Label: Rune Grammofon, 2021
Personnel - Ståle Storløkken: piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, mollotron, synth; Nikolai Hængsle: electric bass, acoustic and electric guitars; Torstein Lofthus: drums.
In the active since 2007, Elephant 9 - the Norwegian trio of keyboard wizard Ståle Storløkken (the group’s main composer), bassist Nikolai Hængsle and drummer Torstein Lofthus - releases its sixth studio album, Arrival of the New Elders, in which they explore an intersection of electric jazz and space-rock, some neo-psychedelia, and futuristic electronic concepts.
The album's title cut gets underway with a looped electronic sweep from side to side, after which the group cuts to the chase with a relaxed groovy jazz in six with the Fender Rhodes at the center. You'll also experience a tensile keyboard solo and carefully chosen synth effects that has a rise-and-float repercussion in the atmospherics.
The jazz shapes up into completely new forms on “Rite of Accession”, an orbital fusion piece moved by a tasteful rambunctious rhythm, agile bass notes, and Hængsle’s acoustic guitar sounds. The group probes different spaces and dimensions here, squeezing portions of world music, funk, rock and electronic music into a cohesive musical universe.
In equal measure, “Chasing the Hidden” is a shapeshifter that first engages in the ambient jazz clouds of the Cinematic Orchestra, passing through a Kraftwerkian segment that recalls programmable automation, and then linking it to a passage built through a Herbie Hancock’s jazz-funk lens.
Preferring laid-back edginess rather than building any pronounced peak, “Sojourn” and “Throughout the Worlds” flow along quite nicely. With a pounding bass note guiding us through a soft pavement, the former reveals a contemplative side that brings out considerable emotional weight. The latter piece, on the other hand, spins with additive meters (5+4), insinuating a smooth ride that, even aligning tempo halfway, never lessens our sense of discovery.
“Chemical Boogie” can be seen as a wildly frenetic reaction to these softer fabrics as it throws in a rousing mix of funk, hip-hop, astral jazz and psychedelia. It certainly contrasts with the slow ambient-funk of “Tale of Secrets”, which is lifted up by a rich jazz saturation, as well as with the melodious “Solar Song”, which caps the diverse program with an exhilarating dub feel and subjecting a repetitive harmonic pattern to key changes.
More than any solo, it’s the unity of the collective that commands our attention throughout the set. Elephant 9 managed to carve out a niche for itself, and this album, a strong one in terms of groove and structural framework, is a gratifying entry in their discography.
Grade B+
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Rite of Accession ► 05 - Throughout the Worlds ► 06 - Chasing the Hidden