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OCTOBER Some philosophical thoughts on Two Sounds Ensemble - "Inversions": ”You who have a feeling that you have a world order that you’re satisfied with, should not listen to TSE. But you on the contrary that still have questions to ponder about and still haven’t finished building your play card house of jokers should immediately get some works by TSE. Because TSE invites you to a journey far away from the Rix FM reality, if you dare to buy the ticket and leave your safety so to say. “ Anton Klepke SEPTEMBER Another fine one for Two Sounds Ensemble - "Inversions": THOUGHTFUL IMPROVISATION. This is a beautiful and melodic record that treads with grace and feeling on already entered improvisational grounds. To be considered a narrow musical form the Two Sound Ensemble’s interpretation of the idiom is inviting and easy to listen to. They aren’t afraid of the known and dare to play a beautiful note without blushing. Joakim Simonsson executes a kind of piano accompaniment, but not only that. He listens, supports, paves the way and develops the group sound. Stefan Wistrand plays tenor and soprano saxophones. The soprano sax sound reminiscences the recently diseased Steve Lacy, and you may have poorer models. Well chosen notes, and not too many. After two minutes they’re through with the abrupt free playing way and land in a music of long lines with yearning, sadness, certainty and a good deal of passion. Leif Carlsson Lira 4/2004 Quote from Sweden's leading jazz magazine: "The jazz life in Eskilstuna is creative and is reflected on the Einnicken label." Sven Boija OJ - Orkesterjournalen 9/2004 AUGUST More praise for Two Sounds Ensemble - "Inversions": There's something to be said for restraint in the arena of freely improvised music. Much of the free jazz out there flirts a little too heavily with the chaotic and discordant, with dissonant noise. For these sets the word “daunting” and the phrase “not for the faint of heart” are often used. Sweden's TSE—Two Sounds Ensemble—reigns in its free jazz vision with laudable restraint, with a lovely wandering progression in its instantly composed music that stays appealingly within earshot of the lyrical and melodic musical path, stretching structure with breaking it. Stephan Wistrand blows soprano and tenor saxophones; Joakim Simonsson plays piano. The Swedish duo—both players have backgrounds in jazz, free improvisation and rock—stay mostly mid-tempo on a set of introspective and ruminative tunes; and like all good improvising units, they listen to and respond to each other's statements. Simonsson brings Satoko Fujii's piano work to mind at times, shifting from passages that are poetic and melodic and lyrical into riffs that sweetly sting; while Wistrand's sax work stays straightforward, robust on the tenor, with a mainstream feel in spite of the meandering atmosphere. The tunes, I - VI, range in length from a minute and a half to fourteen minutes plus, and I find the two longer pieces the most rewarding, with the duo exploring all the permutations of the improvisational scene they set. One of the most accessible and enjoyable free jazz sets this year. USA JUNE Some hot reviews for Two Sounds Ensemble’s new album ”Inversions”: I received this in the mail a few days ago and am giving it a listen right now - its from the Swedish label Einnicken, which I was previously unfamiliar with. I was also totally unfamiliar with these two musicians. The album is made up of six completely free improvisations - the website says they got together to record a set of standards and were more impressed with what they came up with on their own. I have to say that I'm very favorably impressed as well. Both musicians are extremely capable, straddling a variety of stylistic lines; the main interest for me is the close level of interplay between the two. In particular, Simonsson stretches from rootsy gospel-ish chords to plunging, abstract clusters within the space of minutes, and Wistrand has a really deep, gravelly tone on tenor which I like a lot. The whole thing seems much more focused than entirely free duets usually do - these guys obviously have played together quite a bit, and have a good feel for each other’s ranges. There's plenty of swirling abstraction, as one might expect, but they also keep things varied with some beautifully lyrical passages and some gorgeous on the spot (presumably) themes... it seems like they really explored
the space and found some interesting corners along the way. Definitely recommended.
(Editor – www.sudden-thoughts.com ) USA "Tvĺljuds-ensemblen" (= Two Sounds-Ensemble) they call themselves translated from English, but plenty you’ll find. TSE (Two Sounds Ensemble) as the abbreviation goes is Stefan Wistrand on tenor and soprano saxes and Joakim Simonsson on piano. Their record Inversions I-VI, as the title indicates, is some sort of musical inversion or instrumental compositions with genre-new point of departures. Here are jazz scents, downright improvisatory wild and strong parts together with art music’s pretty wide fields of vigorous soundscapes. For an untrained ear occasionally quite brutal harmonies that call for sympathetic and sensible listening. But if you stand the test you’ll be richly rewarded. TSE presents a poetic music with a beautiful and eventful inner landscape, where piano and wind instruments co-operate surprisingly well by capturing each other’s needs of path finding leaps with supporting harmonies. Stefan Nilson Sweden MAY In May Two Sounds Ensemble,
with pianist Joakim Simonsson and saxist Stefan Wistrand, Eskilstuna-Kuriren wrote about TSE's release concert on May 12, 2004 at the Art Museum in Eskilstuna:“Two Sounds Ensemble with Stefan Wistrand on soprano and tenor sax and Joakim Simonsson on grand piano opened the evening and brought forth an astonishing beautiful, almost lyrical music that through sensitive listening and mutual improvisation let sounds and harmonies lay as skin around compositional skeletons.” Fundamental Form
(Daniel Carlsson, laptop, Johan Carlsson, drums,
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