For The Middle Class

formed by the creative core of norwegian improv supergroup no spaghetti edition, huntsville comprises multi-instrumentalists tonny kluften, ivar grydeland and ingar zach. those last two names might also be familiar to followers of nordic jazz and free music via the sofa label, which they founded back in 2000. this album (with its demographically aware title, for the middle class) sounds expertly composed, not at all the wailing excursion into the outer reaches of improvisation you might have expected. the appearance of a wise child begins with a backbone of high tempo shuffling percussion coupled with a subtle layering of drones and abstract instrumental textures only to expand over the course of its fifteen minutes into a glorious post-rock monolith complete with free-time acoustic guitar meanderings, spluttering electronics and a plucked bassline that gels the whole thing together at the pieces crescendo. fans of tapes rideau album, listen up. things only get better on serious like a pope, a glacial, mournful organ and lap steel blues dirge interspersed with rasps of bowed percussion. the epic twenty-two minute centrepiece, add a key of humanity kicks off with the sort of chaos youd hear in an early supersilent recording albeit with added banjo before huntsville take things down several notches for the acoustic guitar natural harmonics of melon, which drifts along with the barest of accompaniment from field recordings, lulling organ and a exquisitely sensitive double-bass part. a real album of contrasts, for the middle classes is a masterful improv record and a further confirmation of rune grammofons unwavering quality.