Stefano Boggiani: Andvake

Italian guitarist and composer Stefano Boggiani, now based in Oslo, operates at the crossroads of modern jazz and rock-inflected improvised music. Andvake, his debut for Losen Records, presents a Norwegian quartet featuring Oyvind Mathisen on trumpet, Oskar Lindberget on saxophones, Erlend Olderskog Albertsen on bass, and Markus Kristiansen on drums. The material originates from Boggiani's master's studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music, where the emphasis was placed on refining his compositional language and structural thinking.

The title draws from an old Norwegian word that suggests both insomnia and heightened alertness—a dual meaning that mirrors the album's ongoing tension between watchful restraint and restless motion. Across seven tracks and roughly 35 minutes, Boggiani leans into contrasts between sparseness and density, order and disruption. While these ideas read compellingly on paper, their musical execution occasionally proves uneven, with moments of genuine engagement offset by passages that feel more clinical than emotive.

"Sun Eats Mouth" sets things in motion with brisk unison horn figures, complex eruptions, and angular guitar lines, effectively outlining the group's range and precision. "Hourglass" follows with frequent rhythmic pivots that highlight the ensemble's technical fluency amid odd-metered pulses and slightly ominous narratives. The players navigate these changes confidently, but the emotional return on investment remains modest.

"Moderato" eases the pace with a reflective groove that gives each voice room to breathe, though the central section drifts longer than necessary without a memorable primary theme. "Dead Ends" builds tension through careful restraint and the leader's effects-driven soloing. The band moves along with the frontline's soaring solo spots and interweaving choruses.

"Without a Net" provides a wide improvisational canvas. Here, inspired ideas surface alongside stretches where freedom seems to outpace direction via brooding progressions and Boggiani's elaborate developments. At times, this piece leans toward the cerebral side of matters, lacking a primary motif that stands out, yet the band passionately embraces free-form intensity toward the close.

Andvake marks a confident first statement, highlighting skill and ambition, even if the ideas do not always land with full impact. Listeners drawn to cerebral contemporary jazz may find much to appreciate, though the album reveals a composer still finding where technical prowess and emotional immediacy meet.