krokofant: iii

On their third album in just three years, Krokofant typify a new and invigorating movement currently sweeping the Nordic region: hard-boiled improvisation and strong instrumental personalities bolted onto rock beats and driving rhythms. Equally powerful on record and on stage, Krokofant pull no punches, sounding off like some unholy three-way marriage of early '70s jazz rock (think Mahavishnu Orchestra, Terje Rypdal), the sprawling progressive odysseys of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator, and the fierce heat of John Zorn or Peter Brötzmann's harsh free jazz ensembles. The group was properly born during the sessions at the proudly analog Engfelt & Forsgren Studio that led to their self-titled debut released on Rune Grammofon in 2014. This studio, with Christian Engfelt in charge of recording and mixing, has proved perfect for capturing the essence of a group like Krokofant, so it was only natural that they went back for the second album and now their third with Engfelt. Real musicians captured playing together in real time, you simply can´t beat that when it comes to this kind of music. Krokofant are the trio of: Axel Skalstad, Jørgen Mathisen, and Tom Hasslan.