Show Description
"...an hypnotic trip through percussive ragas, electro-acoustic scree and Morricone-like dreamscapes."
-MOJO (UK)
"...they alternate between brief Americana-esque instrumentals and lengthier excursions into fast, fluid motion, attaining trance-velocity like some rare amalgam of Miles Davies, Steve Reich and early Tortoise."
-ROCK-A-ROLLA (UK)
Norway’s Huntsville delves further into an adventurous crossbreed of rock, drones, country, jazz and electro-acoustic improvisation. After their 2006 debut “for the middle class” (Rune Grammofon) Boston Weekly wrote: «armed with a banjo, a double bass, a pedal steel, a bizarre tabla machine, shruti boxes and a fondness for freeing folk from its folk songs — from Santa Fe to Bombay.» Huntsville’s unexpected sounds and textures, allied with echoes of traditional genres in a radical new conceptual language have been described as abstract drone Americana and yoga country.
On their second album, the double release “eco, arches & eras” (Rune Grammofon, 2008), they dig even deeper into their striking and original sound world – this time with riffing electric guitars, hard-hitting drums and their secret weapon: a drone commander...
Huntsville had special guests during the making of “eco, arches & eras”. Norwegian singer Sidsel Endresen joined in on one track, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche (both of Wilco) visited Huntsville on an hour-long track captured live in 2007.
Ivar Grydeland – guitars, banjo, pedal steel guitar, etc
Tonny Kluften – bass, double bass, bass pedals, rhythm machine
Ingar Zach – sruti box, tabla machine, drone commander, percussion
The Sound Wiz – sounds
"Their instrumental tides incorporate stray elements of folk, jazz, and country with an impressively gentle touch"
-Pitchfork.com
"This group advanced a series of tuneful provocations, self-contained and pregnant with detail. And it balanced precision against a spirit of wonder."
-Nate Chinen, The New York Times
Opsvik & Jennings is a New York-based experimental chamber-pop twosome formed in 2003. Jennings, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, focuses his energy mainly on song-writing and unusual guitar and banjo parts for the band. Opsvik, who grew up in Oslo, Norway, has made a name for himself primarily as a bassist in NYC, but also as a composer, record producer, and general multi-instrumentalist. Perhaps, in part, their unique sound is a result of their different backgrounds and inspirations - Jennings has a quirky melodic sensibility stemming from his interest in a wide range of old and new pop music, while Opsvik is heavily involved in the improvised music scene and finds inspiration in his classical training. But they feed off each other in creative ways and use these differences to their advantage. For this live show, Opsvik & Jennings get assistance from their friends; Dave, Brian and Rich.
Eivind Opsvik - bass, synthesizer
Aaron Jennings - guitar
Rich Johnson - trumpet, laptop
Brian Drye - organ, piano, trombone
Dave Christian - drums
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