Tortusa — Bre

Bre is the fourth album from Tortusa, aka  John Derek Bishop- a Stavanger based electronic musician and producer.  It’s an experimental ambient release focusing on the wonders of nature, and the twelve track album blends and blurs elements of mellow jazz, world music, and pared-back, but detailed electronica. All to create a mellow and often mysterious sonic trip, that finds Bishop collaborating with some of Norway's finest musicians, including three of his idols: Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset and Erland Dahlen.

The release appeared on Jazzland Recordings in the form of a CD- this takes in a mini gatefold that features a blend of dark purple colour scheme, and layered pictures of landscapes and close-ups of nature. All making for a nicely sleek and moody bit of packaging.
 
The album opens with the title track, and this is a four and a half minute affair that begins with moody bird warbles and wind sounds. Fairly soon crunching and fidgeting beats appear, along with the emotive and haunting harmonic wails of Inge W. Breistein hornwork, and the subtle-yet-building percussive detail of percussionist Erland Dahlen. As we move further into the album we come to the mellow and hazed "Bristen Ingen Kjente"- this track once again features Erland Dahlen, and is built around gently flowing ‘n’ poping micro-grain static,  electro vibe hoovers, lulling/ebbing gong hits, mysterious baying electro tone wails, and later rushing water field recordings.
 
At the albums mid-point, we come to slowly clumping-to-simmering ethnic organic beats meets compressed electro- jazziness of "Lyset Likevel", which features guitarist Eivind Aarset. And as we move into the albums last quarter we have the waving-to-wondering horn work meets marching insect-like beat detail of "Preget Uten Minne" which features highly respected Norwegian trumpet player Arve Henriksen. With the album been topped off with waving electro vibe meets bird-like twitter of "Ørten"- which features felt-yet-barrenly scabbing harmonics of guitarist Svein Rikard Mathisen. Each of the collaborators here are well picked/ placed- with each adding their own identity to the mix, yet they never distil the albums focus/ flow. Making sure this is very much a Tortusa album, and not just a selection of collaborations. 
 
Bre is an album that feels like a blend of the ethnic ambient side of Future Sounds Of London, the more ambient jazziness of latter-day Gong, and the nature-focused electronics of Mira Calix. With Bishop adding his own distinctive edge-focused in on wonder, and sad longing of nature- all making an album that mangers to be both soothing and sonically invigorating too.