[Tweakism] - Audun Kleive
Audun Kleive returns to Jazzland Recordings with his first solo album since 2012's "Release". Where "Release" was largely an atmospheric album exploring the use of the electronic Wavedrum, with occasional excursions into beat-driven material, "[Tweakism]" is a return to the angular experimentation of his "Generator X" project, but this time he does so entirely solo.
The album opener, "Force de Trois" sets the mood of the album, and is probably classifiable as one of the most unhinged waltzes ever made, driving relentlessly throughout its 7+ minutes, creating an evolving patchwork of sounds and jagged atmospheres. "Procession" follows with a deconstructed retrofuturistic fanfare, while "Three Movements" takes minimal percussive elements to create a textural soundscape of skeletal beauty. "Nikola T" bristles like a sonic painting of its namesake's laboratory, both erratic and consistent in its approach. "Twerk" cranks up the beat once again, layering drum trackss along with howling and growling synthesisers. "Zeit" plinks with combed chimes and glacial drones, providing what is probably Kleive's most intimate dalliance with "ambient" music to date, although with the darker edge one would expect. "Dodgy Plonk jr" brings back the drums and as the title suggests, also reasserts Kleive's off-kilter humour, giving us the ultimate bad acid video game soundtrack. The album closes with "Universal Dancer", a steadily building piece that moves like both predator and prey, each swapping roles throughout the pursuit.
Kleive is one of the most revered jazz drummers in the the Norwegian scene, having appeared on (almost literally) countless recordings throughout his career. However, in his solo incarnation, his will to explore presents a musician not to be held captive by labels or expectations. He builds musical structures from unlikely elements in unique forms, deliberately and skilfully avoiding cliché and obvious repetition, crafting his works with meticulous care and a critical ear. There are few artists so determined to be nothing but themselves.