Palms, Beaches, Dreams
Digital release March 16 2018 / Vinyl release May 25 2018
«Samler en haug av landets mest interessante musikere på torget. .. Groovy post-rock fremført av åpne musikere med en viss jazztilknytning, med brasiliansk ynde og Lower East Side-skronk om hverandre?» – Dagens Næringsliv, Audun Vinger
“Som å seile nedover ei elv på flytemadrass med en piña colada i fanget’’ – Dagbladet, Kim Klev
«Det er et musikalsk torg det snakkes om, der medlemmene bringer sine ulike musikalske erfaringer til byens møteplass. Og det er litt av et stjernelag, for dem som følger norsk musikk i venstre utkant, som fusjonerer dronete riff og rockige lyder, jazzig instrumentering og eksperimentelle innslag her.» – Morgenbladet, Ando Woltmann
“Den nye vinen i norsk jazz, pop, elektronika og impro!” – NRK P2, Svein Terje Torvik
“Det bejublede bandet/konseptet/kollektivet Torg er tilbake med en ny utgivelse. .. Pop, jazz, støy, indiepop, prog, instrumental og elektronika. .. Det er også en varme i produksjonen her, ala Sonic Youth-platene som Jim O’Rourke produserte» – Stemmegaffel, Lars Junge
Torg is Johan Lindvall (synth, piano), Ina Sagstuen (vocals), Christian Skår Winther (electric guitar), Torstein Lavik Larsen (trumpet, synth), Adrian Fiskum Myhr (electric bass), Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard (electric bass, electronics), Anja Lauvdal (synth) Heiða Karine Jóhannesdóttir Mobeck (tuba, electronics), Jan Martin Gismervik (drums).
Like diving into a forest of strange symbols which gaze back at you with fond familiar eyes; this music is shaped by an intuitive band that guides Lindvall’s song fragments wherever they wish. Elements of pop and jazz are mixed with abstract sounds and danceable rhythms – it may bring to mind Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters who succeeded mixing avant garde with popular music of its era. Palms, Beaches, Dreams is catchy and melodic, innovative and original. Band members are also known thriving in the alternative pop scene (Broen, Listen to Girl), on jazz labels ECM and Hubro (Mette Henriette, Monkey Plot, Skadedyr), in noise and free improv (Propan, Oker, Ich Bin N!ntendo). This album is a solid result from the genre-breaking explorations done by this young Norwegian music scene.
Torg’s debut “Kost/Elak/Gnäll” was released in 2015 on Bugge Wesseltoft’s Jazzland Recordings as a wholly acoustic record. “Palms, Beaches, Dreams” is more electric, more groovy, with more instruments and a bigger production. Still they maintain a tasteful simplicity, where eclectic influences like Laurence Crane, Moondog, Portishead, Ahmad Jamal, Agnes Martin, Christian Wallumrød, Laurie Anderson, Amason, New Order and Gal Costa are resulting in their own refined and unique sound.
Compositions by Johan Lindvall
Arrangements, parts and ideas by all members
Produced by Nergaard/Winther/Lindvall
Recorded and mixed by Marcus Forsgren at Studio Paradiso
Interludes mixed by Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard
Mastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio
Cover design by Christian Dugstad