Khmer

I recently bought "Nordub" the extraordinary record of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare's meeting with Nils Petter Molvear featuring Eivind Aarset and Vladislav Delay. While I was familiar with the Jamaican reggae rhythm pairing of Sly & Robbie I didn't know anything about the Norwegian nu-jazzers: trumpeter Nils Petter Molvear and guitarist Eivind Aarset [or their fellow Norwegian, producer Vladislav Delay]. But based on "Nordub" [4 stars] it wasn't long before Nils Petter Molvear's solo debut "Khmer" [that just happened to be on my favourite record label ECM and coincidentally features Eivind Aarset] followed it through the letterbox and has been on heavy rotation for the last few weeks.The opener and title track "Khmer" is for me at least perhaps more redolent of Miles Davis at his experimental best than of the Angkorian Empireas Molvear blows his muted horn over an acoustic drumbeat, it's lovely but not as nu-jazz cerebrally challenging as I had imagined this album would be. But if the opener was tame by my expectations, then the nearly eight-minute second track "Tløn" doesn't disappoint as Molvaer and his boys mix it up with Molvear's trumpet and Morton Molster's guitar playing over a driving house beat, electronic pulses, samples and random artificially generated electronic sounds, the only way to describe this is wow! Third track "Access / Song of Sand I" is like many or the tracks slower with Rune Arnesen laying down a rock steady beat from his drums over which all manner of sounds and samples ebb and flow. Fourth track "On Stream" is another slower number but this time it's far simpler with a gorgeous trumpet sound from Molvaer and an equally gorgeous and warm solo from Molster's guitar played over Aarset's guitar, Ulf W.O. Holand's samples, and Molvaer's bass and samples."Platonic Years" starts in much the same vein, but crashes up a gear around the mid-point as the tempo (and volume) increase before returning to the original level, it's interesting but I can't say it's a favourite, but by contrast sixth track "Phum" is simple, it's so unassuming and laid-back that it's almost horizontal, and it's a favourite of mine as Molvaer solos over samples and Roger Ludvigsen's guitar before segueing into the heavier and fuller sound of penultimate track "Song of Sand II". Together these two form a luxurious two-part showpiece that sums up everything about this fusion of musical styles. The short final track "Exit" however is a disappointing with Molvaer only providing a percussion sample while Aarset and Ludvigsen bring their e-bow and acoustic guitars respectively.And that's it. "Khmer" wasn't Molvear's first release, there had been previous collaborations, feature appearances and a number of albums with the group Masqualero aka The Arild Andersen/Jon Christensen Quintet, but it was Molvear's solo debut as leader and composer and it's a wonderful mix of ECM's signature jazz sound and electronica; and as I listen to it I can't help but imagine that a fusion of jazz and ambient electronica would have been the natural next direction for Miles Davis.

Have been listening to this for years. Really nice to have it on vinyl at last. Recommended

"Ambient jazz trumpet" is the only way I can describe this album. Great, atmospheric background music.

First time I heard this album at Music Show exhibition and it was so interesting that I couldn't resist to ask who is the artist... Later on, I have searched around in the shops but no luck at all... Finally I found it on the Amazon (heh, where else could you find some interesting things?) and I ordered it immediately... What did also surprised me: it is very good quality of producing and recording... Warming recommendation... For enjoying on the sofa in the room, for relaxing or driving the car...

I did not have to wait long for the CD to arrive and it was better than I had hoped for after sampling tracks via You Tube. Some tracks reminiscent of Miles Davis -Highly recommended!

This was the Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer's first solo album, for which he had the privilege of debuting on the highly respected ECM label. The focus is his muted, and often electronically processed trumpet, which owes a huge debt to the work of Miles Davis in the 1970s and 1980s. Just as Miles navigated new directions, irritating traditionalists in the process, so too Molvaer sets off on a different tangent. Amidst the haunting oriental ambience of `Khmer', Molvaer incorporates styles and techniques borrowed from electronica, hip hop (and I don't mean rap!), and even rock, resulting in an album that has consistently featured in my listening repertoire for at least seven years. I have no doubt that Miles would have approved, and perhaps he too would have found inspiration in the sonic palette offered by modern electronica.

Good graphic, sophisticated, experimental, soothing, jarring, intriguing, inspiring - acquired taste. I like it. I will look for more recent music...

This album has rarely left my CD player since I purchased it in Norway nearly a year ago. Being a fan of Jan Garbarek, this album was recommended to me as a way into the latest jazz coming out of Scandinavia. Question - Would Miles Davis have been producing music like this if he had still been with us? Undoubtedly Davis consistenly pushed jazz forward and it is easy to see Davis moving into the electronic landscape that Molvaer now inhabits. Molvaer's music is powerful, moving and frequently challenging, but always highly rewarding. Molvaer's band are superb, with Eivind Aarset (whose Electronique Noire is also well worth a listen) providing amazing support on guitar and treatments. Song of Sand, Khmer and Tion stand out on this album, but I could hardly say the remaining tracks are anything less than excellent.If you are keen to explore the outer limits of jazz and have not yet heard this man, part with your money today!