(English translation)

Liberation saturday october 14th 2006.

This is the most enigmatic CD of the year: a Scandinavian trio enterprising a praise of japanese rugby. Behind this unique project we find the Danish guitarist Hasse Poulsen a smoking compromise between Pierre Dørge, Chris Spedding and Derek Bailey, come to jazz via flamenco and living in France since 1998 after having spent time at Berkley College of Music in Boston and the Royal academy of music in Copenhagen. He has found the time to put together Sound of Choice (Fredrik Lundin, saxophones, flutes, Lars Juul, percussion and cracked electronics) in 1991, a combo advocating a certain liberty of sound, placed under multiple inspirations ( Ligeti, Radiohead, Ornette Coleman, Niels Petter Molvær…) without forgetting to put forward its own originality. This going as far as naming one of the tunes Paparemborde, as a homage to the late Bearnaise rugby forward, about whom we do know that his eyes were not particularily slanting.

Serge Loupin

(English translation)

This Guitarist Hasse Poulsen, known from his work with Louis Sclavis in Napoli’s Walls, jubilates in the role as a coverer of tracks. The principle could be resume by the popular saying from the building trade applied to sound: “construction or deconstruction, it is still work.” Poulsen and his Danish trio explores successive niches with a consumate mastery of minimalism – reaching a maximal effect concerning musical density…Rythmic formulas treated briefly, themes presented as rough protrusions, a mix of acoustic and electric styles. There is some Zappa (Frank) in the  display of intentions, some Ducret (Marc), Frisell (Bill) some Frith (Fred), some Bailey (Derek)….based on an a fixed instrumental formula (with an astonishing and explosive saxophone), in piece after piece Poulsen takes pleasure turning the pages of a musical book of images as diversified as possible. He doesn’t care what style is used as long it can be used as a platform for improvising. He doesn’t shy away from turning the volume button up to high peaks. This Dane hasn’t quite caught all the subtleties of moderne rugby: Thus he makes of it a very “technical-physical” version of jazz.

(English translation)

 **** breakthrough.

Funny title, a great trio, one hell of a record. Liberatingly wild, rough, collective. A part from the song (Godspeed You All, very suucessful), the Danish trio presents a very simple line-up (tenor saxophone, guitar, drums) but uses particularily diversified means of expression: a murmuring ballad (Claudia Waiting), “roots” rock (London Girl), interludes in the shape of commas, meditative improvisations (au soleil), complex meters (jazz aint what it used to be), cutting writing a la Sclavis (Tic), or a la Claude Barthelemy (Paparemborde), spacy electronics (On a Good Day..). The Trio Sound of Choice was created in 1991 and Rugby in Japan is their fifth album since then. A conclusion, since you feel that all the hesitations concerning which way to go (improv or jazz) have been digested. This time the question is resolved by the sheer width of the spectrum. It is the individual sound quality of each member that is the thread of coherence. Hasse Poulsen is the best known since he lives in France and plays with notably Louis Sclavis Napoli’s Walls, and if we have allready encountered Fredrik Lundin through his different Scandinavian projects notably with Jon Balke, the drummer Lars Juul is a true revelation: his recent collaborations with Irene Scweitzer and Barry Guy here and with Arve Henriksen and Benoit Delbecq there should make of him a musician that we should follow closely. Together, they approach the sound material guilelessly, without a priori, valorising the grain, the texture, and the cracks with a lot of musicality. It is often dansable, a bit lopsided, tender and roaring. Irresistably live. Beautiful surprise.

Alex Dutilh.

(English translation) `

Jazzosphere november 2006

Founded in 1993 the group Sound of Choice here presents its sixth record Rugby in Japan. The fruit of the reflexion of more than ten years of work together, this album imposes itself as a very special reference in the development of the group. Hasse Poulsen tells us that “  Rugby in Japan is the first record where I feel responsible as a leader and where I have written all the music. The development of Sound of Choice is felt in every one of the pieces here.

One notes a true jewel  Godspeed you All that permits us to discover Hasse Poulsen as a singer. This is a premiere which will without doubt be followed up, judging from how essential and exciting his singing is. Fans should soon discover an album devoted completely to his singing: Marshmallows and Yellow fever. … keep a look out in the shops.

With Rugby in Japan Hasse Poulsen’s trio invites us to dive into a atypical musical universe, unclassifiable, and marked by a real desire to share with us precious and volatile musical moments. The treatments of the guitar by Hasse Poulsen, the blowing of Fredrik Lundin, and the percussions of lars Juul are all as many ingredients used to prepare a uncomparable recording.

We should not forget to mention the work by photographer Denis Rouvre who proposes us a beautiful series of illustrations on the theme rugby. The atmosphere evoked by these pictures echoes perfectly the music of Sound of Choice: “It is almost a recapitulative of  twenty years of work. One finds elements that we introduced on our first CD Triple Exposure from 1993, as well as improvisations that spring directly from our free improv period (“Dynamics”).

A central album where each musician finds a special place. To be heard at home or to be experienced in concert….

Sabine Moig

Sound of choice

Rugby in Japan

Direct, sans le moindre compromis, ce nouvel album du trio danois affiche de suite la couleur : tout est permis. On sent à l’écoute de ce disque la primauté d’une liberté totale et assumée. Désordre bruitiste, free jazz, rock & roll et belles mélodies, tout y passe.

 Les idées sont développées avant d’être réduites en poussière car la nécessité de ne jamais se répéter, de ne jamais en dire trop, prime sur toute autre considération.

 Chercher et faire du neuf, ne jamais se contenter des belles découvertes que l’on a pu faire, mais qui appartiennent au passé, tel est le propos de ce groupe dont la préoccupation est de surprendre et avant tout eux-mêmes.

Pierre Villeret

Dansk rugbyjazz

Der bliver møvet igennem på eksperimentalgruppen Sound Of Choice´s nye cd, Rugby In Japan. De tre erfarne herrer, Hasse Poulsen (guitar, vokal), Fredrik Lundin (saxofoner, fløjter, elektronik) og Lars Juul (trommer, elektronik) skaber musik, der emmer af kontrær kreativitet med alskens lyde, blæs og kras strengeleg. Juul sørger for puls med bjælder, skind og stikker. Lundins sax hvæser elektronisk fordrejet som en skærebrænder. Poulsen er original med sin flimrende guitarpoesi og sine rå rockriffs. Coveret med de tre musikere, der spiller rugby på en dampende pløjemark med hovedpolstring og japansk flag, ligger helt i forlængelse af musikkens skæve kvaliteter. Uberegnelig eksperimentaljazz af høj klasse.

cmh

Hasse Poulsen´s Sound of Choice: Rugby In Japan (Quark Records)

Christian Munch-Hansen, information, 26. juni 2006