Oppenhagen plays electric guitar with various assorted electronic effects and has a line up here with keyboards, double bass, drums and two percussionists on board. The music is of the otherworldly, exotic electronic variety featuring esoteric percussion and the leader’s own guitar excursions on every track. Triangular is first off, and has a long, spiralling guitar solo enhanced by varied percussive effects, bass and drums.
The second track is Fragments which indeed would serve as a good description for the complete programme. The idea here, I think, is to produce various moods of tranquility through music from the soft-focus guitar, electrics and sundry percussion effects. This works quite well although the guitar and piano solos often have an ongoing, incomplete air about them.
On side two the composition A Certain Uncertainty does live up to its name with hesitant solo forays and a continuous piano chord played all through with occasional additional notes added. On the title track Whereabouts, keyboard man Zukanovik gets at last to play a full and, as it turns out, warm, lyrical piano solo before Oppenhagen returns to add his own guitar solo slot. Anthem is arguably the best piece, a gentle, flowing melody that spotlights a long, smooth bass solo with just a whisper of brushes on drums behind him. Reed tracks have been dubbed in on one selection and possibly more, but the variety of assembled percussion effects makes it difficult to tell for sure.
This is certainly exotic mood music with an emphasis on electronics and percussion. The improvised guitar and piano solos provide the main jazz content. Christensen’s bass lines are solid throughout.
Discography
Triangular; Fragments; Out On A Limb; For Keeps; A Certain Uncertainty; Whereabouts; Anthem (44.28)
Krogh (elg); Adi Zakanovic (kyb); Anders Christensen (b); Jacob Hoyer (d); Greta Eacott, Victor Dybbroe (pc); Lars Greve (reeds). Copenhagen, 14 & 15 May 2018.
April Records Apro79
