After successful collaborations with prestigious guests like Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi and the widely acclaimed Fire! Orchestra release earlier this year our Swedish friends are back as a trio, lighting up a sonic blaze of rock based riffs and hypnotic jazz-psychedelia. As far from noodling instrumentals as it’s possible to get, the tracks are spontaneously combusting rituals with a clear sense of purpose.
Each of the three members is gifted with a formidable technique and arsenal of tricks and effects on their respective instruments, and the album also sees acclaimed saxophonist Mats Gustafsson boosting his already versatile skills, by swapping to Fender Rhodes and electronics on selected tracks.
The oddly cut-up titles are lifted and inspired by Smog founder Bill Callahan’s letters to Emma Bowlcut, recently published in a volume by Chicago label Drag City. The strategy gives an insight into the broadminded frame of reference of this eclectic trio. With all three members pulling in elements from free jazz, ambient improvisation and electronic music, their music has reached a new confidence and intensity.
Released: 16.08.13
Their first statement since the 30-piece Fire! Orchestra´s monumental “Exit!” was released at the n´beginning of this year, (without noticing) finds the Swedish trio hunkering back down to tight, aerodynamic grooves. By now, after five albums in four years, bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin have perfected a no-nonsense approach to the rhythm section, which reanimates the corpse of heavy late 1960s early 70s blues rock in the vein of Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath: Berthling holds down lumbering, brontosaurus riffs with enough architectural immovability to afford Werliin the chance to flit around with a tightly-reined lightness, without ever deminisihing the impact. Over this, sax-man Mats Gustafsson calls forth mournful, dirge-like moans that add dramatic depth, before opening out into the kind of caustic blasts Steve McKay added to The Stooges “Fun House”, before spiralling inevitably up into raw, bleeding altissimo.
Wallentin’s husband and Wildbirds & Peacedrums partner Andreas Werliin crops up as a third of FIRE!, who also feature Mats Gustafson (The Thing) and Johan Berthling (Tape). (without noticing), their new album, has titles inspired by letters written by Smog’s Bill Callahan. Returning to the trio format after the much-expanded line-up of last year’s Exit, (without noticing) infuses Albert Ayler’s abandonment with the relentlessness of doom metal. Powerful and persuasive.
The Artsdesk (UK)
Electricity crackles within these muscular workouts provided by Gustafsson´s own turbulently jolting keyboard work. Fire!´s rhythm section of Johan Berthling on bass and Andreas Werliin on drums provide a monolithically solid structure over which Gustafsson shrieks the horn fantastic. These releases prove once again that in Fire! and The Thing he has two of the finest power trios working in the modern jazz-rock field.
Rock-a-Rolla (UK)
Fire! ist “fire music” aus dem Feuerofen um den schwedischen Saxophonisten Mats Gustafsson. Trotz Heavyness und High-Octan-Power in den Zonen von Rock, Free Jazz, Ambient und lmprovisation wird hier nicht einfach Free-Lärm produziert, sondern kommen musikalische Strukturen und eine formbewusste Dynamik zum Tragen… Die Musik brennt, aber sie lässt einem auch Zeit zum Glühen.
Jazz´n´More (DE)
…Werlin und vor allem Gustafsson kulturvieren darüber das Spiel der freien Kräfte, entfalten den Vorwärtsdrang, brechen auf zu neuen Ufern wildromantischer Schönheit. Hohe Dichte und enorme Leidenschaft kennzeichnen dieses Kilowatt-Ensemble und seinen unvergleichlichen Gruppensound. Die Poesie des Powerjazz, im internationalen Vergleich eine Rarität… Und im Gegensatz zu einigen Freejazz-Hardlinern halte ich Gustafssons Kampfelektronik durchaus für bemerkenswert bzw. sachdienlich für dieses ausserordentliche Kraftpaket, weil sie die Energie und die Geisteshaltung des Punk, die Mats Gustafsson innewohnen, hervorragend in den Fire!-Kontext transportiert. Gute Güte, was für eine prachtvolle Band. Peace and Fire!
Freistil (AT)
Fire! har etablert seg som et nyskapende band og er nå tilbake som ren trio etter flere samarbeidsprosjekter. De tre svenskene debuterte med et stringent og fascinerende uttrykk på albumet “You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago” i 2009, og det er dette de viderefører og utfordrer på “(Without Noticing)”. De plukker fra både rock og jazz og klarer å finne nye innfallsvinkler, skape nye rom. De formidler med en tilstedeværelse som farger opplevelsen. Saksofonist Mats Gustafsson har gjennom de siste årene utvidet sitt virke og anvender elektronikk, orgel og elektrisk piano. Det får musikken til å svulme. Bassist Johan Berthling har forstått hvordan et fåtall toner kan fortelle en stor historie. Andreas Werliin er fleksibel og dynamisk og gir trommene sentral plass. Dette bandet har 60-tallet i speilet, men kjører fremover uten nostalgi i bagasjen. Fire! bidrar til fortsatt spennende tider på det blomstrende skandinaviske samtidsfeltet. 5/6.
Aftenposten (NO)
Blandar man frijazz og rock med energin hos Fire! har det ju visat seg svårt att undvika. Men det är under tiden, när stubinen glöder och återantänds, som trion riktig excellerar. I “Molting Slowly (Without Noticing”) tänjer de ut intensiteten över ett långsamt, stapplande groove. I låten efter, liksom i början och slutet av skivan, bryter de av bitar av ond distorsion, som samtidig har en särskild skönhet. Gustafsson laborerar effektivt med fler ljudkällor än saxofoner. Men det är Berthlings basgångar som är själva stubinen.
Dagens Nyheter (SE)
Fire! is a the Nordic experimental supergroup formed in 2009 by the core trio of Mats Gustafsson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass guitar) and Andreas Werlin (drums) who joined together to develop a fresh approach to improvised music drawing on influences from free jazz, psychedelic rock, and noise.
