Shiggajon to Release Sela on El Paraiso Records in June
The catalog of Danish collective Shiggajon is about as amorphous as both the band’s lineup and their improvisational methodology, full of independent live releases with varying participants, splits, limited tapes and CDRs dating back to 2006 or thereabouts. They’ve had numerous full-lengths already, but no doubt signing to El Paraiso Records for the impending June release of Sela will be a landmark for the outfit. The album is available now for preorder on LP and is comprised of two extended tracks of improv-worship, the feel duly psychedelic, but not geared toward any particular idea of what that might mean.
You can get a feel for yourself with the sample of the immersive title-track below. It’s only five minutes of an 18-minute track, but I think you’ll be able to get a feel for what Shiggajon are getting up to, and hopefully agree it’s worth pursuing.
500 copies of the album will be pressed. Info follows from the PR wire:
Shiggajon Sela LP
Shiggajon is a Danish collective based around musicians Mikkel Reher-Lanberg and Nikolai Brix Vartenberg. Much like the music itself the collective is in constant flux, sometimes performing in the form of a small ensemble, other times appearing on stage with as many as 15 persons, depending on the situation.
It’s tempting to categorize Shiggajon as a spiritual jazz ensemble, since their music is able to induce a heightened, spiritual euphoria much similar to that of Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry or Alice Coltrane. But any narrow definition of their sound would be misleading. While there’s an element of ritualism present, there’s also a post-modern tendency to absorb everything from sufi music to krautrock and contemporary electronic drone. Heavily modulated guitar pedals and processed vocals accompany layers of flutes, strings, bells and percussion as the most natural thing in the world.
It’s the kind of music that demands openness and surrender. Every time the ensemble performs improvisation is fundamental – it’s a journey into the unknown. As in John Coltrane’s later works, Shiggajon establishes a unity between spirituality and improvisation – they embrace the paradox of seeking elevation and existential affirmation through sounds that occasionally verges on chaos and dread. These two long, multi-layered, cacophonous pieces occasionally come off as slightly abrasive and dissonant, but ultimately the music is a process resulting in joyful catharsis and healing.
Emil Rothenborg, violin and double bass.
Martin Aagaard Jensen, drum-kit.
Mikkel Elzer, drums, percussion, and electric guitar.
Mikkel Reher-Langberg, drums, percussion, and clarinet.
Nikolai Brix Vartenberg, saxophone.
Sarah Lorraine Hepburn, vocals, silver flute, electronics and tingshaws
http://www.shiggajon.blogspot.com/
http://elparaisorecords.com/releases/shiggajon-sela
https://www.facebook.com/elparaisorecords
