Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Jon Balke: keyboards, electronics, tombak; Mona Boutchebak: vocals, kwitra; Derya Turkan: kemence; Bjarte Eike: baroque violin; Helge Norbakken: percussion; Pedram Khavar Zamini: tombak; Per Buhre: vocals, viola + Barokksolistene (string ensemble)

Norwegian avant-garde keyboardist and composer Jon Balke returns to his world music-influenced project Siwan after an interesting solo album released in 2020 called Discourses. Following up the releases of Siwan in 2009 and Nahnou Houm in 2017, Hafla marks his third outing with this international collective, which hybridizes baroque, Andalusian and improvised music with dazzling originality.

Working with the words of 11th-century Andalusian poet Wallada bint al-Mustafki, the ensemble steps into world fusion erudition with the hypnotic “Terraquab”, narrated by the Algerian singer Mona Boutchebak. The versatile vocalist sings in Arabic and Andalusian Spanish on “Arrihu Aqwadu Ma Yakunu Li-Annaha”, where evocative strings fill the spaces left by her voice.

A trio of pieces delivered with a three time feel and relevant arrangements catch the ear. They are “Enamorado de Jupiter”, where the kemence of Derya Turkan stands out; “Saeta”, an instrumental number with aesthetic contrapuntal discernment; and “Uquallibu”, a poetic stunner entrancingly described with restrained dynamic range and bass lines that shimmer rather than pulse.

Faithful to his principle, Balke celebrates the concept of coexistence and cooperation between different people with an elegant intersection of musical cultures. “Linea Oscura” emerges with a spellbinding Middle Eastern tinge, being propelled by the incredibly rhythmic carpet laid down by percussionists Helge Norbakken and Pedram Khavar Zamini. Built with intimate detail, “Mirada Furtiva” showcases the capacity of Boutchabek, who composed it, to bring together the voice and the Algerian lute into harmonious consonance. Here, Balke provides a surprising counterpane of enveloping keyboard. The variations might seem minimal, but “Visita” carries a much more commercial bait than the dramatic lament “Is There No Way” (sung by violist Per Buhre), or the cinematic impressionism of “Wadadtu”.

All things considered, Hafla won’t necessarily have an impact on everyone, but that doesn’t lessen the discipline and significance of Balke’s achievement.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Enamorado de Jupiter ► 07 - Linea Oscura ► 09 - Uquallibu

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Jon Balke: piano, sound processing

Resisting categorization, the music of the Norwegian pianist Jon Balke, a longtime ECM recording artist, can be sublime, rousing and touching, all at the same time. On his third solo piano recording, Discourses, Balke is deep inside his piano playing. With a sense of dignity and penchant for exploration, he emanates a genuine intimacy from statements that are juxtaposed with processed soundscapes, creating absorbing narratives inspired by the overwhelming lack of dialogue and polarized speech in the political context we’re living in. Hence, language appears as a crucial factor here, with Balke employing specific composed ideas as a vehicle for improvisation, as well as sound processing to complement his conceptual thinking.

The opener, “The Self and the Opposition”, immediately showcases his skilled command of the instrument, from which he draws coiled and hasty lines rich in both emotional depth and aesthetic function.

“The Facilitator” feels like a pastoral poem whose relaxation is disturbed by the tension that comes from jarred processed sounds. Its tautness, however, differs from “The Polarization”, whose enigmatic chordal work is infused with somber colors. A completely different mood, more dreamy and wondrous, is offered on “The Container”, where the inspired melody is wrapped in a comforting harmonic framework and tasteful, innocuous effects.

Percussively cluttered and busy, “The Assumptions” draws from modern classical music, but it’s “The Certainties”, an astute, even-tempered sculptural piece irradiating transcendental light, that promptly touches my heart.

The pure erudition of “The Suspension” culminates with an atmospheric ending, whereas the meditative “The Why” establishes an elegiac tone that searches for beauty. Conversely, “The How” moves ahead with enchanting ebbs and flows while living in a mix of suspension and resolution.

Nearly behaving as a broken fugue in its initial phase, “The First Argument” carries a singing quality in the digitally manipulated outro. This new poise and freshness had already been found on “The Second Argument”, an elegantly outlined piece that comes first in the song alignment.

This is a dazzling album from a fascinatingly complex musician who, without refraining from innovate, preserves his exceptional musical identity.