Raoul Bjorkenheim Reviews:

 

 

Old Customs Hall
Tampere, Finland

 

November 1, 2003

The Scorch Trio is an explosion waiting to happen. But guitarist Raoul Björkenheim, bassist Ingebrit Flaten and drummer Pals-Nilssen Love never let the bomb go off, instead putting it on a long fuse and letting the tension mount. They are often labeled a power trio, and yes, electric guitar fireworks, heavy electric bass and free-wheeling drums do call to mind images of Hendrix and Cream, and they could blow people out of the room if they wanted to but then their more interesting sonic textures would never manifest themselves.

More often than being labeled a power trio, Björkenheim has the adjectives “shamanistic” and “ritualistic” attached to his name. He has served his time in some of modern jazz’s more intense ensembles-Edward Vesala’s Sound and Fury and its progeny, Krakatau-but what comes through most clearly on this night of the Tampere Jazz Happening is his restraint. He takes his aggressive, metallic-toned playing, replete with alternative tunings and playing methods, and gives it a clearly defined shape that brings the audience in more than any high-volume feedback squalls.

For each of the trio four pieces he approaches the guitar with a radically different method, and more importantly he expands on those methods during each piece. On one he plays solely with a bow, creating slabs of sound that shift around on top of Flaten’s filtered bass. Björkheim is the tidal waves crashing again and again and Flaten the hurricance wind. Another piece sees Björkheim switch to twelve string, on which he explores clusters of single notes, his lines laden with ringing harmonics.

The set opener has the rhythm section thundering along under Björkheim’s spidery lines, hyper-charged funk chording, and rapid hammer-ons. The result a giant wall of sound that rumbles forward irresistibly.

While Björkheim centers the group with his energy, Love glues them together with his own hyper-charged rhythm patterns. Yet it is his phrasing and ability to show his ideas that builds the foundation, not his volume. At points he uses brushes, bringing down the volume but not the intensity.

So yes, there is power in this trio and Björkheim’s exuberant, active stage manner lets off a thrilling energy that might be called the ecstasy of ritual. But if a ritual does not open itself to you, does not let you see its purpose, then it is meaningless. The Scorch Trio has all three: power, purpose and meaning. The Electric Gods do indeed make love.

 

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SCORCH TRIO: LUGGUMT (Rune Grammofon)
On “Luggumt”, guitarist Raoul Björkenheim's Scorch Trio play with even more intensity than on their self-titled debut CD. There is plenty of contrast, though. “Synnja Vegga” is beautifully skeletal piece and “Brennj Fynnj” skittering and intricate, but one of the reasons this collection is so successful is that Björkenheim really leads from the front, his playing galvanising his fellow trio members. On the title track, Håker Flaten turns to wah-wah fuzz bass and, in tandem with Björkenheim's buzzing guitar, introduces it like one of those ominous, snarling live improvisations by King Crimson circa 1973. The bassist then switches to an ebullient, irregular pulse, while Björkenheim turns up to 11, flips his wig and launches off into a wah-frenzy. Here Scorch Trio come over like Lifetime, or maybe Mahavishnu Orchestra at their most unfettered. As Nilssen-Love starts to lock into a superspeed pattern punctuated by clattering rimshots and towering snare rolls, they demonstrably share the cerebal grasp of abstracted form and flow, allied with the ecstatic freedom that characterised James Blood Ulmer«s Music Revelation Ensemble. That's lavish praise, but it's thoroughly deserved.

 —The Wire (UK)

 

This is the second dynamic disc from Scorch Trio and we haven't heard a power trio this amazing since the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream or maybe even the Nels Cline Singers! “Luggumt” explodes right from the beginning and is an immensely powerful offering. When we played it loud in our store last Saturday afternoon, everyone in the store (including guitarist Andy Summers from the Police) jumped and screamed with delight saying, “Who the fuck is this!?!” This righteous platter begins and ends with a fire-spitting electric guitar power trio eruption that will knock you off your feet. The three central pieces quiet things down a bit, yet remain spirited and inventive throughout, often spooky and filled with suspense. Raoul really knows how to make his guitar talk, scream and blast away the doldrums of modern life. Ingebrigt and Paal are a perfect match and also never cease to amaze us as well.
—Downtown Music Gallery (US)

Björkenheim borrows from as different sources as John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock but without stealing from any of them. The rhythm section is one of the tightest in free music, and in trio with Raoul they revolt against the power of the habit. “Luggumt” is a raw display of a musical direction sadly hidden for many, and a living documentation of impro. Superior! 6/6.
—Aftenposten (NO)

For those of us thinking that the raw power in guitarbased rock music disappeared sometime in the seventies, or that jazzrock drifted away in endless soloing, the second album from Scorch Trio is a very welcome acquaintance. They are masters when it comes to follow the energy flow and to build up towards a climax and then pull back when that is needed. Raoul Björkenheim is stripped of exhibitionism and attacks the sound pallette of the guitar from many different angles, while Nilssen-Love delivers intense freeform drumming and Håker Flaten is a solid but flexible base. 6/6.
—Bergens Tidende (NO)

The trio continues where they left off with their critically acclaimed debut album, with powerful, heavy jazz. Distorted guitarsound and unstoppable drive from bass and drums give an impression of a full blow-out at first listening, but after a while one senses sveral layers of dynamics, also in the heavier tunes. A bluesy tune like “Furskuntj” does justice to comparisons with Jimi Hendrix, but that is only one of several possible references in this varied expression.
—VG (NO)

Now we don't need to speculate any more. Now we know what Jimi Hendrix could have delivered had he fought his way out of the hippie clothes and into the free sound of Miles Davis, jazz and experimental rock. Scorch Trio shows us this road on their second release, “Luggumt”. What makes it so liberating to lend ears to “Luggumt” is the wonderful combination of old tricks and new ideas. Hereby recommended to anyone who can imagine a musical meeting of Jimi Hendrix and Supersilent.
—Panorama (NO)

One listen to “Kjøle Høle” on Scorch Trio's sophomore effort, “Luggumt”, and you quickly realize that this may be one of the most aptly-named groups on the scene today. Blistering in its intensity, the trio combines the searing energy of a rock power trio with the broadest freedom and exploration that jazz has to offer. Kind of like Jimi Hendrix meets Albert Ayler, but with a more elastic Scandinavian time sense.
—Allaboutjazz (US)

Björkenheim's playing is edgy to the bone with a power any rock band will envy him. On top of that he is a very searching improvisor who is constantly challenging himself, his bandmembers and not least us who are invited to listen. Their debut album more than suggested that this was a trio that would find it's own territory somewhere between free jazz and free rock (is there such a thing?), and with “Luggumt” comes the confirmation. Both rock clubs, jazz clubs and festivals should line up to hire this explosive package, a more vibrant musical piece of dynamite will be hard to find anywhere these days.
—Puls (NO)

There is a leaden, desperate sense of transcendence to the trio's performance as though they are intent upon grinding everything into dust before they depart. There's an exhilarating grandeur to workouts such as “Kjøle Høle” and “Furskunjt”, and a spine-tingling thrill to the ghost town ambiences of pieces such as “Sunnja Vega”.
—Jazzwise (UK)

Finnish composer Raoul Björkenheim has teamed up with Norwegian rhythm duo Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love to form one of the most powerful trio's you'll ever lay ears too. When the three form together they create Scorch Trio, which becomes an unruly monster that is barely contained within a recording studio. They pump out a molten blend of rock and jazz that only be described by their name alone. On their second release, these three musicians create a dense piece of work that will not only knock you over with their talent but will also hook you with their subtle textures and understanding of composition. Any fan of Don Cab, Nels Cline, John Coltrane, or Miles Davis will feel right at home with Scorch Trio. It's an amazing and exhausting ride, but I'll be damned if I didn't reach right over, press play, and ask for more.
—Indieworkshop (US)

Finnish composer and guitarist Raoul Björkenheim burns it up with this power trio tour de force. But don't expect Cream or Hendrix. Neither jazz nor rock nor a hybrid thereof, Luggumt represents a new direction in guitar music. Another triumph for this fine Norwegian label.
—Playboy (US)

Björkenheim is in very fine shape, switching from Hendrixian anthemic playing in the title track to Mahavishnu Orchestra era McLaughlin speed fusion in Kjøle Høle, the high-octane number of the set. That 15-minute chunk alone is worth the price of admission, with its sizzling guitar lines and thunderous rhythm section. Flaten and Nilssen-Love seem to grow tighter every year and their performances here exemplify the fact that they have become one of the most exciting free jazz rhythm sections this side of William Parker and Hamid Drake. The strength of this trio resides in the ability of all three musicians to freely experiment and fall back on fusion jazz positions in a seamless way, and they do it better here than on their first album.
—All Music Guide (US)

This second meeting, Luggumt, follows on the footsteps of the aforementioned initial encounter, yet this six-song program looks to varied terrains that are bookended by two epic, sonic blowouts. From the outset, the trio blazes briskly on the rollicking, “Kjøle Høle”, commencing with a trashy, Hendrix-inspired guitar riff that signals that the listener better buckle his or her belt. Björkenheim literally pulverizes his agonized, yet indefatigable guitar, as Nilssen-Love's tumultuous drumming coaxes further scrumptious abuse and Håker Flaten keeps the loose rhythms pumping along. Finally, the group concludes this dense program with another astonishing performance, “Luggumt”. Commencing with Björkenheim's extended lines, the group eventually locks in as Nilssen-Love and Håker Flaten work up a fine lather, over which molten guitar soars and glides with an overflowing vigor. Luggumt, then, is another strong release from this wonderful avant-fusion cooperative that is truly in a class of its own.
—One Final Note (US)

Rounded out by the formidable rhythm section of bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love (both members of Mats Gustafsson's the Thing, among countless other credits), Scorch Trio produce a particularly ornery form of incendiary fusion, a hybrid strain that bears nearly as much resemblance to overdriven rock trios like Cream or Band of Gypsies as it does to avant-jazz guitarists such as Sonny Sharrock and Nels Cline.
—Pitchforkmedia (US)

While Björkenheim's playing reveals a strong kinship with Sonny Sharrock and John McLaughlin, Hendrix's presence looms most vividly on this outing. “Kjøle Høle” erupts out of the gate with a blues-based, free-form attack, all flailing drums and searing guitar rawness, Björkenheim at one moment channeling Robert Fripp's piercing tone and in the next annihilating it with burning squalls of psychedelic wah-wah. The intensity level is volcanic and, while the track threatens to derail in its most frenetic moments, the trio holds it together with the rhythm section somehow managing to follow the guitarist's incendiary lead. When the piece winds down to a scorched close, it echoes Coltrane's A Love Supreme as it enters calmer waters during its last quarter. After that ear-splitting overture, the relative calm of the introspective “Synnja Vegga” comes as a relief, with the trio conjuring an explorative soundscape of creaks, groans, and scrapes. The cover's dark skull etching offers a visual analogue to the playing within, so be forewarned: Luggumt is one challenging and occasionally ferocious trip that continually shifts between episodes of control and chaos. Cross the wailing spirit of Hendrix with the experimental adventurousness of Coltrane and Miles and you'll have a pretty good impression of its bold and intense sound.
—Stylusmagazine (US)

 

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RAOUL BJÖRKENHEIM and LUKAS LIGETI: SHADOWGLOW (Tum Records)

Improvised guitar and drums, sometimes prepared, sometimes something else (trisonic steel guitar? electric viola da gamba? Chinese tam-tam?). Each piece is built around a trick, perhaps an exotic rhythm Ligeti picked up on his African travels. But Björkenheim doesn't just tease odd sounds from his axes: He knows his power chords, and forges his lines with a deeply metallic tone.
—Village Voice (US)

...Raoul Björkenheim's guitar work represents a mature extension of his presence as a leading guitarist in the Finnish and European experimental jazz and free improvisation movement. Very listenable, engaging, free improvisation, music that speaks of purity, and fragility, beauty, expansion, world community, and imagination, spinning out of intensive commitment to playing.
—the-improviser.com (US)

...Björkenheim coaxes, tears and bows a vast range of sounds out of his guitar: from needling stabs, superfast runs and angry squalls to notefalls like scree scattering down a mountainside. At times his tone is all (heavy) metallic howling, at others it's the spirit brother to a mbira.
—Jazzwise (US)

Björkenheim and Ligeti know their instruments through and through and use their skills on this recording to create a truly broad range of tonal colors. The music shifts from wild interaction to gentle moods, and the interplay between the two musicians is dazzling.
—Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)

Shadowglow consists of 12 concise chunks of bite-size improvisational energy, touching upon aspects of Javanese gamelan, surf-rock cadences, art/prog-rock its most pugnacious (think King Crimson and the little-known avant-fusion classic album by Quiet Sun, Mainstream) and keening blues slide guitar. This is ÒfreeÓ music that can rock.
—JazzReview.com

 

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SCORCH TRIO (Rune Grammofon)

The whole session exudes confidence.The trio's level of integration far outstrips its existence as an entity, telepathically divining when to drive towards critical mass and when to allow space into the proceedings. And the scope of their improvisational ideas is breathtaking. To be able to both listen and react at this level of intensity is a rare gift. Quite simply, this is joyous music, with a spirit very much akin to The Mahavishnu Orchestra's The Inner Mounting Flame. What the trio will be capable of when they have had time to draw breath is a truly exciting prospect.
—The Wire (UK)

That Raoul Björkenheim belongs with the very best of guitarists, is old news. That it should be the Norwegian brotherhood of rhythm that should get the best out of him, now seems kind of predestined. Björkenheim is beyond technical and empty illusionist playing and creates dark epics with plenty of substance. Flaten's bass playing points back to the healthy parts of seventies progressive jazz, to the good times before it became a sport. Nilssen-Love is eruptive, keen and devoted and at their best they sound unrivalled. They have caught a tradition that very few have the capacity to renew, and have given it wings. 6/6.
—Aftenposten (NO)

Raoul Björkenheim is a guitar wizard and with bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love he stirs a very powerful magic potion. A musical mix where free improvisation, experimental rock, jazzrock and free jazz are some of the ingrediences. 6/6.
—VG (NO)

Traces from Hendrix as well as Sonic Youth. Listen to "Säde" you pay a visit to New York's avantgarde rockscene. But this is no copy of yesterdays kings, this trio stand firmly on their own feet. The groove is impressive, it really hits you, and rhytmically it´s perfect. They are never temptet to become inwardlooking or selfcentered. It's a very open record that invites you into an exciting musical world.
—Spot (NO)

Björkenheim, like his Norwegian friends, has a very open approach when it comes to making music. It´s not diffficult to hear that he has his roots in both Hendrix and Zappa on one hand, and Coltrane, Miles and Mingus on the other. But he uses these, and other sources, to express himself in a totally unique way, one moment being highly melodic and groovy, then shifting to more aggresive and challenging moods.
—Puls (NO)

What immediately hits you about the music of the Scorch Trio is their raw intensity and singularity of purpose. Guitarist Björkenheim brings a passion for Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman to this guitarist trio format. Backing Björkenheim is one of the hottest rythm sections in jazz today. As displayed here, their energy is apparently unlimited. Björkenheim conjures the spirit of Sonny Sharrock´s search and destroy sound on the 13-minute opening track as Nilssen-Love plays at a frenzied pace. From there the pace rarely slows. They hammer through "Taalus" and the odessey of nearly twelve minutes of "XXX". Björkenheim is in full control of his guitar effects be they the eerie atmospheric ambiance heard on "Vittula" or the James Ulmer blues of "Salaa", perhaps the highlight of this session.
—All About Jazz (US)

Another classic from Rune Grammofon. An exceptional record by three fantastic musicians. On "Saala" Håker Flatens repeating and developing riff and Nilssen-Loves swinging time makes a perfect groove that could go on for ever without ever becoming boring. A height both in Rune Grammofon´s incredible catalogue as well as in the musicians many sided careers. You have to hear it!
—Groove (NO)

A red-hot power-house of a CD, absolutely bursting with passion and energy. The music is highly charged, and at times ferociously delivered, yet keeping well away from the white noise cop out of some bands. You´ll not find a more passionate album for a long while, but handle with care these boys are hot.
—Straight No Chaser (UK)

The extraordinary thing about this record is the mix of variety and focus. Björkenheim uses his guitar in a melodic, percussive and textural way, going from a deconstructed Larry Coryell to an absurd country-Frisell, a scary Holdsworth or simply a mental R2-D2. But while doing all this he manages, as the composer he truly is, to treat the material in an interesting way. He lets the elements breathe and develop and float down the river that is Flaten and Nilssen-Love. And what a ride it is.
—Jazznytt (NO)

The music is incredibly energetic and complex, demonstrating a perfect understanding and respect of each other´s role. While Björkenheim is the most experienced of the three, he doesn´t hesitate one moment to let his rhythmic session take the lead and set up the pace before applying his expertise. This results in a perfectly balanced yet powerful and assertive performance. The trio generate some amazing moments, touching a wide range of genres, from free improvisations to experimental rock.....takes the listener to the forefront of jazz experimentation while remaining accessible.
—The Milk Factory (UK)

Björkenheim turns his solos inside out, twisting into strange shapes, switching pitches and apeing the sound of hammered metal tubing. This is the power trio genre goaded into its most savage expression yet.
—Amazon (UK)

A most remarkable album and one to put the cause of guitar fusion light years ahead of most competitors in the field.
CD Services (UK)

One mighty headfuck of an album.
—Silver Juice (UK)

The wide assortment of riffs, rhythms and textures give the listener more than enough to chew on -- and be captivated by. The Scorch Trio provides music that is alternately experimental and hardcore and quite often both. It's a highly satisfying combination.
—Sonomu (UK)

Scotch Trio certainly inhabit the same freewheeling planes as Ornette Coleman inspired fusionists Sonny Sharrock and Blood Ulmer. Raw, bluesy and infused with freespirited improvisation, their music is a thrill. As the album unfolds, the players explore a wide range of moods, textures and connections, with every track holding a different appeal.
—Jazzwise (UK)

This is some of the most exciting and abrasive trio playing released this year and is a noticeable addition to the work of all three players. If ever the term "power trio" needed a definition then this is where you'd find it.
—World Music Portal (UK)