Supersilent
4

The second album by the Norwegian quartet consisting of Arve Henriksen, Deathprod (the stage name of Helge Sten), Jarle Vespestad, and Ståle Storløkken, released by Rune Grammofon, produced and mixed by Deathprod himself, manages to escape any kind of musical label, just like all the records by Supersilent.

But why talk about "4" when they have already released their thirteenth album this year, you might ask (perhaps)? Well, because reading around the various reviews on the web, I noticed it is overlooked and given little consideration, so it seemed necessary to review an album I love. For those who do not know, the four Norwegian musicians do not write their music; every album is improvised, both in the studio and live, and this is the main characteristic of the quartet. However, even though the music is entirely improvised, do not expect to hear an "AMM" or "Iskra 1903" style album just to name two - the Norwegians' compositions are homogeneous and with a good sense of cohesion, all that you would expect from experienced improvisers.

If you were shocked by the brutality and power of the first (triple) album "1-3", in "4" the tones are more subdued. "4.1" starts with Henriksen's trumpet accompanied by Storløkken's synthesizer interacting to create an icy ambient melody/non-melody, where the other musicians join in shortly after, in a crescendo that, however, leads nowhere, because the piece ends leaving you bewildered, as if the musicians wanted to reaffirm that in their music anything can happen, and what happens is not what you expect. This does not happen in "4.2", which starts with electronic beats and synthesizer to arrive in the last minutes at a form of noise with frenzied drumming, in line with the strength and brutality of the first album, while Henriksen whispers something into the microphone. The album continues with the 10 insane minutes of "4.3", which teleport us to a syncopated world made of aliens. Here you notice Vespestad's skill, continuously breaking the rhythm and duetting with Deathprod in a whirlwind of sounds that would make Autechre blush. After the tornado of the third track, the musicians seem to take a little pause with the fourth and fifth tracks. The minute and a half of "4.4" transports us to the frozen tundra of Norway, and the two minutes of "4.5" darken the situation even more with a beat reminiscent of Andy Stott's Passed Me By. With "4.6" we return to a longer form of free jam where truly anything happens, and we have the chance to hear a summary of their music in these astonishing 17 minutes. If after listening to this track you are not convinced that the four Norwegians are formidable musicians and improvisers, I do not know what else to say. Finally, the album closes with "4.7", the third short track on the album that ends the work in an icy manner.