As brilliant as their previous album "Enter" is, with "Ritual" they have outdone themselves and produced a beast of beauty and power, extremely well executed, beautifully recorded and produced from only two days in the studio. Free improvisations, spontaneous horns, keyboard frenzy, abstract electronics, guitar mayhem and not to forget; those glorious twin voices of Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg. It´s about mysteries and rituals; in music and in life.
Fire! originated as the trio of Swedish improv masters Mats Gusfasson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass) and Andreas Werliin (drums). None of them are what you could call jazz purists; they all play in many different groups and contexts, including The Thing (Gustafsson), experimental folk-electronica outfit Tape (Berthling), and skewed blues-pop unit Wildbirds & Peacedrums (Werliin). Sofia Jernberg and Mariam Wallentin have been on board since the beginning, the same goes for horn players Niklas Barnö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mats Äleklint, Per Åke Holmlander and Anna Högberg. Basically a Swedish ensemble, the orchestra now also counts Norwegian, Danish and French players. Members of Fire! Orchestra share a wide background, combining jazz, improvised music, contemporary music, rock, garage, psych, and what have you. As they proclaim on their site: "Please make up your own genre and mind - listen freely - don´t buy our labeling attempts... labeling sucks". A sentiment that basically sums up Rune Grammofon as well, so we couldn´t agree more.
released April 29, 2016
Fire! Orchestra is like a forever evolving organism. 2025 will see a new version of the band, playing the new program WORDS.
Line-up:
Sofia Jernberg (vocals);
David Sandström (vocals and drums);
Anna Lindal (violin and string arrangements);
Anna Neubert (violin);
Emily Wittbrodt (cello);
Mats Gustafsson (baritone sax, live electronics and conduction);
Mette Rasmussen (baritone and alto sax);
Anna Högberg (baritone and alto sax);
Adia Vanheerentals (tenor and soprano sax);
Mats Äleklint (trombone and horn arrangements);
Heida Karine Johannesdottir (tuba and electronics);
Susana Santos Silva (trumpet);
Lina Allemano (trumpet);
Julien Desprez (guitar and vocals);
Alexander Zethson (piano and keyboards);
Mariam Rezaei (turntables and electronics);
Johan Berthling (bass);
Mads Forsby (drums);
Maria Portugal (drums and vocals);
Mikael Werliin (sound).
Brutal heaviness, furiously fast crack, intense groove, extreme dynamics, immense beauty. (…) in a concert with Fire Orchestra, everything can be found, not infrequently all in one and the same song. (…) It is, as always, incredibly impressive. (Rasmus Klockljung, Lira)
