Welcome to a new feature!
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to echo some of my writing about books a read in writing about music I listen to. The challenge is there is Just.So.Much of it. So here’s what I’ve settled on: somewhat randomly picking one of the recent albums I’ve purchased (yes, I still purchase music–you should, too if you can: more money goes to the artist when you do it. You don’t even need to listen to it–just buy the album on Bandcamp and then stream it however you want).
Anyhow, I’ll pick an album, listen to it all the way through (which is a fun pleasure for me that I rarely allow myself), and scribble some thoughts.
First up, we have Am Are by Bugge Wesseltoft (wikipedia). I first encountered Wessletoft in a very odd way: he was the star of a curated playlist on Turkish Airlines in 2015 or thereabouts. I feel in love with the driving, rhythmic momentum of his compositions, which sit somewhere between jazz and dance music (if either category actually exists).
Am Are is a 2025 release, and a pretty good representation of what I know of Wesseltoft’s work: (mostly) ensemble pieces with a propulsive drive centered around his keyboard work and a rhythm section that often sounds on the very edge of Middle Eastern.
A couple notes on individual tracks: the album opens with How?, a lovely, lyrical solo piano piece. Is Anyone Listening is the rare vocal track on Wessesltoft’s recordings, and Render is the most atmospheric on the album, drifting just to the edge of ambient.
ReiN and ThinkaHeaD are more typical, with the latter being the most compositionally interesting, containing a middle section that is somewhere between field recordings and a long drone before its ultimate resolution.
The title track is the best of all of the worlds: melodic and lyrical themes dancing on tightly knit ensemble work.
Wesseltoft’s recordings are rarely challenging, but they are almost always thoroughly engaging and enjoyable. High recommendation, both for this album and his back catalog.
Favorite Track: Am Are
Am Are (2025).
Bugge Wesseltoft– Piano, Synthesisers, organ, Fender Rhodes
Elias Tafjord – Drums
Rohey Taalah – Vocal
Martin Myhre Olsen – Saxophone
Arild Andersen – Acoustic Bass, Effects
Gard Nilssen – Drums
Sveinung Hovensjø – Electric Bass
Jon Christensen – Drums and Bells
Jens Mikkel Madsen – Acoustic Bass
Øyunn – Drums
Oddrun Lilja – Guitar
Sanskriti Shrestha – Tablas, Harp