Angles: Every Woman Is A Tree

All six tracks were written by saxophonist Martin Küchen, who also penned the liner notes which explain the wordless compositions. Küchen, a member of Exploding Customer with Kjell Nordeson, plays with a such a searing power, there is no need for lyrics to explain his protest music. This post-bop approach is born from the spirit of Mingus. The players, trumpeter Magnus Broo and drummer Kjell Nordeson (AALY Trio), are certainly familiar to listeners and fans of Chicagoan Ken Vandermark's projects and both can be heard on the Atomic/School Days session Distil (Okka).

The disc opens with the processional "Peace Is Not For Us" with Nordeson rolling thunder beneath the marching lines of Berthling's bass. Run! The troops are coming! is the ominous feel as Mats Äleklint's trombone covers the battleground. "My World of Mines" marches also with a funky groove, matched by some tight horn arrangements. When the piece breaks into solos, it’s Mattias Ståhl's vibraphone that tears through a powerful statement, enough so, to quiet his playing partners. The Eastern feel of "The Indispensable Warlords" is a great vehicle for Küchen's muscular saxophone to be heard. Part wail and part siren, he rivets your ears to his call. The title track doubles the intensity, not only with a relentless African groove, but with more scorching solos.

This record will be on many 'best of' lists for 2008.