Thomas Strønen - Time Is a Blind Guide (2015)

'Time Is A Blind Guide' is both the title of Thomas Strønen's album and the name of his new Norwegian-British ensemble. In contrast to Food (his band with English saxophonist Iain Ballamy and guests) and its electronic soundscapes, this is an all-acoustic group which plays what its drummer-leader-composer calls "melodic music with a twist".

Its melodies unfurl sinuously over shifting rhythmic patterns. The ensemble was built to include a number of overlapping musical sub-groups. "There is a kind of enhanced piano trio at the centre of Time Is A Blind Guide," says Strønen. "And there is a string group with violin and cello and bass as well as a drum ensemble with me and Siv Øyunn Kjenstad and Steinar Mossige…". The two percussionists often assert strong and solid grooves, allowing Strønen to play freely on top of the rhythms and to interact dynamically with the outstanding young English pianist Kit Downes, who makes his ECM debut here.

The band (its name derives from a literary source, "Time is a blind guide" being the first sentence in Canadian author Anne Michaels's 1996 novel, Fugitive Pieces) was formed rather spontaneously, following an invitation from BBC Radio 3 presenter Fiona Talkington. An early supporter of the Strønen/Iain Ballamy group 'Food', she commissioned Thomas to write music for a combination of Norwegian and British musicians for Conexions, a concert series she was curating in Oslo. The group played concerts over a two year period before going to the studio - Oslo's Rainbow Studio - in July 2015, with Strønen and Sun Chung producing.

'Time Is A Blind Guide' is one of two ECM albums issued this season featuring the music of Thomas Strønen. The other is Food's 'This Is Not A Miracle', which is released on 6 November.

Tracklist:

1. The Stone Carriers
2. Baka / Tide
3. Everything Disappears I
4. Pipa
5. I Don't Wait for Anyone
6. The Drowned City
7. Lost Souls
8. Everything Disappears II (Ode to Jt)
9. Time Is a Blind Guide
10. As We Wait for Time
11. Simples

Personnel:

Thomas Strønen: drums and percussion
Kit Downes: piano
Håkon Aase: violin
Ole Morten Vågan: double bass
Lucy Railton: cello
Siv Øyunn Kjenstad: percussion (1, 7, 9, 10)
Steinar Mossige: percussion (1, 2, 7, 9, 10)