Mette Henriette – Drifting
Sámi-Norwegian saxophonist and composer Mette Henriette was the first artist to release a double debut album on ECM Records. Back in 2015 when “Mette Henriette” came out, she worked with her trio plus brass and string section and bandoneon. She is now back with “Drifting”, which finds her again with pianist Johan Lindvall and Judith Hamann on violoncello, creating a totally different mood. Improvisations on folk-based themes, coming up with a mostly dark and gloomy soundscape. Sometimes playing around with repetitive patterns (“A Choo”) and brooding, lower register sounds. A lot of the pieces here are little palettes, running time between one and two minutes, sometimes barely audible (“0°”). But that’s the strength of this album. It’s a haunting, otherworldly set which only works in its entirety. Her sound on the sax and the beauty she permeates are fascinatingly in unison with her immense creativity.
A vinyl release of the album has not been announced yet.