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Rest at Worlds End

Humcrush
1 disc

1. Stream
2. Edingruv
3. Rest at Worlds End
4. Audio Hydraulic
5. Steam
6. Airport
7. Solar Sail
8. Creak
9. Ghost Dance
10. Bullfight
11. Hit
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 2081
Credits

Producer Humcrush
Engineer
Humcrush: Stle Storlokken (keyboards); Thomas Stronen (drums, electronics).
Audio Mixer: Stle Storlokken.
Recording information: Various Venues, Norway.
Now that a new generation has again shown that the idea of Norwegian jazz has moved well past the stage of prompting immediate surprise, hearing what individual acts can do to set themselves apart in the 21st century is part of the overall pleasure. On their third album, the keyboard/drum duo Humcrush continue following their very distinct muse, with songs reaching everywhere, from the organ flights of fancy of Korla Pandit and Raymond Scott to the realms of glitch techno and dark ambient without sounding like any one specific style -- a multiplicity that works wonders. Drawing on live recordings, Rest at Worlds End similarly relies on ranges of mood as well as style -- the contemplative "Edingruv" immediately follows the frenetic opener "Stream," while "Steam" builds from near silence to a nervy rollicking pace via Thomas Stronen's drums, even as Stle Storlokken's calmer tones maintain a serene mood. Perhaps the best moment is the perfectly lovely title track, Storlokken's work providing a captivating melodic hook, but the whole is well worth investigating, and another well deserved feather in the Rune Grammofon label's cap. ~ Ned Raggett
Critic Reviews

The Wire (p.54) - "[I]t's largely a quiet effort....Humcrush's brand of crunch is warm and human....Ultimately, Humcrush make unique and uncannily compelling music."
Clash (magazine) (p.102) - "The drums/keyboards/electronics here flit between muscular rhythmic workouts and chilled atmospheric noodlings..."