AAJ Review: Erik Honoré, Heliographs

[jkelman]

My review of Erik Honoré's Heliographs, today at All About Jazz.

If patience is a virtue, then Erik Honoré is, indeed, one virtuous man. Over the past few decades he's built a busy career as a novelist and record producer in his home country of Norway, and has come to increasing international attention as co-Artistic Director of the Punkt Live Remix festival—that globe-trotting festival with a philosophy that is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in its hometown of Kristiansand in September, 2014. He's also become a more active participant on recordings over the past few years, performing on recordings by trumpter Arve Henriksen like Cartography (ECM, 2008) and Places of Worship (Rune Grammofon, 2013); with fellow Punkt co-Artistic Director Jan Bang on ...and poppies from Kandahar (SamadhiSound, 2010) and Narrative from the Subtropics (Jazzland, 2013); and shared the marquee with Bang on Uncommon Deities (SamadhiSound, 2012) and life partner/singer Greta Aagre on the more song-based Year of the Bullet (Jazzland, 2012). But he's never released an album under his own name until now, and if it's been a long wait and very gradual lead-up to the keyboardist/sampler/producer's Heliographs, it also brings to mind another adage: that good things come to those who wait—except that, in this case, it's not just a good thing, it's a very, very good thing.

Joining Honoré on his leader debut is a mix of Norwegian musicians, many of whom have been active participants at the Punkt Festival since its inception in 2005, including perennials Bang, Henriksen, guitarist Eivind Aarset and singer Sidsel Endresen, along with occasional attendee, percussionist Ingar Zach. Dutch violinist Jeffrey Bruinisma guests on "Red Café"—largely driven by Honoré's spare synth bass and only occasionally augmented with additional string samples and hints of flutes buried in the mix, it's one of most spartan and, most importantly, grounded pieces on an ethereal, nine-piece recording that often feels as though it was made either on or under water—and that's not a criticism; it's a wonderfully evocative sensation that Honoré has somehow managed to achieve from his decades of experience working in the studio.

Continue reading here...

[battema]

This is definitely one that I will own & love. Just need to sort out the best way to snag a copy from this side of the pond...

[interbellum]

Seems like an interesting discovery to make. B.t.w. I didn't see the band Velvet Belly mentioned. Honoré was involved as producer and musician.

[jkelman]

Seems like an interesting discovery to make. B.t.w. I didn't see the band Velvet Belly mentioned. Honoré was involved as producer and musician.

If i were to mention all the groups Erik has produced, I'd need a much longer review

But this is no real "discovery" for me, per se; having attended the last 8 years of Punkt (have to skip this year for health reasons, sadly) - and having spent up to 4 weeks/year in Norway since 2009 - I am very familiar with the scene there. I've been very fortunate and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity.