quête:bound in fear

The Passage EP brings together two of the chief champions of far reaching sounds in AYBEE, and Lars Bartkuhn. Bartkuhn best known for his work with his iconic (NEEDS) imprint, and AYBEE for his boundary pushing ethos at (Deepblak). A project spawned of mutual love, and respect the two met at an impromptu jam performance at the Xjazz Fest where the seeds were planted for further collaboration. Committed to stretching out beyond tight parameters they sought to capture the spirit of the dance. As "The Astral Walkers" they set out to combine the fearless freedom of the Jazzfunk era with the endless possibilities within electronic music.

Double 180 gram, half-speed vinyl re-release of the orchestral epic. Norwegian Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed masterpiece «The Mechanical Fair» finally gets it's long awaited vinyl release

Jampacked with a wellspring of harmonic slingshots, pumping beats and melodic rollercoasters, critics called The Mechanical Fair «the best movie you'll never see» and drew comparisons to Igor Stravinsky's «The Rite of Spring» upon it's original release in 2014. It's apparent appeal to an surprisingly wide range of musical communities finally brought it right into DJ dance-wiz Todd Terje's hands. And make no mistake: the physicist hands doesn't settle for an iPad. It craves vinyl. His wholehearted endorsement led the captain of the Olsen Family to clear the rights, assemble his own killer remix and requisition Grammy-winning cutting engineer Matt Colton for a gorgeous double 180 gram, half-speed vinyl re-release of the orchestral epic.

Originally written for a quintet including heavily merited jazz cats Erik Nylander, Ole Morten Vågan, Petter Vågan and Even Helte Hermansen in 2013, The Mechanical Fair expanded at the initiative of the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, growing bolder and more powerful with the addition of the adventurous and Grammy-winning chamber orchestra The Trondheim Soloists in 2014.

Having just spearheaded seven genre-blending shows in just six days as the «Artist in Residence» of this years prestigious Molde International Jazz Festival, the multi award-winning Norwegian violinist/multiinstrumentalist, composer and producer Ola Kvernberg (35) can look back at an already impressive recording- and performing career. The once 17 year old jazz manouche violin sensation quickly and impatiently moved beyond the jazz realm for inspiration - resulting in seven albums as a solo artist, eight feature films as a movie score composer and countless additional recordings as a sideman. His list of collaborators range from jazz legends Pat Metheny and Joshua Redman, via post/prog-rock act Motorpsycho, to collaborations with world renowned novelists Lars Saabye Christensen and Jo Nesbø. His fearless attitude and relentless drive towards the boundaries of genres has given him a well-earned high standing on the Scandinavian scene today.

Don't miss out on this rollercoasting, genre-twisting magnum opus as it finally hits is true potential on the Olsen label on November 11 this fall.

Shadows aka AnD remerge after their unforgettable debut on Shifted's Avian imprint in 2012. The long awaited return finds its home on Leyla Records, in the form of four diverse yet cohesive experimental cuts that take the listener on a journey through the oppressive, the rhythmic, the funky and abrasive.

Fear Of The Imagination commences with a paranoid piece of intense, evolving noise and rhythmic splattering. A spellbinding sense of woozy psychedelia entrances the listener with deconstructed drums punctuating the piece. The improvisational feel to 'Leaves In The Wind' sets the precedence for the non-conformity that flows throughout the EP.

Track two, 'What If They Are Watching You' sits somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and The Sprawl, with rhythmic intensity greeting the listener immediately at 120 BPM. Masked and ominous vocals creep in and out as metallic sound design washes over the track.

Track three 'On A Mad Train' is possibly the groups most experimental piece to date. Droned out guitars and ascending synth lines create an progressive palette that maintains masterful musicality dowsed with menace.

The closer 'Lights Out' bursts with slapping synth lines and a distorted kick which acts as the frame for the bed of noise. An ideal closer for an EP that exudes originality on a label that continues to push the boundaries.