Nils Petter Molvaer
Khmer
ECM
A few years ago, ECM jazz on vinyl was a hot item in some circles with DJs who specialized in fusing hip-hop with jazz. The atmospheric nature of much of the music worked particularly well with the trippier or more ambient genres of the music. Molvaer has perhaps started a new trend by bringing the DJ, or at least the spirit of the DJ, to ECM jazz.
Molvaer is a gifted trumpeter who combines jazz with elements of Scandinavian folk music, hip-hop, and techno, with mixed results. Fortunately, some of the tunes are in the more traditional ECM style of European jazz, since the pieces that are heavily laced with samples and electronic percussion start to get a bit tiresome. Overall, Molvaer has come up with an interesting sound that leaves one wondering if Miles Davis would have taken his music in a direction similar to this had he lived longer.
This release comes with a limited edition bonus CD that includes remixes of some of the tunes by the Herbaliser, Mental Overdrive, and Rockers Hi-Fi. ECM Records, 1540 Broadway, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10036
