
Kalle Moberg - The Tokyo Sessions Vol 1- Unheard Of [KAMO Records - 2020]The Tokyo Sessions Vol 1- Unheard Of severs up just over half-an-hour worth of off-kilter, wonky and at times searing accordion playing from Norwegian Kalle Moberg. He utilizes extreme bending techniques, multiphonics and microtonality playing to make the accordion sound unlike it has before. The release comes in the form of CD- taking six tracks that run between one & nine minutes. These are live acoustic performances made by a single accordion, which makes the whole thing so much more impressive- as the tone of the tracks move from wonky & drunkenly darting, to slowly searing & droning, to manic & angular- so it’s certainly a release that keeps you on your toes.
The album starts off in fine bounding angular form with the just over four minutes of “Delphic Dance”- here we find a blend of tone shifting 'n' drunkenly jolly honks, manic key runs, and seesawing wails- sounding like a gone wrong & melting jig. By track number three “Untimely Night” we slip into more brooding & angular waters- as Moberg pulls out a blend of dread bound low-end tones & melodramatic harmonic simmers. With the wonderfully titled “Skinned alive by a blunt spoon” we find Moberg playing at it’s most wonky & seared, as for just under seven minutes he severs up a mix of wavering wonders, high pitched bays ‘n’ squeals, and queasy tone shifts. With the album finishing on a surprisingly more reserved & glumly choral manner with “Chason- to theis on his first birthday”.
If you enjoy the sonic place where wonky meets shrill with moments of glum-to- jauntily tuneful-ness, then The Tokyo Sessions Vol 1- Unheard Of will be most pleasing to you. I wasn’t aware of Moberg take on accordion, but this release has most certainly made me keen to hear more- be it solo or collaborating with others.      Roger Batty
|