In what concerns the domains of symbolical relationships, Jorgen Mathisen’s Instant Light is to astronomy what the Sun Ra Arkestra is to science fiction, and the titles of “Mayhall’s Object” compositions are illustrative of that difference: “Magellanic Cloud”, “MACS0647-JD” and “Neutron Star”, for instance, are clinical names for existing cosmic bodies, not the doors of perception to mythological worlds. This distinction also define the differences in relation to the free jazz format, and not only because Ra was one of its inventors and this Norwegian quartet is recreating it for the 21st century. In what concerns the music itself, the terms are inverted: the Arkestra contributed in the Sixties to find a new reality with bits and parts of the classical jazz roots; Mathisen, Slettevoll, Fiske and Andersen are changing it now, and necessarily using a good amount of fantasy and invention as much as those same classical jazz roots. For good reason: we don’t know, empirically, how it is a Magellanic cloud and music has always the property to remain mysterious. That’s why these four musicians involved in several projects and bands decided to add one more to their agendas: there’s always more music to discover and explore. Space isn’t the last frontier and for sure you can’t label it anymore as free jazz. This is the music coming after. After Sun Ra, after Philip K. Dick, and after the spectacular collision of Mayhall’s objects. It’ the music after the gathering of all forces, a music of light.

All compositions by Jørgen Mathisen

Recorded at Athletic sound on May 11th and 12th, 2018 by Dag Erik Johansen | Mixing and mastering by Christian Obermayer
Produced by Jørgen Mathisen | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos