NODS OFF - In the Space Between (einnicken era 0417)

And Time Passed By / In Leaf / Something That She Said / Going [Gone] / Swop / The Blinder / Dedication / Sonds Good / The Call
Total time: 40:22 Released: 2/2005
Stefan Wistrand – Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxophones, Bells
Daniel Carlsson – Electric Guitar
Stefan Larsson - Electric Bass
Peter Olsen – Drums

"Nods Off is a Swedish group that reflects the freshness of the new wave of improvisational music. They have for certain not much with computers and other new technique to do, but on the other hand they connect on to half as much to rock as to jazz and they do dare to break atonality and free rhythm for more conventional elements. With saxophones, guitar, bass and drums they break in somewhere in between one for the style "free" and one for the style "conventional" way of playing. They cook, they crack up and rumble around in the bottom, but in the music there is also composed structures that support a melodic beauty. That gives scope and dynamics while at the same time Stefan Wistrand, Daniel Carlsson, Stefan Larsson and Peter Olsen create a collective expression that feels uniform and distinct. A real progressive record."
Johannes Cornell

Dagens Nyheter February 23, 2005

SWEDEN

"JAZZ IMPROVISATION WITH ROCK WEIGHT.

Without a lot of fuss Nods Off plays an unusual easily accessible music that navigates between improvisational jazz and experimental rock. Stefan Wistrand’s saxophones open mightily; the notes aren’t unusual but well found. Daniel Carlsson’s electric guitar plows slowly and emphatically, not unlike Finnish American Raoul Björkenheim. Peter Olsen’s urgent and ingenious drums are the band’s propeller. Stefan Larsson’s more conventional electric bass stands for smooth running and steady ground. Forceful steamroller compositions vary with slowly burning beautiful ones, and quite a lot in between. Everything is new, still you feel at home. With its rock oriented drive Nods Off should be able to reach many listeners. Both band and new listeners are to be congratulated."

Leif Carlsson

Lira 3/2005

SWEDEN

"Ancient beings are called to the fore on In the Space Between, an electrified offering by Nods Off that owes as much to John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders' spiritual contributions as it does to Rock's more experimental ventures. Wistrand spins out mystic phrases on plugged-in reeds, Carlsson jars the senses on electric guitar, Larsson creates deep droning patterns on electric bass, and Olsen fans the bonfire on drums. This Swedish band painstakingly paints elongated prayers to the otherworldly as its boisterous séance attempts to communicate to the netherworld. The illusion perpetuated by the combination of Wistrand's soaring soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone hymns that beckon Carlsson and Larsson into the fray where they coat the scorched environment with their igniting strings.
Invidually these musicians excel as probing and prodding voyagers. Carlsson is particularly compelling when he cuts loose to send jolting messages capable of being heard on distant planets. Larsson fuels the effort with deep buzzing undercurrents, and Wistrand flies above the widespread destruction pouring incendiary fluid over the haze. Olsen goes nonstop in setting up a bombastic backdrop of irregular pulsation. While the band casts a mesmerizing spell with its collective entreaty, the improvising talent of each member vividly surfaces out of the waters of this briskly bubbling cauldron. Nods Off gets the adrenaline flowing nonstop with its stimulating black magic communiqués."
Frank Rubolino

Cadence 10/2005

USA

"The Swedish group Nods Off is lead from at least ten years by saxophonist Stefan Wistrand, who is introduced at this record date by a quartet, consisting of electric guitarist Daniel Carlsson, electric bassist Stefan Larsson and drummer Peter Olsen.
The four musicians move with free decision and pride in free jazz territory, leaving the road stub for progressive rock’s full load of energy and luminescence. The climate is turbulent, loaded with electronics, pervaded from an obvious tension that mounts from the energetic moving force of the drummer and in the thick expressive implications of the guitarist. The leader demonstrates great mastery of the instrument and is the planning member, always giving the feeling of having the perfect control of the rudder, without never to rerun to the automatic pilot rifle. The nine compositions are all originals signed by Stefan Wistrand who, in some cases, takes advantage of the collaboration of the drummer Olsen and the bassist Larsson. One of the compositions summarizes them; the conclusive "The Call" instead is signed collectively by the group, giving a clear indication that the technique of ' instant composition' is important in these contexts."
Maurizio Comandini

Altrisuoni 9/2005

ITALY

"'In the Space Between' is a collaborative effort from Nods Off, a quartet that features Stefan Wistrand on various reeds, Daniel Carlsson on electric guitar, Stefan Larsson on electric bass and percussionist Peter Olsen. Particularly strong are the loud guitar contributions of Daniel Carlsson. His improvisational lines juxtapose the tenor, alto and soprano screeching of Stefan Wistrand. What also struck me about this release is the powerful, heavy-handed drumming of Peter Olsen. His style is one of take-no-prisoners and he often conflicts with the other members of the quartet. If you're looking for a quartet that dabbles in improvisational rock with a punch, Nods Off is a good starting point."
Tom Sekowski
Gaz-Eta 34/2005
POLAND

"FREE FANTASY - COMMANDING PRESENCE

Saxophonist Stefan Wistrand leads the group Nods Off since fifteen years. The music is strongly affected by its members. Swop is a lyrical number on soprano sax and drums while the following The blinder has rock influences and is dominated by Daniel Carlsson’s electric guitar. The music is sometimes characterized by electronic sounds and added voices. Wistrand is often soloist, and is sensitively accompanied by his fellow musicians. The tenor sax is most frequently used, followed by soprano sax. He has a big tone and expresses himself with an obvious authority. Carlsson also gets a big space for his guitar. He lets the sound overflow all its banks. The earlier growth of Nods Off is well presented in their album ‘Here, There, Down & Up!’ (OJ 1/01)"

Sven Boija

OJ 05/2005

SWEDEN

"Fusing rock-like instrument approach and free jazz. Original stance featuring inventive timbre mixes, simultaneously unfolding solos, offering a refreshing stream of ideas. Open forms, apparently loosely constructed, bear a great intricacy of weave. Constantly shifting pulses, sound layers carefully laid out in a thoroughly original proposal."
Hurly Burly / June 2005
SPAIN

"The Swedish improvisational scene today has quite too few names. Nods Off though is one of the foremost with their blending of free jazz and something they themselves call experimental rock. Sounds wild and it sure is."
Stefan Nilsson
Nerikes Allehanda March 23, 2005

SWEDEN

NODS OFF - Live at Tellus (einnicken ers 0213)

Dadeedah Dadoodah / Steel Voice / Jay Waltzing / Here, There, Down & Up!

Total time: 16:18. Released: 5/2002

Stefan Wistrand - Tenor & Alto Saxophones

Daniel Carlsson – Electric Guitar

Stefan Larsson - Electric Bass, Voice

Peter Olsen – Drums

“Live recorded experimental acoustic-electric rock with an overt free-jazz influence. Collective improvisations where superimposed solos flow with simultaneous intensity. The instrumental practice occasionally evoking atmospheric passages of jazzistic ascendancy, distances itself from the typical expanded developments of the realm.”

Hurly Burly / February 2003

SPAIN

“Reminds me a bit of GONG this one. Long live Free Jazz...”

Scott Heller

Aural Innovations 22/2003

USA

NODS OFF - Here, There, Down & Up! (einnicken era 0012)
Steel Voice / Here, There, Down & Up! / The Can-Oon / Summum Bonum /
Jump Bump / Coming & Going / Jay Waltzing / The Get-Out / A.V.P. /
Seventysix Echoes / Song A+B / Paint Music IV. Total time: 60:47.
Recorded: 3/92-4/97. Released: 10/2000
Stefan Wistrand - Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxophones, Alto Clarinet,
Trumpetophone
Stefan Larsson - Electric Bass, Voice, Trombonophone
Peter Olsen - Drums
Marcus Lund - Acoustic Bass (Jay Waltzing)

"The 1992-97 recordings on Here, There, Down & Up! of the Swedish group
Nods Off present bracing free Jazz sparked by the volcanic drumming of
Peter Olsen and with the distinctive cry of saxophonist Stefan Wistrand.
These committed and extroverted players honed their work during years of
gigs at home in Södermanland, west of Stockholm, time well spent in
developing a tight rapport. The loose chanting a la Jim Pepper that
opens the set might put off some listeners, but it's worth getting past
that. On burners like the overwhelming "Summum Bonum" or the equally
vigorous "Seventysix Echoes", the music erupts with passion and raw
power. The free-bop of "Jump Bump" owes a debt to Ornette Coleman,
including the punchy bass line. "Paint Music IV" closes the show with
something else entirely, a scary sounding piece with long complex
metallic tones from the trumpetophone and trombonophone. The band tends
to keep tunes fairly short for this genre, with just one track lasting
more than 8 minutes. The rich thump of Olsen's drums and his densely
tribal and driving style are reason enough for drum fanatics to check
this out. Nods Off is another distinguished member of a small but
vibrant free Jazz scene in Sweden, and one that's worth hearing."
Stuart Kremsky
Cadence 8/2001

USA

"Wind instruments, voice and drums display a free form of entering a
space in which the ethnic manifests itself, by way of make-up, as some
sort of prelude. The discourse, creating curves, is warm from the
beginning. Themes of an interrupted space give way to a flow stopped at
each stretch"."
Esteban Lago
Hurly Burly 16/2001
SPAIN

"The music consists of twelwe well varied original compositions which
not only manage to clean your ears from every trace of MOR, but also set
your fantasy in new directions. I'm most fascinated by the tune Paint
Music IV, which bears no resemblance to anything else I've heard in this
the most creative of jazz genres."
Peter Bornemar
Eskilstuna-Kuriren

SWEDEN

"varied and real interesting to listen to."
Sven Boija
Orkesterjournalen 1/2001

SWEDEN

"And this is ingenious, thought-provoking and beautiful modern
folkmusic that - whether the originators want it or not - goes very well
for dancing."
Bjarne Moelv
Folket

SWEDEN

NODS OFF - Lococycle (einnicken ers 9310)
Almost Lost/ S.O.S.B. / Gobr / (On An) Intermission / In Absurdum /
Stop & Go! / Lococycle / Johosea.
Total time: 17:50. Recorded: 3/92. Released: 9/93
Stefan Wistrand - Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxophones, Alto Clarinet
Stefan Larsson - Electric Bass, Devices
Peter Olsen - Drums

"Nods Off are an eclectic, if not somewhat schizophrenic trio pulling
together elements of harmolodics, funk, and free improv into a package
that passes by the ear (18 too-short minutes) almost as quickly as the
music itself moves. I am reminded, on the rock side of their equation,
of the Minutemen, and on the jazz side, of Joe McPhee, Ornette Coleman,
and strangely enough, Franz Koglmann, not necessarily in that order. Yet
this music does not sound overly derivative, nor does the fact that it
is a fusion of sorts make it a "fusion" record. In fact, for once I am
not even slightly put off by the presence of electric bass (Larsson's
sound remains organic, and does not lay a gloss over the group as
electric bass often does).
Instruments are used in manners both traditional and vanguard, as
tools of song
and tools of sound. For instance, Wistrand's horn work on the
quasi-funky "Almost Lost" is rich, throaty, and melodic. In the next
track, however, his soprano is ricocheting mightily from loose
parameters defined by sawed cymbals and a below-the-bridge bass
pizzicato. "In Absurdum" throws them into an all-out free jam with only
a deeply buried three-note theme to hold it together. Rather than coming
off as experimenting for experiment's sake, the trio appear confident in
all of their elements. Magicians and prodigies they're not, but this is
a group full of good ideas an the strength to make them work."
Scot Hacker
Cadence 10/1994
USA

"The Swedish jazz trio Nods Off plays an especially disciplined form of
free jazz: most of the eight tracks on this EP are under two minutes
long! Such brevity, combined with the fact that the recording was made
live in the studio, bespeaks a band that knows what it's doing. Reed
player Stefan Wistrand, bassist Stefan Larsson and percussionist Peter
Olsen say their piece, then shut up - no noodling around. Even in such
short time spans, they achieve some variety, ranging from the
bagpipe-like closer "Johosea" to the start- and-stop phrasing of the
well-titled "Stop & Go!"
Mark Sullivan
Option No. 55 1994 March/April
USA

"19 minutes of intense, free improvisation, eight numbers - that! It's no saving of graces from Stefan Wistrand (sax, cl), Peter Olsen (perc) and Stefan Larsson (el b)."
Sören Friis
Jazz Special 13/1993
DENMARK

"These musicians show us a counter-picture to the desolate scene of the
popular music of today. They're not trying to persuade us. They know if
we'll get the chance, we do dare to think for ourselves. For the sake of
improvised music this group is a blessing in these days when rock music
is being pumped up by the anabole stereoids of the music market and the
once rebellious jazz music simultaneously has become marketable as
background buzz in the supermarkets and as a trip in nostalgia for
arrived fifty-somethings."
Bjarne Moelv
Folket

SWEDEN

"...this record is a necessity, at last, it was almost 20 years ago...,
so go for it boys! And YOU, listen to it CAREFULLY, over and over again,
or like a background, from every side, "ambush" in sight. It's actually
short, but good, like a dwarf with 20 kids."
Roland Vila
Örebro Kuriren

SWEDEN

"...the three musicians, reedplayer Stefan Wistrand, bassist Stefan
Larsson and percussionist Peter Olsen, shows a fine feeling for
togetherness."
Lennart Blomberg
Göteborgs-Posten

SWEDEN

"Saxophonist Stefan Wistrand, percussionist Peter Olsen and bassist
Stefan Larsson - with a past with such different acts as Lolita Pop,
Lokomotiv Konkret, Memento Mori and Eugene Chadbourne - hits hard with a
style somewhere between Ornette Coleman's "harmolodics" and German avant
gardism that vibrates with a strength just as rare as desirable."
Peter Bornemar
Eskilstuna-Kuriren
SWEDEN