S/S MOTSOL – Parallel Pleasures – CD – CS198CD

S/S Motsol is an experimental ensemble born from the creative flair of a couple of Norwegian tightrope walkers, Stale Liavik Solberg on drums and percussion and the funny vocalist Stine Janvin Motland – the name of their project arguably derives from a combination of their names and surnames -, who decided to draft a number of other skilled musicians from Oslo and Stavanger improvisational lairs for this collection of ten untitled stunts. After the first track where Solberg and Motland interplay on stunning expressive thresholds – it’s really astonishing Motland’s vocal metamorphosis when she let jog her uvula ranging from neurotic hiccups and obsessive syllabling to stinging squeaks – and three abstract digressions when they let slide guest musicians on the sly, waves start to ripple on the fifth track when it seems that Motland’s chocking shouts have been caused by her “fight” with the first instrumental storm by horn players, led by Nils Henrik Asheim’s piano, whereas the sixth track sounds like the moment where all fighters try to soothe wounds and maiming with overstretched horns and melting laments and the seventh track like a gradual rehabilitation before the final astonishing battle, so that in the eight track Solberg’s ticking drums caparisons Klaus Ellerhusen Holm’s alto sax, Asheim’s piano and Per Zanussi’s bass before the last explosive sonic combat. Such a listening experience couldn’t be but gripping!

Vito Camarretta / Chain DLK