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The ?gg: The ?gg

By Eyal Hareuveni
December 21, 2013
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Put three electric guitarists, three electric bassists and four drummers in one room all coming from the vibrant Stockholm scene of free improvisation, free jazz and art rock. Let them jam freely, lock in hypnotic grooves that loosely sound like

Fela Kuti

saxophone
1938 - 1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Fela Kuti's Afro-beat bands or worse, like North Korean marching bands on acid, sketch noisy textures that brings to mind

Captain Beefheart

vocals
1941 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Captain Beefheart in its wildest psychedelic moments or the voluminous symphonies of Glenn Branca in its poetic passages and you begin to get an idea how

The Ägg

" data-original-title="" title="">The ?gg sound.

This conglomerate of sound is comprised of guitarists

David Stackenäs

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">David Stacken?s, member of the experimental group The New Songs and

Seval

" data-original-title="" title="">Seval song-based outfits and close collaborator of sax titan

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson; Anton Toorell, member of the alternative, "tuba-techno/radio-pop" Invader Ace and John Lindblom, leader of the now defunct Swedish quintet

Firehouse

" data-original-title="" title="">Firehouse; bassists

Patric Thorman

" data-original-title="" title="">Patric Thorman, member of

Seval

" data-original-title="" title="">Seval, and collaborator of pianist

Sten Sandell

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Sten Sandell and saxophonist

Fredrik Ljungkvist

saxophone, tenor
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Fredrik Ljungkvist; Joe Williamson, close collaborator of Stacken? and Dutch saxophonist

Tobias Delius

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Tobias Delius; and Vilhelm Bromander; and drummers

Raymond Strid

drums
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Raymond Strid, close collaborator of Gustafsson, bass master

Barry Guy

bass, acoustic
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Guy and many others; Erik Carlsson, member of Swedish Azz, with Gustafsson, Ola Hultgren, member of Thus:Owls and of vocalists Ane Brun and Torun Eriksen bands and

Christopher Cantillo

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Christopher Cantillo, member of vocalist Anna von Hausswolff band.

The three pieces feature The ?gg playing with chaotic abandon but also with commanding control. The massive sound erupts immediately, collide violently with intense, urgent noises and moves forward in huge, nervous waves then backwards with walls of dense, metallic sounds and a loose consistency and with no attempt to develop a a clear narrative of progression. Thety then disperse in space and soon begin to accumulate again till the next sonic climax. Slowly this complex, restless and mulch-dimensional sonic universe becomes clearer and more nuanced and attaches detailed colors and rhythms as it reaches the third and more reserved piece, "Lapse."

The ?gg offers a unique listening experience, deeply physical, often irritating but always captivating.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Version Of An Event; Teledeportation; Lapse.

Personnel

The ?gg

David Stacken?s: electric guitar; Anton Toorell: electric guitar; John Lindblom: electric guitar; Patric Thorman: electric bass; Joe Wiliamson: electric bass; Vilhelm Bromander: electric bass; Raymond Strid: drums; Erik Carlsson: drums; Ola Hultgren: drums; Christopher Cantillo: drums.

Album information

Title: The ?gg | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Found You Recordings

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