Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns – Weejuns

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From structured compositions to hardcore improvisation? Hedvig, bring it on!

Hedvig Mollestad simply is not the person to lean back for a while. The Norwegian guitar virtuoso known for her unceasing musical exploration in the fields of hard rock-jazz, again delivers a compelling performance with her latest endeavour, Weejuns. This back-to-back-to-back album also marks the return to the familiar trio format after last year’s collaboration with the full Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. This time however Mollestad didn’t record with her original trio but instead connected with prodigy drummer Ole Mofjell and veteran keyboardist Ståle Storløkken. They recorded the album live in concert, for the most part, in Olso’s Munch Museum. So get ready to be taken on a cosmic journey, comprising six sprawling tracks of varying complexities.

After an inertial spin of Weejuns it directly becomes clear that diverse musical sensibilities of Mollestad, Mofjell, and Storløkken come together in some dynamic interpay, resulting in rich tapestry of textures. Opener, Go At Your Peril, sets the tone with its mesmerising blend of guitar melodies, thundering drums, and bursts from the Hammond organ. As always Mollestad’s guitar work is full of innovative twists and turns, while Mofjell’s drumming displays his potential to become one of Europe’s most agile jazz drummers.

Throughout Weejuns the trio takes us into a deep dive through the cosmos. This is most apparent on the central tracks that iteratively keep sprawling but also find its footing on the album’s long, contemplative intros that mirror the vastness of space itself. The trio operates as cosmonauts that traverse stratospheres, intercepting primitive transmissions, with drums thundering and organ and guitar chasing each other amidst the remnants of vanishing worlds. If No Man’s Sky ever needs a groovy score, this trio would surely deliver.

Mollestad’s guitar work is both commanding and delicate, at times growling and, at other times, shimmering in distant light. Sooner or later listeners are always treated to a delirious groove filled with feedback and relentless repetition which for more than a decade has become one of Mollestad’s trademark skills. The atmospheric introduction of the 21-minute centrepiece I’ll Give You Twenty One introduces an element of disorder, with clashing cymbals and haunting synths gradually converging. Further on the guitar play starts to drift while semi-structured drumming takes over. Mofjell’s creations gradually become context for Mollestad’s colossal swirling riffs to submerge as an overall apotheosis without boundaries. The trio is in optima forma at this point of the record, so if you have no patience to go through the album from front to back this is the only track you want to hear. Just don’t say don’t say you weren’t warned about length.

Weejuns isn’t solely characterised by the monumental I’ll Give You Twenty One. Tracks like Come Monday with its rolling drumming and Storløkken’s colourful soundscapes offer moments of tranquillity while closing track, Pity The City, brings in a post-rock feel. Interactions by the trio here lead to circling guitar motifs and wonderful amplified synth play.

Taken all together Weejuns defies categorization, showcasing what three talented musicians can achieve with just guitar, drums, and organ. Hedvig Mollestad, known for her meticulously rehearsed compositions, unleashes her improvisational prowess on this double album. It’s remarkable how fearlessly Mollestad explores the field of jazz-rock. No boundary is sacred, no convention is left alone. Mollestad sheds her compositional corset by delivering an electrifying innovative performance that will undoubtedly resonate with fans of avant-garde and improvisational music.

Label: Rune Grammofon, 2023

Buy it here: https://runegrammofon.com/collections/hedvig-mollestad/products/hedvig-mollestad-weejuns-weejuns-2lp-cd

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