Food - Mercurial Balm (2012) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

The Food team of Norwegian drummer Strønen and British saxophonist Ballamy continues to invite guests to bring something to the table. The form-and-texture conscious improvisations here are drawn from live performances in Norway, England and Germany and studio sessions at Oslo’s Rainbow. To the latter group belong tracks on which Indian slide guitarist and singer Prakash Sontakke is partnered by Eivind Aarset’s atmospheric guitar and electronics. The first half of the album finds Food augmented by Austrian guitarist Christian Fennesz, taking further the experiments with layers of sound begun on "Quiet Inlet". Nils Petter Molvær joins Strønen, Ballamy and Fennesz for a track recorded at Mannheim’s Enjoy Jazz Festival.

The core duo of Food, U.K. saxophonist Iain Ballamy and drummer/electronic artist Thomas Strønen, initially founded the band as a quartet in the late '90s, then pared down to a duo in 2006. On their second release for ECM, Mercurial Balm, the duo mixes electric and acoustic material with guest musicians Eivind Aarset on guitar and electronics, Indian slide guitarist and singer Prakash Sontakke, trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, and second guitarist Christian Fennesz. These four musicians are all over the musical map but are equally adept at improvisation and intuitively knowing what not to play. Recorded live between 2010 and 2011 at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in England and the Victoria National Jazz Scene club in Norway, with a studio segment that took place at Rainbow Studio in Oslo.

Tracklist:

01 - Nebular
02 - Celestial Food
03 - Ascendant
04 - Phase
05 - Astral
06 - Moonpie
07 - Chanterelle
08 - Mercurial Balm
09 - Magnetosphere
10 - Galactic Roll

Produced by Manfred Eicher and Food.
Recorded in 2010 and 2011 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Victoria National Jazz Scene, Oslo.
Recording Engineers: Paul Nickson, Pete Freshney (Cheltenham), David Solheim (Victoria), Per Espen Ursfjord (Rainbow Studio).
Mixed at Rainbow Studio, Oslo by Jan Erik Kongshaug and Manfred Eicher.

Misicians:
Thomas Strønen - drums, percussion, electronics
Iain Ballamy - saxophones, electronics
Additional Musicians:
Christian Fennesz - guitar & electronics on "1-6,10)
Eivind Aarset - guitar & electronics on "7-9"
Prakash Sontakke - slide guitar & vocal on "7-9"
Nils Petter Molvær - trumpet on "6"


Thanks to the Original customer!