Sexy instrumental music in Jazz Instrumental Music

"Hot Action Sexy Karaoke" (09/07/2001) Jazz Instrument Jazzkammer, Ground FaultJazzkammer: John Hegre (guitar); Lasse Marhaug. Hot Action Sexy Karaoke is the first release from the Norwegian duo Jazzkammer (Lasse Marhaug and John Hegre). Their music consists of sound collages and/or sound art pieced together from turntables, electronics, field recordings, samples, found sounds, and electric guitar. The result is not always coherent, but most of the time puzzling and entertaining. The album opens with a loud high-speed collage of sped-up banjo music, TV samples, and lots of other sources. This start-up sensory overload blinds the listener. The technique is reminiscent of Ground Zero's seminal album, Revolutionary Pekinese Opera (or some of Eugene Chadbourne's weirdest basement cutups). "Improvised Guitar for Chicken Diet Dish" associates strange birdlike sounds and squeaky wood with the sighs of a woman (obviously taken from a porno movie, a sound source also explored by Chikmountain). These two pieces are both highlights. On "Turntable/Surface Fireball," a very quiet sound art venture, the duo focuses on vinyl surface noise in a way similar to some of Martin T?treault and Christian Marclay's work. It is also a much welcome breathing time after the very noisy "Last Train to Silly" and "PPP." Although the general aesthetic in Hot Action Sexy Karaoke stems from noise, the actual music also embraces more hierarchical forms of expression. Fans of Ground Zero and the frantic plunderphonics of John Oswald will find something to their liking here. ~ Fran?ois Couture