Feel like some jazz? ‘Some’ is the operative word where Krokofant are concerned. A more accurate description as far as I am concerned is that they are purveyors of jazz-rock/prog-rock/fusion, and not necessarily in that order. And they’re not bad at it, either.
Krokofant last appeared here two years ago since when they tragically lost their drummer, Axel Skalstad, with whom I was familiar from his live work with another, similar band, Eberson.
After a period of reflection they decided to honour his memory and continue with Krokofant, bringing in new drummer Ole Mofjell and a bass player, Rune Nergaard, the former bringing a powerful style similar to that of Mr Skalstad, the latter with a distinctive pounding bass line that is it evident in this track and which has been compared to King Crimson bassists John Wetton and Tony Levin.
Such a bass line opens the five-minute ‘Forwards’, the first single from the album ‘7’ which will be released on 27th November, and one that might be a message sent to the depths of the Galaxy by those searching for extraterrestrial life. It would certainly get its attention. Forget the five tones; they’ve been succeeded by the 11 note riff.
Once ‘Forwards’ gets moving forwards, still underpinned by that endless bass line, it’s an unstoppable train of a thing, a Miami Vice car chase theme punctuated by saxophone interjections that might have come out of the BBC’s spoof ‘Jazz Club’ in the1990s TV comedy ‘The Fast Show’ and with again a King Crimson-like rhythm attached to it like a leech.
While the technical contribution of each musician is formidable, special mention must be made of sax player Jørgen Mathisen, whose cheeks must be made of titanium and his lungs a couple of industrial bellows.
At the second time of listening and with all the talk this weekend of the perils of artificial intelligence and how it is going to wipe us all out in the near future, it occurred to me how well ‘Forwards’ would fit a dystopian film on the subject as the boffins scramble around against the clock trying to find the right plug to pull out.
(Continues after the Spotify link).
Krokofant are:
Tom Hasslan (guitar); Jørgen Mathisen (saxophone); Ole Mofjell (drums) and Rune Nergaard (bass).
Find them on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krokofant_band (new account)
Bandcamp: https://krokofant.bandcamp.com/album/7
