Sun Feb. 25, 2018
20:30

Fire! (S)

Mats Gustafsson: tenor, baritone saxophone, live electronics
Johan Berthling: bass
Andreas Werliin: drums

Out of the seemingly inexhaustible treasure chest that is the Scandinavian experimental scene comes this latest Swedish supergroup (the Milk Factory)

Fire! is a trio from Sweden with members from The Thing, Tape and Wildbirds & Peacedrums.

Fire! is all about burning up tradition and blazing new paths and fresh approaches in improvised music - approaches informed equally by garage punk, electroacoustics and the noise of heavy industry

The idea for Fire! came from enigmatic concert promoter Conny Lindström, who booked the trio for the small bar of restaurant Riche in Stockholm. The sheer volume made the bar personnel hold on to the glasses for fear they would crack from the sound pressure. Everybody had a good time, so later on time was booked at Tape’s small studio in the industrial parts of Stockholm.
The sound that came out of those sessions was a mixture of the backgrounds of all three members, who didn’t shy away from overdubs and other methods.

The first album, "You liked me five minutes ago", was recorded in Stockholm and released on Norwegian label Rune Grammofon in 2009. In the summer of 2011 Unreleased? came out, recorded in Japan with Jim O´Rourke on electric guitar.
In October 2011 Fire! toured and recorded with Australian drone master Oren Ambarchi from Sunn O))) (guitar/electronics). in the mouth - a hand was released early 2012, followed by the trio recording (without noticing).
Early 2016 She sleeps, she sleeps was released on Rune Grammofon, to be followed by The Hands in 2018

The Fire! Orchestra is another project the trio initiated. Since 2012 this group has seen three different versions, starting with 28 musicians and then turning into a 20- and now 11-piece band.

Mats Gustafsson
Born 1964 in Umeå, Northern Sweden.
Saxplayer, improviser and composer. Solo artist and international tours and projects with a.o. Peter Brötzmann, Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Jim O´Rourke, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Yoshimi, and in working groups The Thing, Sonore, Fire!, Gush, Boots Brown, Swedish Azz and Nash Kontroll. Large ensemble work with Barry Guy New Orchestra, Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, The Ex Brass Unbound and the NU – ensemble.1600 concerts and over 150 record productions in Europe, North America and Asia. Collaborations with contemporary dance, theater and visual arts as well as projects with noise, electronics, contemporary rock and free jazz.
Producer of international festivals and concert tours as well as work with his own record labels Slottet, OlofBright Editions and Blue Tower Records.

Johan Berthling
Born 1973 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Plays bass (double and electric) as main instrument but also uses guitar and other instruments. Active on the Swedish improvised scene since the late 90’s but doesn’t stay true to any genre: he works in all kinds music. Has worked as producer and arranger for many Swedish and some international artists. Works with his own group Tape, new group Ohayo, the Sten Sandell Trio, Fire! and Boots Brown, amongst others.

Andreas Werliin
Born in 1982 in the vast snow of northern Sweden and raised in the small west coast village Strömstad. With improvised music at heart and drums as main instrument he is currently part of some well acclaimed and award-winning bands like Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Dan Berglund's Tonbruket and Loney Dear. He has also written music for theater and film.