Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Orbit Stern: Ude i Skoven, Inde i Byen

6

Orbit Stern: Ude i Skoven, Inde i Byen

By

Sign in to view read count
Orbit Stern: Ude i Skoven, Inde i Byen
Orbit Stern is the duo of Swedish, Copenhagen-based guitarist Samuel Hällkvist (known from his association with King Crimson members in his band Variety of Loud), and Danish drummer Frederik Hauch (who played in many local alternative rock bands). Both nursed a longtime affinity for an Appalachian twang but decided to take this mythic, relatively strictly defined genre and transform it into futuristic, multi-layered sonic textures, as if the Wild West banjo players and square dancers just retired from a tour with the latter incarnation of King Crimson and moved to the countryside outskirts of post-modern Denmark after a short trip to Mars.

On its debut Ude i Skoven, Inde i Byen ("In the the Woods, Out in the City" in Danish) the duo uses a range of effects—synthetic beats, futuristic sounding keyboards, guitar Frippetronics and many more—in order to articulate fresh and rich sounds that will charge the worn-out country playing modes with exotic, expanding sounds.

Orbit Stern succeeds in re-contextualizing the typical twangy guitar sounds and jumping 4 pulse beats, liberating this musical legacy from its cultural, social and political baggage. The duo dresses it with updated, fashionable yet foreign dresses. The duo even introducing new beats to the uplifting, driving pieces that almost turn these pieces into a bizarre fusion of futuristic disco-country dances as on the upbeat "Langsom Jagt" and "Osiris Rex."

The masculine pathos of the old-time country songs is processed sonically and becomes subtle, almost feminine on "Stilstand I Vand." "Helt Inde I Skoven Er Der Også Lys" and "Lys På Vejen" take the melancholic motive of loneliness, reflected in the beautiful resonating guitar of Hällkvist and offers a distant, even ironic, perspective on this theme.

Surprising and imaginative.

Track Listing

Lommeuld Og Høje Forventninger; Stilstand I Vand; Langsom Jagt; Billy Går En Tur; Helt Inde I Skoven Er Der Også Lys; Osiris Rex; Hd 33564 B; Lys På Vejen; Stilstand På Land; Dit Ansigt Taler Til Mig.

Personnel

Frederik Hauch: drums, programming ; Samuel Hällkvist: guitars, programming.

Album information

Title: Ude i Skoven, Inde i Byen | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: BoogiePost Recordings

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near Copenhagen
Jazz Near Copenhagen
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.