Fish & Steel - Fish & Steel [PNL Records 044]

Released via the ever busy PNL Records imprint on October 4th, 2k19 is the self titled debut album by Fish & Steel, a trio formed by Mats Äleklint, Per-Ake Holmlander and label owner Paal Nilssen-Love who formed this new project after joining forces again in the bigband project Large Unit. On their first album the Norwegian / Swedish trio presents two large scale compositions - the opening, nearly 30 minutes spanning "Blow Out" whilst "Sangbolaget" clocks in at around 26 minutes playtime. Relying on a musical arsenal consisting of trombone, tuba and drums the three artists are surely drawing inspiration and experience from their work in FreeJazz but even this open term wouldn't be enough to do justice to the free floating approach Fish & Steel present on here, meandering in between of taking their instruments to their very limits whilst, minutes later, falling back to raw melancholia and echoes of classic melodies, still accompanied by thundering, ultra complex drumming, weighing in Jazz Noir-referencing ultraminimalism at times whereas providing highly seductive grooves or even slightly tongue-in-cheek moments at others. Excellent stuff, although way too complex to review in further detail. Get.

Album artwork on Instagram!