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Background -

Arve Henriksen (born 22 March 1968 in Stranda, Norway) is a Norwegian trumpet player, renowned for his distinctive, flute-like sound on the trumpet, inspired by the sound of the Japanese shakuhachi flute. He also sings; his unique wordless vocalising was central to Chiaroscuro, where he often sings in a soprano's range. The control over his head voice is such that in "Opening Image" he could quite easily be mistaken for a woman.

Henriksen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium and later studied music pedagogy, while he played in «Bodega Band» (1987–88), «Luft» (1987–89), «Veslefrekk» from 1989, «Close Enough» 1990-92, «Nutrio» from 1990, and recorded with Bjørn Alterhaug and «Tre Små Kinesere» (1990). After graduating in 1991, he joined the «Trio Midt-Norge» and «Piggy Bop».

He has played among others with Misha Alperin, Jon Balke's Magnetic North Orchestra, Nils Petter Molvær, Audun Kleive, Trygve Seim, Terje Isungset, Christian Wallumrød and recently with Iain Ballamy's Food for Quartet and Supersilent, both bands signed on Rune Grammofon. He has also contributed to David Sylvian's Nine Horses project and his latest work, When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima.

With Supersilent he has been a major contributor to one of the most acclaimed improvisational bands over the last 14 years in Norway, with collaborations with Terje Rypdal among others. John Paul Jones played with them at the Punkt festival 2010, in Kristiansand, Norway and again at Moldejazz 2012.
     
Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen continues to mine the space between the notes, the power of silence and the beauty of nuance on Strjon. Unlike Chiaroscuro (Rune Grammofon, 2004), which was based on live improvisations, real-time sampling and subsequent post-production, Strjon is a studio concoction. While there's equal collaboration and extemporization with keyboardist Ståle Storløkken and guitarist Helge Sten—two of Henriksen's coconspirators in the fearless and forward-thinking ambient noise group Supersilent—there's also structure to be found, based on sketches that in some cases date back to Henriksen's youth. 

Those looking for delineated tunes with strong form and propulsive rhythms will be surprised to hear Henriksen achieve so much with so little. Henriksen's music occupies such a tranquil stasis that it's tempting to think of this as ambient music, but that would be a mistake. Henriksen places demands on his listeners, but is less concerned with notes and pulse and more about a selfless pursuit of sound as direct emotional conduit. All music evokes an emotional response, but rarely does it occur with such clarity, immediacy and simple elegance. 

Strjon is the medieval name of Henriksen's hometown of Stryn on the west coast of Norway. The twelve pieces create a mental travelogue around aptly named titles like "Leaf and Rock," "Green Water" and "Glacier Descent." With the exception of occasionally clear guitar chords and Henriksen's trumpet—which is often disguised by a shakuhachi-like tone—it's difficult to know who is doing what here, nor does it matter. The music ranges from the sparsity of a lone trumpet on "Evocation," where Henriksen's firm control of multiphonics creates a sound paradoxically soft and harsh, to the keyboard-driven and darkly spiritual "Ancient and Accepted Rite." 

Reflective of a communion with nature, a background that's as much contemporary classical music as it is ethnic folk music and minimally jazz by conventional definition, Strjon does have moments of rhythm, though they're likely to be caused by the repeat of an echo or the striking of a bow on a guitar. The album marries the melancholy economy and lyricism of Chiaroscuro with Supersilent's ability to make noisy textures starkly beautiful, as on "Black Mountain." "Alpine Pyramid" is a fugue- like multi-layering of trumpets—expansively striking, despite an inherent subtlety that's consistent with the rest of the disc. 

The Norwegian improvising scene is renowned for its focus on musicians as a means to an end rather than the end itself. Henriksen is undeniably accomplished, in particular in his ability to stretch the sound of his trumpet beyond conventional expectations. On Strjon he once again sets a goal of painting aural images evocative of a wide range of emotions rather than drawing attention to himself. Henriksen's ability to comfortably blend technology with sounds of an acoustic nature makes Strjon an otherworldly but wholly organic — and moving — experience. - John Kelman

If Arve Henriksen's latest album had appeared on ECM, nobody would bat an eye, but Strjon's release on Rune Grammofon is no surprise either, and not only because of the Norwegian trumpeter/keyboardist's previous efforts on that label. In its own low-key way, Rune Grammofon has assumed a strong position as a home of experimental work that touches on various permutations of the electronic avant-garde in Scandinavia, and Strjon, Henriksen's third release for the label, continues this reputation. The music is a combination of old and new, drawing in part on Henriksen's initial recordings as a teenager in the town of Stryn, but then re-recorded and reworked more recently by the trumpeter and two collaborators, keyboardist Stale Storlokken and guitarist Helge Sten. The resultant mix has both obvious roots perhaps reflective of the younger Henriksen's listening -- Miles Davis and Chet Baker are partial role models to be sure, though hardly the sole reference points -- and more involved collages at play, as can be heard in the unsettled chopped-up loops of "Black Mountain." Here, flecks of Henriksen's trumpet become the fragmentary basis for a crumbled rhythm overlaid first by elegant string synths and then heavy Kraut/prog keyboard snarls. Elsewhere, everything from church organ hymns ("Ancient and Accepted Rite," which as a title for such a piece can't be beat) to dark ambient chill (the title track, a cold rise and fall of droning sound that could easily be a Mick Harris piece in miniature) appears. The whole album is a testimony to controlled and careful elegance without simply being an undifferentiated wash of sound, but on a song like "Green Water," where Henriksen's trumpet softly moves over an irregular electronic rhythm that's part gamelan gone utterly minimal, part Ryuichi Sakamoto circa 1984, it's simply breathtaking. ~ Ned Raggett

On his third and quite brilliant 2007album,, Arve Henriksen is joined by his Supersilent colleagues Helge Sten and St†le Storlokken. Sten has also produced the album. Strjon brings together the various sides of Henriksen, from the zen-like solo pieces of his debut album Sakuteiki to the open-ended melancholia of Chiaroscuro and dark, brooding lyricism of Supersilent. Strjon is the mediaeval name of Arve's hometown Stryn on the westcoast of Norway, referring to a streaming river or water. The nature around Stryn is fantastic and the changes between winter and summer are quite drastic, from crashing avalanches in steep mountains to calm beauty and majestic tranquility. Some of the music dates back to sketches made by a young Arve Henriksen in these surroundings, later worked on by both Arve himself and Helge Sten. Rune Grammofon.               

The Wire (p.53) - "[T]rack by track it builds up an evocation as fresh and as vivid as a summer flower caught in an ice crystal."
Down Beat (p.71) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[Henriksen creates] a sublimely fluid and supple sound that sometimes sounds like anything but a trumpet..."

This listing is for a rare CD title - a USED / OPENED, in Near Mint minus overall condition CD PRESSED and ISSUED by RUNE GRAMMOFON Records of a highly collectible title, featuring -

Arve Henriksen

CD Title -

Strjon

Track Listing -

1. Evocation - 1:55         
2. Black Mountain - 5:06         
3. Ascent - 5:58         
4. Leaf And Rock - 2:17         
5. Ancient And Accepted Rite - 1:45         
6. Twin Lake - 2:51         
7. Green Water - 5:16         
8. Alpine Pyramid - 1:29         
9. Wind And Bow - 5:34         
10. Strjon - 2:02         
11. Glacier Descent - 7:33         
12. In The Light - 5:30

Performers on this CD include -

• Compiled By [Selections] – Arve Henriksen, Helge Sten (tracks: 4, 9, 10, 12), Ståle Storløkken (tracks: 6, 7)
• Cover – Kim Hiorthøy
• Guitar, Performer [Bow] – Helge Sten
• Keyboards – Ståle Storløkken
• Mastered By – Bob Katz
• Mixed By – Arve Henriksen (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11), Helge Sten (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12), Ståle Storløkken (tracks: 6, 7)
• Producer – Deathprod
• Recorded By – Arve Henriksen (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11), Helge Sten (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12), Ståle Storløkken (tracks: 6, 7)
• Trumpet, Voice, Keyboards, Electronics – Arve Henriksen

This CD is from the RUNE GRAMMOFON Records series of CDs.

  • CD catalog # RCD2061
  • CD made in NORWAY (we think)
  • CD issued in 2007
  • • Produced At – Audio Virus LAB
    • Mastered At – Digital Domain
    • Phonographic Copyright – Rune Grammofon
    • Copyright – Rune Grammofon
    • Pressed By – Dicentia – 070208226                                 
    Digipak packaging. 
    All selections (coming from Henriksen's "library" of sounds and music as he made sketches and recorded lots of cassettes with electronic improvised sequences since he was 16) by Arve Henriksen, except 4, 9, 10 and 12 by Arve Henriksen and Helge Sten and 6 and 7 by Arve Henriksen and Ståle Storløkken.

The CD, Cardboard Digi-Pak JEWEL CASE AND INSERTS are all in near mint minus overall condition! The CD may have a light mark or two on the reflective side of the disc - we couldn't see any marks under strong, white light. We play tested the disc in our audio system and it performed perfectly.

This CD is an audiophile quality pressing (any collector of fine MFSL, half speeds, direct to discs, Japanese/UK pressings etc., can attest to the difference a quality pressing can make to an audio system).

Do not let this rarity slip by!