Christian Meaas Svendsen – AVIN


Christian Meaas Svendsen – AVIN

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BARCODE: CD 7090040250186, LP 7090040250193

RELEASE DATE: 11th May 2017

FORMAT: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

RECORDED:  Athletic Sound, Dag Erik Johansen, December 2016

MIXED/MASTERED: Aleksander Sjølie, Kvadraturen Studios, January 2016/Morgan Nicolaysen, Propeller Mastering, February 2016

PRODUCED: Christian Meaas Svendsen

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Avin is a Kurdish maiden name meaning love. Avin is also the name of Svendsen’s girlfriend. The central theme on the album is their unfinished love, and the texts and the music describe Svendsen’s feelings and reflections in the turbulent phases of the relationship. Loss, anger and despair are repeating themes, but amidst it all there is hope and a strange kind of underlying positivism. The music is inspired from early American contemporary music, modern nordic improvised music and different types folk songs. The result is a more meek version of the modern contemporary music, a slightly more strict version of improvised music and jazz, and a somewhat detached way of presenting conventional singer/songwriter material. It is creative music with healthy resistance presented in an earnest, convincing and personal way.


1. Da du og jeg var vi
2. Kretsløp
3. Avin
4. i Berlin
5. Katarsis
6. 11 dager
7. Tørr og sliten jord

Christian M. Svendsen - vocals, guitar
Vilde Alnæs - violin
Adrian Løseth Waade - viola
Kaja Fjellberg Petteren - cello
Inga Margrete Aas - double bass
Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø - trombone
Espen Reinertsen - tenor saxophone
Agnes Hvizdalek - vocals

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This is a solo project by Norwegian bassist / composer Christian Meaas Svendsen, which adds singer and songwriter to the list of his qualifications. The album presentsseven songs (six with lyrics in Norwegian and one instrumental), all by Svendsen, arranged for an octet, which comprises of his musical friends, including members of his ensemble Nakama, which is his usual musical environment.

Don´t be fooled by the "conventional" description above, as there is, as expected, nothing conventional about this album. The arrangements, which involve strings and brass (but no drums) are absolutely stunning intricate pieces of "friendly" AvantGarde, which transport the concept of "songs" into a completely new dimension. Svendsen sings / hums / recites and manipulates his voice in many innovative ways, again transforming the concept of "singing" into previously unexplored territory. He plays acoustic guitar on this album and leaves the bass part to another musician.

To be perfectly honest, any attempt to describe this music verbally is futile and the only way to get exposed to this music is of course by listening to it. In the world where almost everything created in music is derivative and follows patterns, such individuality and total lack of conventionality as present on this album are truly miraculous. Although this music eschews any precise  musical classification, openheaded listeners, who like amalgamations and exciting crossgenre explorations, will find this music irresistible. Jazz, Classical, Pop and everything in between, this music really manages to convince that not everything is lost in human creativity. Hats off!