Ingebrigt Håker Flaten has influenced the Norwegian music scene for more than a decade, and has been on the road for more than 250 days a year, thus becoming one of the main exporters of Norwegian culture. He’s one of the many we are proud of, and one who springs to mind when foreign music journalists ask: What’s the secret behind the unique sound of Norwegian music?

With his own quintet, he creates a musical universe, embedding all his musical experience. If anything should be labelled fusion, it is, above all, the music on this record. Fusion, but also friction. The music tilts and balances. It s as if all the sources of inspiration lie scattered along the road like mud puddles, quagmires and deep pitfalls. Like a proud troop leader, he guides his musicians on. They try to keep their balance, stagger, snap twigs, slide along on slippery, mossy logs, stumble, but never fall. It s a balancing act, and in that critical moment when you draw your breath and forget to let it back out, you realise that they are smiling, certain that they will reach the other side, they re only looking for excitement along the way. I try to think of someone else who thrive on that same excitement, and I come up with: Henry Threadgill, Robert Wyatt and Ornette Coleman. ///// Release 2006 ///// Personnel: Ingebrigt Håker Flaten - Bass / Anders Hana - Guitar / Ola Kvernberg - Violin, Mandolin / Klaus Ellerhusen Holm - Clarinet, Baritone and Alto Sax / Fredrik Rundqvist - Drums /////