Khmer (album)

Khmer
Studio album by
Nils Petter Molvær
Released1998
Recorded1996–97
StudioLydlab A/S
Oslo, Norway
GenreNu jazz
Length42:44
LabelECM
ECM 1560
ProducerManfred Eicher, Ulf W.Ø. Holand
Nils Petter Molvær chronology
Hastening Westwards
(1998) 		Khmer
(1998) 		Solid Ether
(2000)

Khmer is an album by Norwegian trumpeter, composer and producer Nils Petter Molvær recorded between 1996–1997 and released on ECM in 1998.

Recording and production

The album mixes elements of electronica and jazz.[1][2][3]

The album is based on sampled and artificially generated sounds, backed by beats from house and drum'n'bass. However, the often very slow rhythms are played on acoustic drums.[4]

Reception

Christian Genzel of AllMusic review awarded the album 4.5 stars. He wrote, "Khmer is surely the most unusual album ever released by ECM" due to the CD's then-unprecedented mix of jazz and electronica.[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

Track listing

  1. "Khmer" (4:59)
  2. "Tløn" (7:52)
  3. "Felles spor" (5:50)
    • "Access"
    • "Song of Sand I"
  4. "On Stream" (5:01)
  5. "Platonic Years" (6:33)
  6. "Phum" (3:39)
  7. "Song of Sand II" (6:10)
  8. "Exit" (2:42)

Credits

  • Nils Petter Molvær – trumpet (tracks 1–7), bass (tracks 2–5, 7), sampler (all tracks), percussion (sampler) (tracks 1, 8), guitar (tracks 3, 7)
  • Rune Arnesen – drums (tracks 1–3, 5, 7)
  • Eivind Aarset – guitar (EBow) (tracks 1, 8), guitar (3, 4, 7), guitar (ambient) (track 5), sampler (tracks 1, 5), guitar treatments and talk box (track 2)
  • Morten Mølster – guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5)
  • Ulf W. Ø. Holand – sampler (tracks 2–4, 7)
  • Roger Ludvigsen – percussion and dulcimer (track 1), acoustic guitar (tracks 6, 8)
  • Reidar Skår – effects (track 3)
  • Ab und Zu – samples (track 5)

Technical personnel

  • Manfred Eicher, Ulf W. Ø. Holand – producer
  • Ulf W. Ø. Holand – engineer
  • Bill Laswell – sample production (track 5)
  • Design – Sascha Kleis
  • John Gollings – cover photography
  • Knut Strand – liner photo

Notes

  • Recorded 1996–97 at Lydlab A/S, Oslo.
  • Track 5 contains samples from the albums: "Axiom Ambient: Lost In The Translation" Courtesy of Axiom / Island Records; "Totally" Courtesy of Curling Legs Productions
  • The cover shows the statue "Les Lutteurs". The photography was reproduced from the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais exhibition catalogue "Angkor et dix siècles d'art khmer”, Paris 1997
  • All compositions published by ECM Verlag
    ℗ 1997 ECM Records GmbH
    © 1997 ECM Records GmbH
  • This CD was partly supported by "Fond for Utøvende Kunstnere” and NOPA[5]

References

  1. ^ Walters, John L (25 February 2010). "Nils Petter Molvaer Queen Elizabeth Hall, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Nils Petter Molvaer's "Khmer"". MontrealJazzFest.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-10. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  3. ^ a b c "Nils Petter Molvær – Khmer review". Allmusic.com.
  4. ^ "Nils Petter Molvær: Skeletons, Samples and Fish Fillets". AllAboutJazz.com.
  5. ^ "Nils Petter Molvær – Khmer". Discogs.com.