Info

Everything and Everything at Once
The sessions to the new Helge Lien Trio album were not supposed to be special. And yet, they could never be business as usual. After the departure of founding member Frode Berg, the group were “at a crossroads,” says Lien, and in need of a fresh start. They found it by leaving their comfort zone: For the first time in 15 years, they did not record at the Rainbow studio in Oslo. The change of location turned out to be productive. In the end, the musicians had two full records’ worth of material – and none of it fit the glove of a conventional trio recording.
The sheer abundance of approaches and concepts makes 10 feel like a factory of ideas, an expansive world for letting go and losing yourself in, like a clockwork ticking at the pulse of passion. It presents a panopticum of this unique formation’s versatility, including onomatopoetic piano paintings and hypnotic grooves, experimental abstractions and runic jazz. Lien is known for being capable of everything – this time, he just did everything all at once.
It was obviously critical how new bassist Mats Eilert would fit in. All doubts, however, are quickly dispersed on opener “Be Patient”. Appearing behind Lien’s crystaline piano cascades, Eilert turns his instrument into a poetic device, imbuing the music with a sense of magic and mystery. The other members, too, are awarded their spot in the limelight. In the solo pieces, their individual voices sound more recognisable than ever, while forging an even tighter unit in the band settings.. Some have referred to the trio’s style as ‘new chamber music’ – it is not hard to understand, why.
Lien himself especially has grown as a composer and performer. Some of the most striking passages are reminiscent of his ambitious solo record Kattenslager from 2012. On other occasions, he pushes the beat forward with impulsive staccatos, at times separating himself from the rhythm section, at timese closely aligning himself with it.
There’s no easy way of explaining this album. Some of the pieces are autumnal and consoling. Others feel more forceful and disturbing. But they are all connected. Like twins in a dark room. Like all the different and sometimes contradicting ideas that haunt Helge Lien whenever he sits down behind the piano – and which all suddenly make perfect sense.
Releases
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fcKkVWoltghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7jjerzBDwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVJ2mNDr4GI
Press Room
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cover
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cover LP
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OZ091CD onesheet deutsch
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OZ091CD onesheet english
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OZ091CD text deutsch
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OZ091CD text english
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Photo 01
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Photo 02
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OZ1091LP onesheet deutsch
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OZ1091LP onesheet english
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oz021cd new 12x12
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oz021cd HelgeLien1
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oz021cd HelgeLien2
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oz021cd HelgeLien4
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oz021cd HelgeLienTrio press1
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oz021cd HelgeLienTrio press2
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oz036cd front
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 01
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 02
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 04
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 05
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 06
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oz036cd HelgeLien by ChristianMoerdre 07
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oz036cd HelgeLienTrio by ChristianMoerdre 03
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oz041cd 12x12
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oz041cd 12x12
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oz041cd HelgeLien 01
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oz041cd HelgeLien 02
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oz041cd HelgeLien 03
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oz041cd HelgeLien 04
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oz041cd HelgeLien 05
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oz055cd 12x12
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oz1055lp 12x12 Vinyl
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 01 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 02 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 03 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 04 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 05 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 06 by CF Wesenberg
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oz055 Helge Lien Trio Picture 07 by CF Wesenberg
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OZ070CD Front
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OZ1070LP Front
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oz070cd onesheet Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu e 1
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oz070cd text Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu e 1
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oz070cd onesheet Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu d 1
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oz070cd text Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu d 1
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oz1070lp onesheet Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu e 1
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oz1070lp onesheet Helge Lien Trio Guzuguzu d 1
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oz055cd onesheet Badgers And Other Beings e 1
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oz055cd text Badgers And Other Beings e 1
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oz055cd onesheet Badgers And Other Beings d 1
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oz055cd text Badgers And Other Beings d 1
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oz1055LP onesheet Badgers And Other Beings e 1
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oz041cd onesheet Kattenslager e 1
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oz041cd text Kattenslager e 1
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oz041cd onesheet Kattenslager d 1
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oz041cd text Kattenslager d 1
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oz1041LP onesheet Kattenslager e 1
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oz1041LP onesheet Kattenslager d 1
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oz036cd onesheet HLT Natsukashii e 1
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oz036cd onesheet HLT Natsukashii d 1
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OZ1036LP onesheet HLT Natsukashii e 1
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OZ1036LP onesheet HLT Natsukashii d 1
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oz021cd onesheet HLT e 1
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oz021cd text HLT02 e 1
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oz021cd onesheet HLT d 1
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oz021cd text HLT02 d 1
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OZ1021LP onesheet HLT e 1
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OZ1021LP onesheet HLT d 1