Audiopile Review: Finnish imprint Ultraääni Records continues their stellar outpour of Scandinavian jazz and experimental records, this time around dishing a new album from Organic Pulse Ensemble, a one-man spiritual jazz outfit based in Sweden, helmed by Gustav Horneij. OPE has actually been on a bit of a tear as of recent too, this is his third album in less than a year, already delivering albums for like-minded imprints, 2 Headed Deer and RR Gems. Recorded on the outskirts of Gothenburg, this is a far cry from the no-fi experimentation and grey-toned industrial racket we’ve become accustomed to from the city. Stunningly, nearly every instrument is played by Horneij, minus the album’s namesake, the zither, which was lifted from a worn LP found in a charity shop. Considering the singular polymath talent behind this album, our mind goes right to that other contemporary one-man band, Misha Panfilov, though Horneij is hyper focused on jazz as the primary outlet, as opposed to Panfilov’s amalgamation of genres. He does, however, share Panfilov’s penchant for uplifting spirits with his battery of instruments that add up to a large ensemble’s worth. Featuring flutes, piano, harp, percussion and horns, some of the most notable signifiers of a spiritual jazz outfit, Horneij slowly and painstakingly stacks each on top of one other, pushing it all towards a heavenly lushness. This is gonna be a big one for any fans of late 70s Alice Coltrane, Nat Birchall’s odes to the jazz giants of the past, or the jazzier side of Panfilov’s work. Edition of 500 hand-numbered copies, already sold out at the source. Lovely silkscreen jackets seal the deal!

Zither Suite is the fifth OPE album. It was recorded in my apartment in Kortedala, just outside of Gothenburg. No neighbours were harmed in the recording process. The title track opens with a bitter sweet bass melody that I first recorded some 10 years ago, but it’s been fermenting ever since and finally reached maturity. The zither that gave name to the record (and the first track) was a find from the local charity shop. While it’s not featured on every track of the album it’s a crucial part of the feel of the album as a whole. It’s the rug that ties the room together.
The tracks on this album are all original compositions with the exception of Jämtland which is based on an old Swedish folk melody, reported to have been played by musicians in Jämtland as early as the late 1700s. The county of Jämtland is forever claiming a tounge in cheek sort of independence from the Swedish governing body (in spirit rather than in actual policies) and Jämtlandssången is it’s unofficial national anthem.