Berlin-based Swedish tenor saxophonist Otis Sandsjö returns with his third album Y-OTIS TRE, which finds Sandsjö in close collaboration with his long-time working partner and friend, bassist/producer Petter Eldh, and Dan Nicholls, the keyboardist of the Y-OTIS live band and a solo artist on his own right. Composed by the three and produced by Eldh & Sandsjö, Y-OTIS TRE lives up to its name ("tre" means three in Swedish) and stands strong in the continuum of layercaked liquid jazz, a staple of the Eldh/Sandsjö production duo lauded for their string of releases as Y-OTIS and Koma Saxo.
While recognisable in form, Y-OTIS TRE adds new dimensions to what has come before. Borne out of hours of tripped-out studio jams by Sandsjö & Eldh, Y-OTIS TRE feels natural, neon, 3D, at times laser sharp, at times gooey like jelly, and at all times ripe with ideas that would make albums on their own. Golden riffs are taken, twisted, thrown away, then recycled, and always evolving.
Perhaps evolution is key here, as Y-OTIS reuses and crossrefers its own ideas but never exactly repeats. The music has a mixtape-like DNA, and it seems to be breeding and multiplying at each beat. In color terms, Y-OTIS TRE is more RGB than CMYK – that is, it might appear unrealistically bright and full of tones not found in the natural world. But when you listen to the music closely, you'll likely find it acoustic to the bone. There's no illusion: hearing the band live tells you what Y-OTIS is all about. It's a live band turned studio tool, morphed back into a live band. Or something like that anyway.
Putting a tag onto this music feels a bit like trying to hold a very colorful, somewhat thick liquid substance on the palm of your hand. You can see it, feel it, but never fully pinpoint just what's it made of. But it works, so best just to enjoy the ride.
While recognisable in form, Y-OTIS TRE adds new dimensions to what has come before. Borne out of hours of tripped-out studio jams by Sandsjö & Eldh, Y-OTIS TRE feels natural, neon, 3D, at times laser sharp, at times gooey like jelly, and at all times ripe with ideas that would make albums on their own. Golden riffs are taken, twisted, thrown away, then recycled, and always evolving.
Perhaps evolution is key here, as Y-OTIS reuses and crossrefers its own ideas but never exactly repeats. The music has a mixtape-like DNA, and it seems to be breeding and multiplying at each beat. In color terms, Y-OTIS TRE is more RGB than CMYK – that is, it might appear unrealistically bright and full of tones not found in the natural world. But when you listen to the music closely, you'll likely find it acoustic to the bone. There's no illusion: hearing the band live tells you what Y-OTIS is all about. It's a live band turned studio tool, morphed back into a live band. Or something like that anyway.
Putting a tag onto this music feels a bit like trying to hold a very colorful, somewhat thick liquid substance on the palm of your hand. You can see it, feel it, but never fully pinpoint just what's it made of. But it works, so best just to enjoy the ride.
TRACK LISTING
A1. Oomy
A2. Midi Day Job, Pt. 4
A3. Pluralregn
A4. Perla / Moln
A5. Clicks 2023
A6. Earrings
B1. Unknow / Slick
B2. Sol 94
B3. Rhubarbs
B4. Orkaneon
B5. Loomy
B6. Donatt Gonatt