Recommended: Moskus – “Mirakler”

 

There is something immensely charming about the disjointed melodicism of Moskus.  The trio nurtures an uneasy serenity, where murmurs and whispers create gentle disturbances upon the surface of an implied tranquility.  And then, and quite without warning, bursts of dissonance come crashing through, followed occasionally by melodic fragments that set everything right.

On their newest release Mirakler, a pattern emerges, and where once unpredictability was key to success, this sense of duality brings a different kind of satisfaction.  The minimalist tendencies are yet present, but they are interspersed by equal doses of heavy melodicism, and those are often accompanied by something bordering on a groove.

The meandering “Anslag” slides easily into the catchy “Irsk Setter,” forgoing a preamble by way of interlude.  “Sang Til C” drifts like clouds across a grey sky until the cheerful bounce of “Eventyrdagene” breaks through like a beam of sunlight.  It’s that kind of transition back and forth, trading states of freedom for structure, that makes Mirakler so damn enjoyable, and where each state of expression engenders an appreciation for its counterpart.

I’ve been writing about Moskus for about as long as this site has been up and running.  I hope to keep getting opportunities to do so.  A fun, curious trio and that makes fun, curious music.

Your album personnel:  Anja Lauvdal (grand piano, upright piano, MS10, Yamaha DX100, Hammond organ, electric organ), Hans Hulbækmo (drums, percussion, vibraphone, recorder, casio MT-65, electric org, musical saw) and Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (double bass).

Released on Hubro Music.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Music from Oslo, Norway.

Available at:  Amazon