Eternal Return - Past Present & Tortusa
An Orchestra of Three.
This exciting collaboration represents a new wave of upcoming musicians that incorporate electronics and live sampling in their expression. Past Present & Tortusa capture the resonant vibes of their acoustic instruments, add Tortusa's unique textural voicings and sonic manipulations, and together make a unique sound with a strong identity.
'Eternal Return' is a dystopian tale told in three chapters. It starts with the track 'Nowhere' representing a beautiful utopian dream, followed by 'Black Mist', where conflict and despair have become a norm, and the final chapter, 'Dawn of Hope', brings light and hope for a new and better future. The album has a meditative, darkly ruminative quality where the trio examines the depth and breadth of every mood the music conjures. They leave no stone unturned. This is a true organic experience built by collective improvisation with some composed sections interleaved to bring a narrative coherence to the whole album.
The trio consists of three experienced musicians with many previous collaborations and accolades. Tortusa has been making music together with Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang, and was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy for his solo album released on Jazzland Recordings in 2016. Simen Kiil Halvorsen and Alexander Hoholm have recently released an album with saxophone player Andrew D'Angelo, and all three of them have received several awards and grants for their musical productions.
Cover photo taken by Tortusa/John Derek Bishop.
Personnel:
Simen Kiil Halvorsen - Trumpet
Alexander Hoholm - Upright Bass
Tortusa - Live Sampling