AMG Review of Hamada

Phil Freeman
All Music Guide

This release by Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær is a relatively stripped-down effort, both in terms of its personnel and its sound. There are no guests; the lineup is the same throughout the disc, and three of the bandmembers -- guitarist Eivind Aarset, bassist Audun Erlien, and sampler/programmer Jan Bang -- have worked with Molvær for years, both live and in the studio. The new guy, drummer Audun Kleive, is a subtle presence, setting up supple grooves in partnership with Erlien. Aarset's guitar shimmers and hovers in the air like a cross between Bill Frisell and a set of wind chimes. For the most part, Hamada is a fairly quiet entry in the Molvær canon: his trumpet playing has rarely been breathier, for one thing. Notes seem to be more whoosh and puff than actual tone. The guitars and keyboard melodies are slathered in echo and reverb, and the drums are huge airy booms; it's almost a dub record. The exceptions are "Friction" and "Cruel Altitude," which feature a clattering, almost drum'n'bass beat in the former case, and a thunderous rock drum solo in the latter, both bolstered by staticky, stinging hard rock guitar and some genuinely fierce playing from Molvær. Other tracks, like "Monocline Revisited," move so far in the other direction they're almost ambient music. Ultimately, Molvær is a guy who does what he does and has established a strong fan base by doing it. Hamada fits right in with his body of work, and those who have enjoyed previous discs will like this one a lot, too.