Fra Det Onde : Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand

The Norwegian musical ensemble Fra Det Onde(translation…”From Evil”) live in their very own musical universe. Their sound is anything but ordinary, yet they lock into the freedom of free jazz, psych rock, and progressive as if it comes second nature.

The band -which consists of jazz drummer Olaf Olsen(Needlepoint, Motorpsycho, Bigbang and others), bassist Rune Neergaard (Bushman’s Revenge, Exoterm) and trumpeter Erik Kimestad- have a knack for chaotic cosmic reckonings. The sound of jazz and psychedelia coming together as if Coltrane traded in his sweet potato pies for magic mushrooms. They hit the cosmic high that albums like Ascension and Stellar Regions did, but with the caffeinated heft of fIREHOSE and the experimentative nature of a mad scientist.

As a trio this band rips on many levels, but what becomes their secret weapon in the studio is sound wizard Emil Nikolaisen. Nikolaisen is the studio wizard that puts some engineering magic over the proceedings, which pushes the sound over the edge. There’s an otherworldly vibe to the studio recordings that sets this jazz fusion trio apart from the rest of the cosmos. There’s an electricity and primal buzz that gives the band a sound as if lightning is striking, and yet they keep on playing through into an almost feral state.

The band’s debut from 2020 was a striking musical statement. Bristling with fusion tenacity and a punk rock aftertaste, Nikolaisen’s engineering gave the album a vital -dare I say urgent- feeling. Miles Davis acid-fried with touches of Coltrane and Ornette Coleman throughout. And if you could take the petrol-fumed Detroit rock spirit and pipe it in through a window you’d get close to the vibe.

Fra Det Onde have returned after six years with the excellent and combustible Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand. A suite of sorts, this fiery LP takes you on a psychedelic journey that feels pumped in from some other realm. This is grizzled jazz fusion record that brings decades of sound and inspiration into play. You can’t describe it to your friends, or convince a buddy to give it a shot with a snippet or a 10-second needle drop. It’s an album that needs experienced with turntable, headphones, and whatever hallucinogenic fuel trips your trigger.

Be forewarned : You cannot stream this record.

This is a vinyl-only release, and at only 500 copies floating in the ether you better act fast if you want to take part in this musical adventure. I was sent a digital file to preview the album, I guess to prepare my psyche for what was about to permanently rewire my brain. I can tell you, there’s a reason this is vinyl only. It’s the ONLY format to experience this brain scrambler of an LP. And not only is vinyl essential, so are a pair of damn good headphones. Headphones seem to open the portal for maximum flight, and boy do they ever.

There’s 7 tracks total, with 3 on side one and 4 on side two. But don’t get hung up in individual tracks as this album feels like two side-long movements. You open to an echoing voice, distant organ and building percussion. That leads into distorted trumpet that sounds like it’s echoing either the end times or some space western shot on another planet. The sound builds to an epic crescendo; trumpet, keys, bass and drums aligning into some chaotic symphony. A voice beckons towards the end from some other realm. The song ends in brilliant anarchy.

Side two opens with a rhythm and bass riff that is part Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Feedback and distortion come in and out of the mix in a blaze of anarchic glory. There’s an Experience sort of vibe all over side two, with Hendrix’ guitar replaced by a screaming trumpet. Emil Nikolaisen shines here giving the proceedings a seedy, grizzled sediment that lays over the performance giving it all a chaotic, psychedelic feel. Headphones are required for maximum effect, too.

Fra Det Onde’s Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand will not be for everyone. That’s what makes it so special. This isn’t maximum consumption, by-the-book, easily categorized music. This is an album for the fellow space travelers, cosmic divers, and deep jazz heads that need to be challenged a bit before they’re satisfied. Fra Det Onde has gifted us lucky few something truly special: an album that gives and gives with repeated listens.