Lars Horntveth's Kaleidoscopic is an unusual animal in today's soundbyte culture: it is a single piece of music weighing in at over 36 minutes, featuring a full orchestra. A natural development from his work both with Jaga Jazzist and as a solo artist, Kaleidoscopic gently moves through variations that range from near-ambient to bold statements, yet never fall into the trap of being pompous or overstated as so many non-classical composers tend to do when given the opportunity to have a full orchestra. Jaga Jazzist fans will find this only partially familiar, as the intense chattering quality that most of the Jaga Jazzist output possesses is almost completely missing, replaced instead with investigations of texture and emotion.
Kaleidoscopic's title indicates the method of movement between passages, gradual evolutions that are fugue-like in their sometimes unexpected transitions, yet clearly constituted by the same basic elements, shifting one element from a previous context into a whole new area before (re)visiting another motif.
Although a single piece, there are some natural "breaks", giving the listener the opportunity to digest what they have heard before moving to the next movement. The coda is a tranquil, stripped-down restatement of the intro, popping and bleeping to its end. Like all extended pieces, the rewards come from re-listening. Yet this is not just a piece that requires extensive analysis, it can stand on its own both as music to listen to or accompany whatever activity you care to engage in, a soundtrack for reality.
Tension is also present: this isn't just about chilling out in the park on a summer's day with a cool drink in hand, sunglasses on, and earphones excluding the outside world. The synthetic sits comfortably with unusual instrumentation, with sounds reminiscent of Turkish saz or bowed psaltery blending into the soundscape.
It would be tempting to compare Kaleidoscopic with progressive rock ambition, but it never falls into any of the traps that genre set for itself. There are no extended solos here, no obvious declaration of ego. If anything, the piece manages to retain a sense of egoless integrity. The music is about itself, not the ability or skill of Lars Horntveth - and of course, this speaks volumes about his ability.
Additionally, the music manages to sit outside temporal constraints: there are moments that echo arrangements by Henry Mancini, imparting a sixties flavour, yet even these have distinctly 21st century ingredients. Definitely music of a new millenium.
In today's post-MTV world with is personal earphones plugged in, Kaleidoscopic reminds us that music is not just about a quick espresso shot of a tune we like before we move onto the next. It is a piece to be savoured, re-enjoyed time and again. Indeed, repeated listens yield more pleasures in a way that many albums fail to do. Of course, for Jaga Jazzist fans, this is certainly a piece they should own. Likewise, anyone who has been listening to Eivind Aarset will find this to be a piece that can be assimilated into their musical universe without any problem. And the influence of Lars Hornthveth can be felt in the music of newcomers such as Lama. However, this is an essential piece of listening pleasure, not just for Jaga Jazzist fans, but for anyone who appreciates good music. Reward yourself today!
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