Once again, here's another intriguing release from the folks over at Svart Records, titled Hurmos, created by the Finnish post-rock/jazz trio known as Virta. Hurmos is the bands second album, an all-instrumental affair of seven electro-acoustic compositions that sees Antti Hevosmaa (trumpet, vocals, electronics), Heikki Selamo (guitar, vocals, electronics), and Erik Fräki (drums, percussion, electronics) merging the stark, melancholy nature of post-rock with the freewheeling experimentation of jazz. "About to Fly" kind of sums up this odd blending of styles perfectly, as Hevosmaa's trumpet soars over Selamo's textured guitar chords and Fräki's nimble drumming. The arrangements aren't overly busy like typical jazz, but it's also not as bleak as you can usually expect from post-rock, but somewhere in between. "Time Travel" is another good one, as healthy grooves drive some melodic slide guitar and bubbling electronics, while the far-reaching "Uni" jumps into space-jazz like some long lost recording from '70s era ECM Records. Perhaps the most upbeat track here is the lively closer "On the Run", as rampant drum fills, trumpet, and guitars battle for supremacy, the trio almost approaching free-jazz with their reckless abandon before closing out with some near symphonic bombast.
As with many releases on the Svart roster, you never quite know what you are in store for with these guys, and Hurmos definitely is another eclectic and intriguing album that strays far from the norm and is worth your attention.
Track Listing
1. Aallot
2. About To Fly
3. Time Travel
4. Härmä
5. The Landing
6. Uni
7. On the Run
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