In the Country

Linhart Hall, 3 July 2014

“The next best sound to silence” – reads the slogan of the prestigious ECM label, whose fragile and meditative sound has been predominantly shaped by Norwegian artists. We could also detect some hints of the historical “Norwegian sound” in the music by the In the Country trio, which nevertheless adds several other elements and styles to its country’s jazz heritage.

The gig also featured a video that was projected onto the Linhart Hall’s backdrop. After the initial burst of the prevailing tune, the slowly unravelling compositions involving traces of jazz ballads and classical music veered off in entirely new directions through the use of electronic effects. Occasionally, so much distorted sound spread through the sonic tapestry that we had the impression of listening to an electronic improvisation; even more eagerly, the trio employed the echo and slowing-down sound effects, thus imbuing jazz with art-rock and post-rock influences. The involved and sensibly rendered multi-layered pieces were given a new lease on life, sounding differently than on the recordings. If listening to the trios’ albums it seemed that their music offers an insight into numerous impressionistic landscapes, expanses envisaged rather than encountered, the live performance by the threesome translated them into an exhilarating and multicoloured experience, a vibrant blast of music.

Mario Batelić


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Photo Nada Žgank