Marbled - 2023 European Motvind Label 9-track LP

Joel and the Neverending Sextet, led by cellist Joel Ring and consisting of a cohesive group of musicians from Sweden and Norway, takes the listeners on a musical journey through the borderlands of avant-garde jazz. Following their critically acclaimed debut album "Pouring Textures" (2021), the sextet is now releasing their second album, "Marbled," on Motvind Records.

The title Marbled evokes associations with flowing structures. Listening to the album, we find ourselves caught in an intricate web of musical patterns. This theme is a continuation from the debut album. Is it an analogy to the repetitive patterns we experience in our daily lives? Or another affirmation of nature’s own strange symmetry? The music can feel like a soundtrack to a fever dream, a breathless scene from a detective movie, or perhaps a combination of the two.

The music consists of both notated material and thematic free improvisation, which together reflect the ideas, intentions, and vision behind Ring’s compositions. Through exploring the transformative power of unfiltered expression, repetitive motifs, and spontaneous improvisations, Joel Ring aims to create music that is alive and fearless. The building blocks of the music consist of cool melodies, free jazz, polyrhythms, precise orchestration, and impulsivity, artfully stacked to create pulsating, texture-rich waves. These waves can be both rigid and soft, with rhythms and grooves intertwined to form multiple layers of sonic enjoyment.

Tracklisting.

1. Stone, stone and some gems 05:16
2. 16 shining pieces 02:37
3. Marbles 04:59
4. Clouds upon clouds 02:58
5. Silver and soft 02:18
6. Swirling 04:53
7. Purple impressions 04:18
8. Weave 03:41
9. Sunny lake placid blue 04:50