Supereon: Phase I
Phase I introduces Supereon, a Norwegian trio whose debut captures the restless, exploratory spirit of the contemporary Scandinavian jazz scene. Formed in August 2024, the group brings together Alexander Hoholm on double bass, Martin Gjede on piano and Raymond Lavik on drums. Rather than presenting three voices in isolation, the album finds them operating as a remarkably cohesive unit, responding to one another through sound, texture and rhythm. The result is music that feels less composed than discovered in the moment, with each musician contributing to a fluid and constantly shifting sonic conversation.
The album opens with Phase I.A, an immediate statement of intent and a document of the trio’s very first studio improvisation. Driven by a distinctive groove introduced by Lavik, with bells activated by his left foot, the track establishes a hypnotic rhythmic pulse that becomes one of the album’s defining characteristics. Phase I.B shifts into darker, more introspective territory, allowing the music to breathe and take on a more shadowed atmosphere. By contrast, Phase I.C returns to the entrancing bell motif, placing it within a dense, deeply polyrhythmic framework. Together, the three pieces reveal the trio’s ability to turn simple rhythmic ideas into increasingly complex and absorbing musical forms.
There is something strikingly organic about Supereon’s approach. The music unfolds entirely through improvisation, with brief rhythmic motifs providing the initial spark from which each piece gradually takes shape. What begins as a simple gesture can expand into a richly layered sonic landscape, as repetition and variation shifts in texture generate an almost imperceptible sense of movement. The influence of Steve Reich can be felt in the music’s rhythmic discipline, while the atmospheric and textural qualities of Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds provide another point of reference. Yet Supereon’s sound remains distinctly its own – immersive and hypnotic, balancing rhythmic momentum with a spacious, meditative quality.
Phase I feels less like a finished statement than the first glimpse of a larger musical vision taking shape. The album captures a shared intuition between three musicians who seem to instinctively understand when to follow, when to respond and when to leave space for the music to breathe. Its title is therefore more than a designation – it suggests a work in progress, the opening chapter of an evolving sonic journey.
Discography
Phase I.A; Phase I;B; Hold: Remain (22.58) – Fade; Phase I.C; Still; Drift (18.06)
Martin Sandvik Gjerde (p); Alexander Hoholm (b); Raymond Storaunet Lavik (d). Norway, June 2025.
Losen Records LOS3311
Møster!: Bolts
Bolts is the seventh album from Bergen-based Norwegian power quartet Møster!, led by reed player and composer Kjetil Møster. Recorded live over four intense days at Duper Studio, Bolts captures a band at its most instinctive, explosive and uncompromising. Produced in close collaboration with the “fifth Møster”, producer Jørgen Træen, the album feels less like a carefully constructed studio project and more like a document of a band pushing its music to the absolute limit.
Where their previous release, Springs (Action Jazz, 2024), revealed a band with a spring in every musical step – a record defined by finesse, intricate detail and adventurous arrangements – Bolts takes a more direct and physical approach. The music is heavier, sharper and more forceful, as if every idea has been hammered into place until it becomes completely solid. The album retains the raw energy and spontaneity of a band responding to one another in real time. Yet beneath the apparent immediacy is an extraordinary level of precision. Rhythms collide, textures shift and musical ideas constantly mutate, but nothing feels accidental. Træen’s production gives the performances enough space to breathe while preserving their sheer weight and intensity.
Bolts is therefore not simply a continuation of Springs, but a statement in its own right. It is the sound of a band stripping its music down to its most powerful elements and forging something uncompromising from them. Fierce, dynamic and relentlessly inventive, Bolts confirms that Møster! occupy a territory entirely of their own. Bolts perhaps comes closest to capturing the visceral experience of Møster! live, with its massive, physical sound seeming to vibrate through the body and linger long after the music has stopped. It is intense but deeply immersive, an invigorating experience that makes a strong case for hearing this music at full volume and in the flesh.
[In case anyone was wondering, Møster’s musical style is, according to the band’s publicist, a “blend of electric jazz, psychedelic rock and free music”. – Ed.]
Discography
Desert Ride; Small Bubbles of Light (18.55) – Not A Signal But A Door; Rippling Circles; Bearings (21.51)
Kjetil Møster (s); Hans Magnus Ryan (g); Nikolai Hængsle (b); Kenneth Kapstad (d). Norway, August 2025.
Action Jazz AJ016LP
