AUDUN KLEIVE's reputation within the jazz community can
best be described as true royalty. Voted by the Norwegian Jazz
Musicians Union in 1989 as Jazz Musician of The Year, he
has continued to be a highly valued artist in constant demand for other
projects or as a featured performer. His musicianship as a drummer and
percussionist is highly respected among his peers, has gained him an
established reputation as a vital force in Norwegian and international
jazz, and he is a source of inspiration for an entire younger generation
of jazz musicians. I am convinced that the world needs
alternatives, Kleive states about his artistic vision, continuing,
honest musical attempts that further develop the great heritage from
our planets composers music is one of the last possible free places left
in the world, and I aim to show that art form my respect to my last
breath. His integrity and artistry is reflected as a participant in
well over 60-plus recordings, he has provided the rhythmic backdrop for
such varied musicians as Terje Rypdal, Jon Balke, Charles
LLoyd, and Marilyn Mazur.
Past
As the son of organist Kristoffer Kleive and brother of
organist Iver Kleive, Audun Kleive began his career
playing drums in various rock bands in his hometown of Skien, Norway.
After moving to Oslo to study at the School of Music (Musikkhoyskolen), he
joined various jazz-rock bands such as Lotus (1981-83)
and Oslo 13 (1981-84), eventually making his recording
debut with the album Anti-therapy (1983). His talent soon placed
him among the most sought-after drummers in Oslo, and he continued 1983
with the Anne-Marie Girtz Quintet on the festival route,
and on that artists album release Breaking Out (1983). Also that
year, Kleive joined the Frode Alnaes/Nils Petter Molvaer
quartet, simultaneously also appearing with Sidsel
Endresen during 1983-84.
He has performed with the groups AHA/Extended Nose, with
whom he recorded Keep Nose In Front (1984), Jamaha
(1986) and Slow But Sudden, langsam aber pltzlich (1988-90). He
participated also in the Brodrene Balke Etno Funk group,
the Knut Riisnaes Quartet (1984), Terje
Rypdals trio The Chasers also in 1984 (with
releases in 1985, 86, 88 and 94), and the Circulasione Totale
Orchestra (1986-89), releasing Accent in 1987. In 1991
he also performed together with Nils Petter Molvaer,
Bugge Wesseltoft and Bjorn Kjellemyr and
also composed, arranged and performed the album Music for Men and
Machines (1992) together with Jon Eberson.
Continuing with Oslo 13 he recorded Off Balance
in 1987 and Live 1993, as well as touring internationally and
recording with Trio 87 from 1987-90. He has performed or
recorded with many international artists, notably the Swedish on Swedish
group Entra Live, Jon Eberson Trio
(Stash 1986), Jon Eberson/Sidsel Endresen
(1987), Jan Gunnar Hoff (releases 1993/95/96 and 2003),
Marilyn Mazur's Future Song (1994/98/2002/03),
Gunnar Andreas Berg (1996), Bugge
Wesseltoft (New Conception of Jazz 1995-96),
Bendik Hofseth (1997) and Olga Konkova
(Going with the Flow,1997).
Since 1990 he has had a fruitful and productive collaboration with
Jon Balke and Per Joergensen
(JoeKleBa), recording On and On (1991),
Joekleba! (1992) and Joekleba Live (1996), also joining
Jon Balke's Magnetic North ensemble for touring and
recording between 1993 and 2002. His playing is also featured on many
ECM recordings, notably Kyanos for Jon
Balke, Small Labyrinths for Marilyn Mazur's
Future Song, If You Look Far Enough for Arild
Andersen, Nonsentration for Jon Balke/Oslo
13, and Chaser / Blue / The Singles
Collection / If Mountains Could Sing for Terje
Rypdal/The Chasers, among others.
Not limiting himself only to jazz, his involvement with other musicians
such as Kari Bremnes not only featured his skills as a
drummer, but also displays his considerable talent as an arranger. He also
performed with Bremnes and Kjetil
Bjornstad on their Munch album, as well as on
Anne Grethe Preuss's Mosaikk. Recently he
produced the critically praised techno-jazz band Kroeyt,
for their Sub album.
In 1996 he was invited to Copenhagen, as the only Norwegian jazz musician
to perform for that years European City of Culture festivities,
indeed an esteemed honor. Shortly thereafter, in 1998, he received the
Klart Svar (Clear Answer) Award from the Kongsberg
International Jazz Festival.
Present, to Future
His first solo-effort was finally realized in 1997, in the album
Bitt (Jazzland). Playing most of the instruments himself,
Kleive's vision of chaotic beats and rough musical structures were bound
by intricate rhythms with a clear progression, all wrapped in the pure joy
of musical experience. On its release, the album received unanimous praise
by Norwegian music critics, with one newspaper hailing it as the
ultimate in the hip jazz scene and grooves without comparison,
and tones that pull you into the surrealistic landscape one of Europes
foremost musicians!
In 1998, forming his own band comprising of Staale
Storloekken (synths), Christian Wallumroed
(keyboards), Arve Henriksen (trumpet), Jan
Bang (live-sampling), and Geir Oestensjoe (sound
design), Kleive began recording his second solo effort.
During the recording of Generator X Kleive challenged them to
go into their hidden visions and try to fully exploit their
instrumental possibilities. I wanted them to leave behind accepted formats
and let their intuition and ears decide the direction we pursued.
Generator X, (2000, Jazzland), does not compromise with the
existing standards of improvised jazz, and creates a new pathway to
explore the form. This album firmly established Kleive as an important
innovator in contemporary new jazz music. The UK Milk Factory
wrote in their review of the album:
This second album is a further proof that the connection between jazz
and electronic music is stronger everyday. (The album is) more contained,
evolving following the strolls of the musicians, obviously at ease with
each other. The symbiosis is perfect, almost palpable powerful, passionate
moments of pure electro-jazz.
Kleives third solo album was released May 04. On Ohmagoddabl, I chose
to include elements of composition which I utilize today as well as some
methods that I used on my solo album Bitt. These are lines that are woven
into each other in a continuous stream, forming intuitive and unheard of
progression, almost as a living being that the whole collective is
responsible for birthing. My band has a large amount of creative
freedom. Audun Kleive's creativity and individualistic expression
provides a new shot of energy into the jazz arena. An energy that infects
the listener and demands that you plug into the new adventurous aural
world of Audun Kleive. January 2004 Albums released: "Generator
X" 542 900-2 "Bitt" 536 583-2 "Ohmagoddabl" 986
603-5
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