Solid Ether [IMPORT]

Nils Petter Molvaer

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 23, 2001)
• Original Release Date: January 23, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Ecm Import
• ASIN: B00004T2FX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,837 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Nils Petter Molvaer is a young Norwegian trumpeter whose allegiances lie less with Miles Davis than with the sonic architecture of ambient, jungle, and drum 'n' bass dance grooves. But since this is an ECM recording, you'd expect him to take a more abstract and ethereal approach, and he does. With the CD recorded in 1999 and only now released in the U.S., Molvaer is a little late to the fair, coming behind other electronica trumpeters including Tim Hagans, Jon Hassell, and Ben Neill, but his original approach to electronica groove creation, including mixing live rhythm sections with programmed beats, keeps it fresh. Molvaer orchestrates some effective grooves on the menacing "Dead Indeed" and the doomsday song of "Ligotage," but his improvisations rarely appear on the same page. His rhythms are hot and nasty, but his solos are muzzled, as if he's ruminating on the elaborate electro-percussion orchestrations. It's a great sound on the many open-ended, rhythm-free atmospheres that emerge on the album, but when the rhythm locks in, Molvaer sticks with the abstract ECM vibe rather than kicking out the jams. Guitarist Eivind Aarset gets some raucous licks in on the title track, but muted and slurred, Molvaer is content to inhabit his terrain like a wraith. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All hail the New Fusion, October 10, 2000

By	Dirk Hugo (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews

Nils Petter Molvær's debut solo album "Khmer" revealed a knack for the combination of horn-based motifs with contemporary techno/electronica. "Solid Ether" goes a step further and fuses these elements into an homogenous and genre-defying offering that seeks the corruption of both stylistic and structural sensibilities. Jazz purists will hate it for its chunky beats and narrow minded dance phreaks will be put off by its unashamed musical complexity. Somewhere in the afterlife the ghost of Miles Davis is grooving to this album.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as good as "Khmer", July 25, 2000

By	Hank Schwab (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This is lovely, innovative stuff. The only problem is that it doesn't take off much from the direction set by "Khmer". It also contains two unfortunate pieces with lyrics, but they're short. However, these are minor complaints. The overall sound reminds me, if anything, of Jon Hassel and Brian Eno's collaboration twenty years ago, but essentially, this is music like no one else's. Buy "Khmer" first, then this if you're still hungry.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 17, 2000

By	Ventmo (Lakewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This is the follow-up to the award-winning "Khmer". Molvær's naked and lyrical trumpet stories are a little more dynamic this time around. Some electro-groove on a few songs and some beautiful piano and song (courtesy Sidsel Endresen) make for a varied listening experience. He has again found some beautiful melodies in his musical universe and plays them to the bone, whether he stands alone at the edge with his trumpet or in the middle of an inferno of electro-acoustical smoke and flames. Not quite what you would call jazz, but excellent none the less.