EH006 | Digital EP | Released May 25 2020

Torg’s music is accessible without being banal, easy without being naive and an excellent soundtrack in anticipation of brighter times.

Norwegian jazz group Torg is back with the EP «Vår» («Spring») on Earthly Habit. Under the compositional hands of pianist Johan Lindvall, some of the strongest talent on the Norwegian music scene meet again. Torg’s latest release “Palms, Beaches, Dreams” (2018) was met by brilliant reviews (“Gathers a bunch of the country’s most interesting musicians.. “ – Dagens Næringsliv) and “Vår” takes their eclectic expression a step further and perhaps into clearer territory. We recognize the elements – repetitive melody fragments, abstract soundscapes and danceable rhythms; jazz mixed with pop, electronic music mixed with bossa nova. The sources of inspiration are manifested in a desire for true collective work.

There is a springy wind in the music; an ease that follows the listener’s imagination through an open landscape of references – forward and backward in time. Torg is a meeting place, an open place where members contribute ideas and aesthetics to develop the compositions by Lindvall.

EH001 | LP/Digital | Released May 25 2018

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.

«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