika performanslarına bir göz atınız:
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
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Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Esbjörn Svensson Trio, The Best Trio of All Times





(Yazının Türkçesini bu linkte bulabilirsiniz: http://fatih-erkan.blogspot.com.tr/2012/07/esbjorn-svensson-trio-tum-zamanlarn-en.html)
 
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 Times. Leucocyte 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 Stockholm, Sweden. 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
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Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Viaticum, 2005

 
This is my first EST album. That's true; I have started to listen to Esbjörn Svensson Trio from the album Viaticum. This is also one of my first ACT albums. This fact has a real dependence on my age. I am too young to be a follower from beginning of their career.

The album Viaticum carries the eccentricity and uniqueness of the trio to a higher level compared to the previous album Seven Days of Falling. The word Viaticum means food, equipage or last food for a dying human. For me, the most beautiful and attractive compositions of E.S.T. are in this album and that's why it is sold 100000 all around the world, which is a magnificent number for a jazz labeled album. More than their composition power, the improvisational parts in this album should be given close attention. Especially the tours of this album become famous all around the world. As I have mentioned in my another post about EST, the performances in Turkey were just perfect. According to them since the recording session coincides with too much political turmoil all around the world the darkness in the daily life reflected to their album. The piece Tide of Trepidation is performed in Tsunami Aid concert in Stockholm. The recording and mixing of the album is made by Janne Hansson at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, Sweden in 2004. The mastering is achieved by Claes Persson at CRP recording. The album is released in 2005 by ACT records. I think Viaticum and Tuesday Wonderland are the best record (considering the sound quality) made for EST. You can also find a SACD print of this album. The surround mix is made by Ake Linton. Let me give the song list and my comments: 

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  1. Tide of Trepidation (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  2. 88 Days in My Veins (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  3. The Well Wisher (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  4. The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  5. Viaticum (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  6. In the Tail of Her Eye (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  7. Letter from Leviathan (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  8. A Picture of Doris Travelling with Boris (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  9. What Though The Way May Be Long (Svensson / Berglund / Öström)
  1. Tide of Trepidation: This is a great introduction for the album. A melancholic piano tone is supported by a drum with deep drum kicks and a steady bass very well defined at the back (sometimes melodic). We hear an electronic flanger effect at the background. After the first two minutes Dan Berglund’s bass (played by bow) with a distortion effect meets us in melancholy at different times in the piece. Magnus Öström is raising the tension to a little bit higher. Give attention to the deep kicks of Magnus throughout the performance. I think he also sometimes uses some electronics to produce interesting sounds from the drum set. We hear murmurings from Esbjörn Svensson and I like murmuring pianists very much.   
  2. 88 days in My Veins: A lyrical and generally cold piano is accompanied by a constant rhythm and bass in this ballad-like piece. After a while we hear an addition of another double bass played by a bow, which seems to give the tension to the piece. However when the first slope is finished, we see that the actual tension belongs to the piano triggered improvisation, which is perfectly driven by the drummer Magnus Öström to the end of the song. I believe that there is an emotional link between this piece and "800 Streets by Feet" in the album Tuesday Wonderland. While you are reading this sentence I am killed by this trio. A wonderful performance took my heart and gave it to the music. 
  3. The Well Wisher: The transition from second piece to third piece is very smooth. The calm and touching rests of Esbjörn and his intimate tone over the drum and bass rhytms, which feels like this is an uptempo piece, are among impressive elements of the album. Especially, the touches of Esbjörn to the strings of the piano while he is leaving the piece in its own tension, are awesome. First three songs are the training sequence of the album to prepare the listener for really cool improvised body.
  4. The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable: That's the first neck in the album where things are going to be a little bit "dirty". You can easily understand that from the drums. After the first minute we hear a wonderful distortion from the double-bass which is warning us that the tension will rise. Give attention to the great performance of Magnus Öström. Esbjörn Svensson gave the improvisational part to his friends and carried out a standard rhythm with his piano. Check out kicks of Magnus, they are perfect. The abrupt decrease in the tension linking the piece to a fantastic piano solo and the following drastic increase in tension through the end make this performance not only one of the best performances of the album but also one of the bests of the band. 
  5. Viaticum: This piece has the same name with the album, the food for a dying human. It starts with a really dark and slow piano partition (may be largo) of Esbjörn Svensson, which really made us depressed. This is the main theme. Then Dan Berglund comes with a great tone of double-bass repeating the melody. After the first minute with entrance of Magnus Öström and some electronics (most probably sourcing from the double-bass of Dan Berglund) the piece almost sounds like a space-movie soundtrack. It also has a similar sound to the title track of E.S.T.'s very important album, From Gagarin's Point of View. Magnus Öström is carrying this rhythm for so long while Esbjörn Svensson is improvising on the main melody. This must be the best trio jazz song I have ever heard to which electronics is this much well suited. The ending is just like the entrance, a piano solo. I love that song very much, and I am sure you’ll listen to it several times.
  6. In the Tail of Her Eye: Magnus Öström is using brushes in this very emotional piece. Dan Berglund’s bass is very deep at the background. We again hear some additional double-bass sounds played by a bow and (may be) supported by some electronics. It is as soft as a silk. I like the part that electronic supported bass play the main theme for a while near to the middle of the piece, after which the instruments stopped gradually. Then Magnus Öström started an atonal solo full of deep kicks and snare drum sounds. This part may sound to be supported by electronics but be sure that it really sounds acoustic and actually these are made by Magnus online with some microphones. The solo ends gradually by the entrance of Esbjörn with soft touches to the piano. The decision is made by the trio just after Dan Berglund’s bass, however the song ends here and you understand that this is introduction for the next song.
  7. Letter from Leviathan: As explained above, this is a continuum of the previous song. The trio goes on to play the melody given just after the improvisation. Magnus Öström gives a Middle Asian like rhythm to the song especially by using the kicks. The piano and the bass play the main theme together, sometimes talking to each other. The entrance of electronics makes the song really distinctive and unique. Improvisational parts are wonderful.
  8. A Picture of Doris Travelling with Boris: An electronically supported piano on the background is giving a loop-like melody in this perfect piece. We are again experiencing another outrageous performance with its all rise and falls. Esbjörn plays like telling a sad but exciting story to us without allowing us to breathe even for an instant. The contributions from Dan Berglund in transition parts and ever lasting energy of Magnus Öström proves us again what an irreplaceable band they are. Just listen to it. It needs no comment.
  9. What Though The Way May Be Long: The way is too long, it is 20 minutes on ears. The soft and dark end of the previous piece is, kind of, linked to the entrance of this piece. The piano is accompanying to itself at first. One hand is playing the melody, the other is carrying the rhythm. Its sound is a little bit intentionally distorted. Then the double-bass and drums enters the stage bravely and recursively for 20-30 seconds passages, between which the piano is performing solo. They have decided to give a solo to the double bass after the third minute. The double-bass is very lyrical. The piano did not give up to improvise, it is following the movements of the double bass asymmetrically. The main piece is ended at the sixth minute then a hidden track is there starting from 10:30 by some depressive sounds of bass, percussion and some whistles created by pipes. We hear Leucocyte-like sounds here from the piano. The bow is entering from left and travelling between two channels from time to time around both too lower octaves and too higher octaves.

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 Tuesday Wonderland:
 
The review for Leucocyte:
 
The review for 301:

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