The elegance and complex delicacy of contemporary classical music and the drive and energy of jazz-rooted improvisation cross characteristics in the very special duo formed by Belgian-born, but residing in Oslo, pianist Jonas Cambien and the Norwegian double bassist Adrian Myhr. A member of the chamber music ensemble Aksiom, Cambien can develop tachycardic and jumping lines like the ones we heard from Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor with the same naturality he takes us to the intrincate universes of Ligeti and Messiaen. And if his hands seem to melt over the keyboard, the moving preparations he proceeds when dealing directly with the guts of the piano are no less intriguing than the ones proposed by Benoît Delbecq or Denman Maroney. Myhr has a similar relationship with his instrument, using it as a laboratory of investigation, without forgetting its history outside the orchestral format. Listening to their respective performances with the bands Platform and Karokh (Cambien) and with music explorers like Tobias Delius, Axel Dorner and Tony Buck (Myhr) makes us understand – even before clicking in the Play bottom which drops us inside “Simiskina” – the motives for this encounter. Free improvised music few times seemed so focused, so clean of superfluous elements and so exquisite than in these selection of pieces. A must have, must listen.

All music by Simiskina

Recorded by Jonas Cambien at the Norwegian Academy of Music | Mixed by Johnny Skalleberg at Amper Tone | Mastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio
Produced by Simiskina | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos