Norwegian pianist and jazz-house producer Bugge Wesseltoft started Jazzland in 1996, shortly after he recorded the first album of the “New Conception of Jazz” series. “I needed somewhere to release my first record, then as a fresh label owner realized I needed to put out other albums too,” says Bugge about the Oslo-based imprint which this month brings out five new albums. “Nearly all our artists are personal friends whom I’ve either played with or somehow known before. Some of them, like Wibutee, are from the new generation of musicians, younger than me, so are bringing in new influences.”
Wibutee’s new LP is a beat-led album soaking up influences from contemporary classical, ambient and free improvised music. Beady Belle, a collaboration between singer Beate Lech and bassist Marius Reksjø have produced a joyous, upbeat funk-pop album reminiscent of the Brand New Heavies.
On the other hand, Sidsel Endresen — a Norwegian Grammy award-winning poet and lyricist — composes dark, harmonic-structured songs that rarely rise above a hushed vocal. Jazzland artists have remixed the ethnic fusion of Mari Boine’s yoick vocal style — the traditional song of her Laestadian upbringing. Guitarist Eivind Aarset is probably responsible for the most exciting of the releases, which borrows heavily from the industrial and electric jazz scene, while improvisation is mixed with rhythms from European club culture. The diverse range of styles on the Jazzland roster is due to Bugge’s approach to management. “I always give the artists freedom, rather than telling them what to do. One of the most important things you can do in music, is learn from doing it yourself.”
Wibutee “Eight Domestic Challenges” /Beady Belle “Home” /Sidsel Endresen “Undertow” /Mari Boine “Remixed” /Eivind Aarset “Light Extracts.” All Jazzland Records, out now.
