It’s hard to tell why so many inventive, electronic-instrumental mixtures come from Norway – but that is the case. Before I’ve marveled at a CD called “Red Shift Swing” by Alog on Rune Grammofon, and here’s another great example; “8 – 10 December 1998” on Albedo Records by a group calling themselves J. K. L., which is short for Jørgen Træen, Knut Vaage and Lars-Erik ter Jung.

The music is impossible to categorize, but I’ll say something about it anyway! From the info on the sleeve it is apparent that these good old boys were improvising in the studio. The violinist – ter Jung – is said to participate with violin treatments, and of course the pianist – Vaage – engages in piano treatment. The third party - Træen - is simply immersing himself in electronic treatment. It’s wonderful, no matter how they do it!

From the crudest noise sounds the music shapes up and falls out into the softest, wobbliest romantic piano-violin cooperation, arriving at a submarine soundscape worthy of Gavin Bryar’s “The Sinking of the Titanic”, and actually resembling that piece for a while, while static appears around the soft-spoken instrumentalism in deep waters

Soon enough a much more futuristic scape loads at the back of the room though, and a machine-like, intricate and violent rhythm takes hold of you, in the vein of Luciano Berio’s “Eindrücke”. That later deteriorates beautifully into sounds that could have sprung from The Too Much Too Soon Orchestra, but nowhere along the line is there a lack of musicality. It all takes off nicely and moves relentlessly across the moors, towards who knows what kind of ill fate. The sound gets cut up and only fragments scatter all over the place – until Pierre Schaeffer-like treatments of the piano merges with piano-actions stolen directly from the ideas of Iancu Dumitrescu and Horatiu Radulescu. You name it – we like it!!!

You may think that there is only so much you can do with a piano and a violin, but you are wrong! When Stockhausen-like short-wave sounds join in, you almost freak out! These guys know their contemporary music history, and they are capable of utilizing it in new and unexpected combinations. Holy smoke! Even Ross Bolleter gets homaged when the piano resembles his weatherworn outback Australian bar piano!

We are mighty impressed here, and we don’t easily get moved. This is one of the finest crazed sound adventures I’ve got lost in since Alog’s CD mentioned above, Ernesto Diaz-Infante’s & Chris Forsyth’s “Left & Right” (Pax Recordings) and Matthew Ostrowski’s “Vertebra” (Pogus Productions) – so these three Norwegians are in good company indeed!