For their Metal Music Machine project Jazkamer (formed in 1998 as Jazzkammer, renamed recently), luminaries of the Nordic noise scene, morph into a malevolent orchestra that expands into the black soundscapes of death metal modes.
For the 2006 Metal Music Machine album an all-star cast of Norwegian black metal notables were assembled, including Jørgen Træen of Toy, Ivar Bjørnson of legendary Enslaved as well as drummer Iver Sandøy and Olav Kristiseter of metalband Manngard. The album was released on Smalltown Supernoise, a specially created sub-label of Smalltown Supersound that has now been deleted – so the album is cataloged under Smalltown Superjazz (another sub) by default. It was also released on Rough Trade.
With its dark riffs and ear-splitting noise, MMM is an extreme departure from Jazkamer's previous works. While evoking the tones of Sunn O))) glacial drones, writer Steven Sawada notes that MMM moves beyond the influence to “isolate and analyze nearly all aspects of metal — breakneck tempos, guttural vocals, piercing percussion, savage guitar work.”
MMM was conceived after Jazkamer were commissioned to do a piece for the Norwegian metal festival Hole In The Sky, where they worked with Ivar Bjørnson and Iver Sandøy; the MMM project was built up around Sandøy’s drumming, the motor of the metal re-interpretation. On November 11th 2006 the first live version of Metal Music Machine was performed at the Instal festival in Glasgow, with a six member line-up. The line-up for club transmediale will include Jazkamer plus Iver Sandøy, Jørgen Træen and Nils Are Drønen.
The core Jazkamer duo is Norwegian composer/musicians John Hegre and Lasse Marhaug who have worked together since 1998 generating improvised electronic noise and minimalist droning. Herge (b. 1967), a guitarist, improviser and composer has been one of the most active performers and producers of noise, improvised and electronic music in Norway for more than 15 years; Marhaug (b. 1974) composer and performer has been active within the Noise/experimental underground for two decades, as well as working with music for theatre, dance, installations and video.
Their debut album
Timex was released on Rune Grammofon in 1999 and was followed by a string of releases on labels such as Staalplaat, Abisko, Xerxes, Utech, Bottrop-Boy and OHM Records, as well as international tours. They have collaborated with artists such as Merzbow,
Maja Ratkje, Lionell Marchetti, Burkhart Stangl, Helge Sten, Otomo Yoshihide, Johnannes Bergmark, Sigbjørn Apeland, Zbigniew Karkowski, Sachiko M, Taku Sugimoto, Arm, Espen Sommer Eide, Mads Gustavson, Lotta Melin and Aube.
> www.jazzkammer.com
> www.enslaved.no
Appearances:
> CTM.07 > CODE BLACK
