Elephant9 & Terje Rydpal : Catching Fire

I’ve been listening to Elephant9 & Terje Rydpal’s live album Catching Fire for a couple months now. Letting the immense 80 minute concert recorded in 2017 soak into my brain just to try and put words together to describe it. Putting this into some narrative has eluded me, but I figured what the heck.

Elephant9 are a Norwegian jazz/psych/prog/rock trio consisting of Ståle Storløkken(keys), Nikolai Hængsle(bass), and Torstein Lofthus(drums). The trio play a muscular progressive sort of jazz/psych that touches on everything from Bitches Brew-era Miles, ELP’s organ-led prog, and the more esoteric and atmospheric work from the early 70s ECM label. They’ve released several albums over the last decade plus that show both a bombastic fire and thoughtful, atmospheric touches. All done with the muscular musical dexterity of Norwegian wizards.

Terje Rydpal is a legendary musician in Norway’s jazz/prog scene, as well as being an accomplished classical composer. His work has gone a long way to establish Norway as one of the premier spots in the world for forward-thinking music.

In 2017 these two musical forces got together to record the live document Catching Fire, and all-out assault on the senses. Over 80 minutes this quartet builds musical fires, building a cacophony of noise not dissimilar to such legends as Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, and Dark Magus-era Miles. At 77-years old Rydpal’s playing is as relevant and urgent as it was on his 1971 ECM label debut. And you throw a massive trio like Elephant9 into the mix and you’re talking sensory overload.

The album opens on the epic and incendiary “I Cover The Mountain Top”, an all out jazz/prog jam of the highest order. Rydpal pulls no punches in building a sonic wall of noise, pushing his guitar into chaotic effects while still keeping things on course. The bass/keys/drums accompaniment keeps things grounded while still elevating this jam into the stratosphere. “I Cover The Mountain Top” starts out quiet, but builds over 22 minutes into a grand jam of the highest order. “Dodovoodoo”, the title track from Elephant9’s debut 2008 album is given the live treatment here to striking effect. Ståle Storløkken shows his wizard-like chops on the keys here, laying out blazing melodic lines as his organ sound seems to be in the red the whole time. The rhythm section of Hængsle and Lofthus lay out a muscular foundation for some serious jamming(which Rydpal gets to do with vigor.

Elsewhere “Psychedelic Backfire” comes across as almost doom metal, chugging and simmering in monolithic keys and tension. It melds into an almost cosmic blues section that is too good to not listen to twice in a row. “John Tinnick” blasts out of the speakers like the early days of speed metal, or the NWOBHM. Though the keys bring to mind the great Ken Hensley at times. Slide guitar gives it a 70s boogie vibe. “Skink” takes us out on not a whimper but an absolute roar with touches of Frank Zappa’s early 70s output, post-Mothers when he was all about jams(Zoot Allures comes to mind.)

Catching Fire is next level jams and musicianship. The combination of Elephant9 and Terje Rydpal coming together for a night of live rock and roll is immense and any fan of progressive music from the late 60s and early 70s will be picking their jaws right off the floor. Buckle in.