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Kalle Moberg - The Tokyo Sessions Volume 1: Unheard​-​of (review)

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The playing of Kalle Moberg is something very unique. He is truly an innovator of his instrument and a very original musician as well. When you put on this record you’re immediately struck by the richness of small details in the sound, little things that add complexity to a note. The sound of the keys, the sort of airy buzzing in certain sounds, breath-like things. Sometimes you wonder how it’s even possible to play these things, does he have three hands? There has been no overdubbing on this record, which might be suspected by some.

The imagination of Moberg is also something very special. It’s continually surprising to listen to him. The phrases and gestures seem to be placed in a crooked angle, and they’re crooked in their nature, too. At times you hear phrases that sound like jazz, but they’re so warped by all the note-bending that it feels like something else. A kind of surrealistic jazz. The mind also makes associations from this music to the organ, saxophone and sometimes the sho, of the gagaku tradition. There are different hints of stylistic flavors in this, perhaps from new music, Brazilian music, Tango, Romani traditions… who knows? It would be interesting to hear what his influences might be.

It’s a little bit difficult to describe his playing, because it seems as if there’s a logic in it, but that’s hard to put my finger on. He overlaps things in complex ways, a short note with a long note, a bent note with a straight note, all kinds of overlappings of different sounds and gestures. This weaves a kind of strangely morphing organisim. It occurs to me now, that there are certain similarities in this regard, to the way John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen composed for the piano in the early 50’s. Moberg’s playing doesn’t sound very similar to that, though. He’s making these overlappings and changes in a more subtle way, not screaming that that’s what he’s doing. All these complex activities create a kind of special flow, a rhythm of directional changes which is a bit uneven. This unevenness is what keeps the listener interested, at least this listener.

It seems that Moberg has a tendency to go toward “ballad” playing, rather than the rapid and loud (although he can definitely go there). The slower sections have a captivating feeling. They are incredibly beautiful. The harmonies and the sensitivity are extraordinary. I get the feeling that these sections would be perfect as film music, because the atmosphere is so strong.

This is a record which I feel demands repeated listening. It’s stimulating to listen throughout, and after it’s over, it’s a similar feeling to an open ending of a mystery novel. You want to go back into that universe again. The richness of ambiguity in this music makes it a resource for continuous inspiration and wonder.

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