The Squid's Ear Magazine


Space (Ullen / Bergman / Lund): Embrace the Space (Relative Pitch)

A startlingly exciting album of piano trio jazz from three creative innovators, in the followup to the 2022 debut of the Swedish Space Trio of Lisa Ullen on piano, Elsa Bergman on double bass and Anna Lund on drums, recording in the studio for eight collective improvisations of extremely well matched, highly interactive and exhilarating modern improv.
 

Price: $13.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 3.00 units


EU & UK Customers:
Discogs.com can handle your VAT payments
So please order through Discogs

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Lisa Ullen-piano

Elsa Bergman-double bass

Anna Lund-drums


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 5904224872076

Label: Relative Pitch
Catalog ID: RPR1171
Squidco Product Code: 34612

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2024
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Atlantis Studio, in Stockholm, Sweden, on January 17th, 2023, by Niclas Lindstrom.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Space is Lisa Ullén (piano), Elsa Bergman (double bass) and Anna Lund (drums).The piano trio based in Stockholm is back with a fiery follow-up to their 2022 debut. The trio now collectively goes under the name Space, which I perceive to be the symbolic transformation from ad hoc group to a real band. On Embrace the Space the trio indeed plays like a band - demonstrating a fondness of each other rooted in their shared history (a shared history dating back to at least 2016 as members of Anna Högberg Attack). On Embrace the Space, the exploratory interplay of their previous outing is sufficiently eclipsed by raw and moving confidence of a fully-developed team.

Recorded in studio, Embrace the Space consists of eight exhilarating improvisations. The conciseness of most of these improvisations yields focused, to-the-point statements that relish in their collective acumen with stirring results. "Look" kicks things off with snarl, with Ullén's brooding piano building tension like thunderheads on the horizon. The erratic "Cyklop" begins with a spikey conversation between prepared piano and Bergman's plodding bass before Lund enters the fray. "Rage" is aptly titled - it's a full-tilt assault led by Lund's driving cymbals. On "Composure," the trio slows down without sacrificing a lick of intensity. The paced, descending piano harmony feels foreboding enough before Bergman and Lund prod the group into rougher seas. Three longer tracks permit the group to stretch out a bit more.

They still retain the focused energy as on their shorter improvisations, but with some additional room to maneuver. "All at Once" is a daring ride that firmly seats Space in the upper echelon of piano trios. There are even moments that remind me of the Feel Trio in the same raw intensity. "Bleach" is the longest track here at over 12-minutes. We find Space at its most dynamic here - it's a communion of shifting moods and building tension. About 6-minutes in the trio decelerates; Ullén taps out a repetitive chord while Lund and Bergman fill the scene with restless energy. The piece gradually builds gravity until it reaches a breaking point. The release of energy is hair-raising as three voices collide in free jazz maelstrom. Utterly brilliant.

Space is fast becoming one of the most daring piano trios on today's scene (and a personal favorite of mine). Embrace the Space is a milestone achievement for the trio as they solidify their sound and camaraderie. Highly recommended."-Taylor McDowell


Get additional information at The Free Jazz Collective

Artist Biographies

"Lisa Ullén, pianist and composer. Born 1964 Seoul

Korea, grew up in the north of Sweden, now based in Stockholm. Graduated in 1990 from the Royal Academy of Music, Stockholm . Studies in jazz and improvisation at Chapel Hill NC USA. electro-acoustic music at EMS (Electro Acoustic Studio of Sweden).

Among her commissioned works are intermedia project Kyrillien, chamber manga opera Ninjutsu , musical drama play Now time is waiting. She has been supported and rewarded by the Swedish Arts Council, the Society of Swedish Composers, Swedish Arts Grant, and the Royal Music Academy.

The musicians of Lisa Ullén Quartet have their musical roots in jazz, punk, chamber music and blues but come together in what might modestly be called modern acoustic improvisational music. An impressively keen ear is paired with astounding musicianship, where each single note played is as important as the linear totality. A new generation of Swedish musicians expand the concept of free jazz, giving space to beat and melody as well. All the members of the group are well established on the

Swedish jazz and improvisation scene. LUQ have been broadcast by the Swedish National radio and TV and the second album was released in April -09 with very good reviews Lisa Ullén and Nina de Heney Duo has existed since 2007, and has rapidly gained recognition as one the most thrilling new groups on the improvisation scene in Sweden. They are individually known and respected as well established performers, having each developed a personal sound on their respective instruments.

Their second album, released in April -09, received very good reviews.They have performed at the main festivals in Sweden, such as the Umeå International Jazz Festival and the Stockholm Jazz Festival, and their music has several times been broad-casted on the National Swedish Jazz Radio P2."

-Musikcentrumost (http://www.musikcentrumost.se/en/?fid=3974)
1/17/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Elsa Bergman is a Stockholm, Sweden-based double bass-player working in free jazz and improvised music. She plays in the free jazz sextet "Anna Högberg Attack", who have released and album on Swedish label Omlott. She is also a member of the high-energy improv quartet "Festen" whose debut albumwas on the Portuguese label Clean Feed. She leads her own quartet "Elsas Eget Omdöme", and is a member of Fire! Orchestra, Golden Offence Orchestra, Hästköttskandalen, Motståndsorkestern Version 1.

-Squidco 1/17/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Anna Lund is a Swedish drummer, know for her work with the trio Lisa Ullen/Elsa Bergman/Anna Lund, Anna Högberg Attack, Flocken, Hurrakel! and Malin Wättring 4.

-Squidco 1/17/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Look 3:10

2. The Immeasurable 7:09

3. All At Once 8:11

4. Cyklop 3:23

5. Bleach 12:21

6. Rage 3:36

7. Composure 4:08

8. Blood and Money 3:20

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Piano Trio (Piano Bass Drums)
Collective & Free Improvsation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Trio Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
Relative Pitch.


Recommended & Related Releases:
STHLM svaga
Plays Carter, Plays Mitchell, Plays Shepp
(thanatosis produktion)
The Swedish free jazz septet STHLM svaga work at the liminal edges of delicate improvisation and song, for this album commissioning works from Archie Shepp, Ron Carter and Roscoe Mitchell, Carter traveling to Stockholm to provide guidance on his composition "Desert Lament"; the band also performs Coltrane's "Jupiter" and Per Henrik Wallin's piece "Winter Rhapsody".
Other Recommended Releases:
Sobek, Chloe / Tim Berne
Burning Up
(Relative Pitch)
The first meeting between New York alto saxophonist Tim Berner and Australian string player Chloë Sobek, performing on the violone, a precursor to the modern double bass, in five improvisations recorded outside of the studio to create an intimate space for their spontaneous, articulate and well-balanced dialogs, from rapt introspection to blazing intensity.
Warpeha, Zosha
Silver Dawn
(Relative Pitch)
A beautifully contemplative collection of vignettes performed on solo Hardanger d'amore, a sympathetic-stringed relative of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, from Brooklyn improviser and composer Zosha Warpeha, in 13 works of thoughtfully spacious playing utilizing the resonance and rich texture of the Hardanger fiddle, seemingly suspending time despite beguiling momentum.
Reid / Edwards / Coudoux

(Relative Pitch)
Three innovative cellists at the intersection of improvisation, contemporary compositional and experimental forms — Tomeka Reid from Chicago, Isidora Edwards from Chile and based in London, and Elisabeth Coudoux from Germany — meet in Wiesbaden to record these four multi-layered improvisations merging their unique perspectives with great concentrative expression.
Omawi (Warelis / Gvaert / De Joode)
Waive
(Relative Pitch)
The band name Omawi is a conglomerate of this Dutch trio's name, appropriate for the nearly telepathic interaction of pianist Marta Waleris, drummer Onno Govaert and double bassist Wilbert de Joode, captured in their first live performance after the pandemic lockdown at Zaal100, in Amsterdam, their enthusiasm and pent-up expression clearly evident in five extraordinary improvisations.
Zethson, Alex Ensemble
Some Of Them Were Never Unprepared [VINYL]
(thanatosis produktion)
Exploring how a composition can provide a sense of weightlessness, and influenced by the music of gamelan, krautrock, Tony Conrad & Arnold Dreyblatt, composer Alex Zethson structured these works to influence the 13 performers in his ensemble into a state of intense focus and listening as they strike, bow and pluck their instruments, creating an ecstatic sense of infinite motion.
Child of Illusion (Pitsiokos / Santos Silva / Zetterberg)
Khimaira
(Relative Pitch)
The 3-headed monster Khimaira--a lion head in front, a goat head at its back and a snake head at its tail--is rendered by the transatlantic trio of NY saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos, Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva and Swedish bassist Torbjourn Zetterberg, using profound technique, snarling interaction and contemplative patience to coax the beast in masterful interplay.
Masked Pickle (Scemama / Malmendier / Weil)
7
(Relative Pitch)
A fully free, quirky and marvelous set of virtually indescribable improvisation from the trio of French vocalist Clara Weill (known from her work with Fred Frith), Olivia Scemama on bass and Tom Malmendier on drums, three active international collaborators with powerful technical skills and a strange sense of humor willing to take their music where ever it oddly leads.
Ullen, Lisa / Elsa Bergman / Anna Lund
Space
(Relative Pitch)
The debut of this thoroughly modern piano trio from Sweden of pianist Lisa Ullen, bassist Elsa Bergman and drummer Anna Lund, merging traditional and free jazz forms along with influences from contemporary compositional music, approaching their collective music using a diverse set of strategies and techniques that yield a spectrum of captivating conversations.
Rekon With Friends (Alga / Espvall / Billstrom / Vallgren / Jordansson / Ullen / Lloyd)
Rekon With Friends
(Creative Sources)
The core Rekon trio of multi-instrumentalist and wind player Daniel Borgegård Älgå, guitarist Leif Jordansson and drummer Perry Vallgren are joined by guests, cellist Helena Espvall, bassist Niklas Billstrom, trumpeter Mike Lloyd and pianist Lisa Ullen, for four lyrical and experimentally inclined improvisations, a beautiful balance of diverse approaches to modern jazz.
Zethson, Alex Ensemble
Some Of Them Were Never Unprepared
(Relative Pitch)
Exploring how a composition can provide a sense of weightlessness, and influenced by the music of gamelan, krautrock, Tony Conrad & Arnold Dreyblatt, composer Alex Zethson structured these works to influence the 13 performers in his ensemble into a state of intense focus and listening as they strike, bow and pluck their instruments, creating an ecstatic sense of infinite motion.
Sandell, Sten / Lisa Ullen
Double Music
(Clean Feed)
The first duo album by pianists Sten Sandell and Lisa Ullén, recorded in their home country of Sweden, performing eight freely improvised piano works which include the two-part "Double Music" and two-part "Onyx", each recording contrasting complex interplay of discord and harmony with beautiful passages of introspection and intellectual depth; a remarkable merging of masterful talent.
Schubert / Schlippenbach / Blume
Forge
(Relative Pitch)
"Merge" aptly describes the nearly telepathic interplay between these three European Free Improv masters -- Alexander von Schlippenbach on piano, Frank Paul Schubert on alto & soprano saxophones, and Martin Blume on drums -- recorded live in 2019 at Ruhr Jazz Fest, in Bochum, Germany, for an expansive 47 minute improvisation and a brief "Forgin the Work" conclusion.
Rogers, Paul / Olaf Rupp / Frank Paul Schubert
Three Stories About Rain, Sunlight And The Hidden Soil
(Relative Pitch)
A unique merging of free improvisation and chamber jazz, the trio of UK bassist Paul Rogers with German guitarist Olaf Rupp and soprano saxophonist Frank Paul Schubert using stunning technique in sensible ways as they present three extended works, energetic yet never frenetic, stretching their concepts through tight and enthralling dialog, a great achievement.
Schindler, Udo
Botenstoffe
(Confront)
A series of duo recordings between saxophonist, clarinetist and cornet player Udo Schindler and pianists, all recorded at Schindler's Salon for Sound and Art at Krailing, Germany between 2013 and 2016, with Claudia Ulla Binder, Masako Ohta, Elisabeth Harnik, Katharnia Weber, and Lisa Ullen; song titles taken from SONDAGEN (Soundings) in memory of poet Thomas Kling.
Festen (Hedtjarn / Ullen / Bergman / Carlsson)
Festen
(Clean Feed)
A remarkable album of free improvisation from the Scandinavian quartet of Isak Hedtjarn on clarinet, Lisa Ullen on piano, Elsa Bergman on double bass, and Erik Carlsson on drums, captivating the listener with active and detailed interplay of strong intention and technical skill.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Berne, Tim (w/ Tom Rainey / Gregg Belisle-Chi)
Yikes Too [2 CDs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)
Highlighting the profound skill and musical connection of alto saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Tom Rainey, and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi, in a captivating journey through meticulously composed pieces, dynamic improvisation, and structured arrangements of spontaneous creativity, across 2 CDs contrasting live and studio recordings that emphasize their exploratory artistry and evolution within creative jazz.
Dorner, Axel / Oliver Schwerdt / Julian Sartorius
Jul Fuel
(Euphorium)
The title refers to the dynamic addition of drummer and percussionist Julian Sartorius, whose energy injects 'jet fuel' into this bassless, windless trio's live 2021 performance at naTo in Leipzig, Germany, with Euphorium label leader Oliver Schwerdt igniting the grand piano and Axel Dörner's thrillingly unconventional slide trumpet playing adding to the burn & mdash; exceptional!
Davis, Kris Trio (w/ Hurst / Blake)
Run the Gauntlet
(Pyroclastic Records)
A tribute to six extraordinary female pianists — Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier & Renne Rosnes — through compositions from New York pianist Kris Davis and one by drummer Johnathan Blake, melodically rich and intricately challenging pieces as Davis stands shoulder to shoulder with those who inspired her.
Wegmann, Judith / Jens Ruland / Robert Torche
Kon.Takte
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Surrounding the realization of Karlheinz Stockhausen's ground-breaking work of electronic music and acoustic improvisation, Kontakte, performed by Judith Wegmann (piano) Jens Ruland (percussion) & Robert Torche (electronics), are Antoine Chessex's exploratory score Geschichte der Gewalt, applying improvisation to frequency and form, and the improvised prelude from all three: Spiegelungen.
Brennan, Patricia Septet (Irabagon / Shim / O'Farrill / Gilmore / Herrera / Cass)
Breaking Stretch
(Pyroclastic Records)
For her third album as a leader, NY vibraphonist and composer Patricia Brennan expands her band to a septet with bassist Kim Cass, drummer Marcus Gilmore, percussionist Mauricio Herrera, saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Mark Shim and trumpeter Adam O'Farrill also on electronics, for an exciting, widely embracing and fully modern album of compelling modern jazz, bound to be a 2024 top 10!
Klein / Rosaly / Warelis
Tendresse
(Relative Pitch)
Since 2020 this trio of Amsterdam-based improvisers have worked together to develop a unique free improvisational language, fueled by but not contained to jazz forms, as heard in this debut album recorded in 2022 between three ex-patriots residing in Amsterdam: German bass & contrabass clarinetist Tobias Klein, Polish pianist Marta Warelis and Chicago drummer Frank Rosaly.
Moor, Andy / Marta Warelis
Escape
(Relative Pitch)
Improvisations recorded at the historical Zaal 100 in Amsterdam between pianist Marta Warelis, whose previous Relative Pitch solo album A Grain of Earth had her playing inside and out of the keyboard; here joined by The Ex and Dog Faced Hermans guitarist and improviser Moor the two create both introspective and rapid-paced sonic interactions of fascinating twists and turns
London, Frank / The Elders
Spirit Stronger Than Blood
(ESP)
Paying homage to recordings from Mingus, Sanders, Thornton, &c, albums that shaped his approach to jazz composition and playing, trumpeter Frank London and his band The Elders--Marilyn Lerner, piano; Hilliard Greene, bass; Newman Taylor Baker, drums; and Greg Wall on sax on 3 tracks--perform six sophisticated London compositions that bridge modern improv with 60s post-bop lyricism.
Halvorson's, Mary Amaryllis
Cloudward
(Nonesuch)
The second release from NY guitarist Mary Halvorson's Amaryllis band of Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), with Laurie Anderson on violin featured on one track, for eight exquisitely optimistic, diverse and genre-merging Halvorson compositions.
Prevost, Eddie
Loci Of Change
(Matchless)
Breaking from the AMM collective, British percussionist Eddie Prévost's 1996 solo debut showcases six studio-recorded works highlighting expressive momentum and textural nuance through innovative drumming and cymbal techniques, crafting layered and intense sonic landscapes with extraordinary skill and the inventive application of external objects.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC