Rune Grammofon is a one man army by Rune Kristofferson who has been influential in giving us a whole new breed of music by supporting ambient acts like Biosphere & Alog, electonic & jazz experimentalists Nils Oekland, Phonophani, Shining, Jazzkammer and recently Svalastog & Huntsville and In the Country. A surge of delicious music from the same camp and the cold and gray winter days led me to do a selection of recent Rune Grammofon stuff.

In the Country’s second album “Losing Stones, Collecting Bones” has been featured as a mention of 2006, but it deserves more than that. The piano trio led by pianist Morten Qvenild also of Shining fame is a spectacular trio, defining a new trio sound incorporating pop, rock, folk, jazz and classical in it while keeping it very accessible and picturesque, and our fave Tzadik axeman Marc Ribot is also a special guest on two songs!.

Huntsville’s latest effort is a contrasting work to In the Country’s eclectic but accessible sound. This improv trio’s ”For The Middle Class” album has 4 tracks, with two frentic tracks resembling Indian raggas which both last over 15 minutes and two slower and atmospheric sounds on the brink of textural ambience. The closing track “Melon” is a soothing micro universe of guitar arpeggios and a drone.

Svalostog is maybe the most accessible for the casual electronic music listener, because of it’s straightforward loopy sound. Deep electronic soundscapes and micro beats are created by artist Per Henrik Svalastog who has tried to convert to traditional playing, and from electronica to folk music. Per Henrik is playing and improvising on archaic folk instruments and then processing it all in the computer creating some really hypnotic music, which is in essence repetitive but with small incremental changes to keep your brain occupied. If you’re into Jan Jelinek’s Farben stuff you should order it straight away.

In the Country - Hello Wait
In the Country - Kung fu Boys
In the Country - In my time of Need
In the Country - How to get Aquainted
Huntsville - Melon
Svalastog - Reforestation
Svalastog - Mouse Tracking