Jackman
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Jackman

Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway

Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
Band Rock Folk

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This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Norwegian Balkanesque madness"

It's tempting to draw a parallel to Serb film director Emir Kusturica when one is to describe Norwegian director Pål Jackmann's artistic work. Jackmann shares a trait with Kusturica in that his focus is not entirely on film. While Kusturica has his Balkan-punk ensemble Non Smoking Band, Jackmann has his Wunderkammer – the latter could possibly share rehearsal studio with the former in Sarajevo.

As the reader would have guessed, the genre in question is Balkan-inspired music with an additional solid dose of Jewish Kletzmer as well as more Central-European sources of inspiration from Weill and Brecht. We're talking crying violins, sombre accordions as well as a lonely bowed saw in one instant and a all-out vodka-drenched Gypsy-party in the next instant.

But there's more to Wunderkammer than that. The band possesses a lyrical and poetical vein that draws inspiration – and borrows words - from such well-known writers as Edgar Allen Poe and Goethe. An additional side of the band showcases a reckless rebellious spirit and sense of desperation whose equal one can only find in punk. To simplify: conjure up an image of the Bad Seeds fronted by Elvis Costello, with past study tours to both a Kibbutz as well as to Tito's Jugoslavia completed, making a stop-over in Berlin en route to London in order to make it before the 70s have ended.

Wunderkammer have also served as musical mentors for other Norwegian bands and can be partially credited for one of Norwegian rock's biggest successes over the last few years: Kaizers Orchestra. But, as Kaizers rapidly approached double platinum sales with their trademark Balkan-ompa, Wunderkammer remained bound at Norway's south-western coast, sans major breakthrough. A fate that's very much undeserved given the band's fantastic songwriting skills, premier-division musicians from jazz and contemporary music and a highly characteristic sound that's been hailed by critics every time Wunderkammer releases another album. Upon the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 1999, the record was greeted with unanimous rejoicing from the nation's critics. "This is Gypsy-punk, jiddisch rock'n'roll and a veritable Christmas night for all those who love rhythmic barbarity verging on anarchy" wrote Norwegian daily VG's reviewer Stein Østbø, who also drew parallels to Les Negresses Vertes, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello. Dagbladet's Terje Mosnes was equally as excited: "What's Wunderkammer like? Leonard Cohen on speed? A young and intense Elvis Costello with a mob of furious Gypsys snapping at his heels while searching for Kletzmer-music's roots somewhere in Jewish Eastern Europe? Pre-war Berlin-German tango decadence? Unpolished, intelligent rock'n'roll? All of it, and then some!" - mic.no


"Today I cannot hear music - 2002"

critics : 7/7

Lenge før Kaizers Orchestra fikk hele Norge til å danse ompa, fantes Wunderkammer. Med sin sjelfulle og skranglete sigøynerpønk med ompatakter, spiller Stavanger-orkesteret fletta av sine musikalske småfettere fra Bryne - ikke minst live. For Wunderkammer er høyst sannsynlig Norges beste konsertband; når Pål Jackman & co inntar scenen med sitt sinnssvake energinivå, har jeg ennå tilgode å møte noen som ikke lar seg sjarmere i senk.

Wunderkammer på plate er ikke noen stort dårligere opplevelse. Anmelderne kastet yatzy i seksere da bandets selvtittulerte debutalbum kom ut i 1999. Men fordi frontfigur Pål Jackman da var travelt opptatt med å regissere suksessfilmen Detektor, gjorde Wunderkammer ingenting for å utnytte de gode presseoppslagene. Så debutplaten forsvant ut i det store intet.

Heller ikke Today I Cannot Hear Music er noen kommersiell bestselger. Til det er plata for eksperimentell og vanskelig å sette i bås. Det betyr ikke at den ikke er bra. Tvert imot. Allerede når albumet virvler igang med førstesporet Sheepster & Wolff, er det tydelig at Wunderkammer har utviklet sin særegne klezmer-inspirerte sigøyner-omparock siden sist. Og det til det bedre. Det balkanske felespillet, det energiske sigøynertrekkspillet, sirkus-soundet og den intense Kurt Weill-takten fra førsteplata er fremdeles på plass. Men på Today I Cannot Hear Music har Jackman og vennene hans roet ned tempoet betraktelig. De mest heseblesende pønklåtene er byttet ut med rolige, strykerbaserte ballader - uten at plata noensinne vipper over til å bli verken suppete eller kjedelig. De ulike låtene fyller hverandre så godt ut at det er vanskelig å snakke om høydepunkter eller skuffelser. Skal jeg likevel utnevne en favoritt, må det bli The Sun Was Setting Behind..., en nyinnspilling av bandets første singel fra 1996, som i originalutgaven var en ren pønk-tango, men som nå er utviklet til et fyrverkeri av strykere og smektende omparytmer.

Musikken er også preget av de utenom-Wunderkammer'ske aktivitetene til de ulike bandmedlemmene: Årets store Molde Jazz-helt Paal Nilssen-Love, deler av Cloroform, strykere fra Stavanger symfoniorkester og gjesteopptredener fra Kaada og stjernetrompetist Arve Henriksen har alle satt sitt umiskjennelige fingeravtrykk på Wunderkammer-soundet. Men først og fremst dreier det seg om Pål Jackman. Det er han som komponerer brorparten av melodiene, og det er han som skriver de av tekstene som ikke består av dikteriske godbiter fra verdenslitteraturen, med bidrag fra den obskure, tsjekkiske avantgardepoeten Egon Bondy, Dylan Thomas og H. Weintraub. Med på plata er også en versjon av Edgar Allan Poes berømte dikt A Dream Within A Dream - en tekst både 1980-talls bandet Propaganda og Britney Spears riktignok har sunget inn på plate tidligere, men som lyder uendelig mye bedre i Jackmans tolkning.

For som den mannen kan synge! Han minner ikke så rent lite om en ung Elvis Costello, og har en stemme som tåler både var sang og sønderslitende vræl. Tidligere har Jackman holdt seg til engelsk og tysk. Ekstra spennende blir det derfor når han på kuttet Smertens Sang for første gang synger på norsk. Ikke bare kommer hans tekstskriver-talent best frem på denne låta, men den brede haugesundsdialekten kler også Wunderkammers spesielle lydbilde. Så det er bare å håpe at flere norskspråklige sanger vil dukke opp på Wunderkammers neste plate. - groove.no : Ingrid K. Lund, 17.12.2002


"Wunderkammer"

critics 6/6

CDFAKTA
Wunderkammer
«Wunderkammer»
Skarv/Norske Gram

En musikalsk kulelyn er på vei over landet fra Stavanger-kanten. Det heter Wunderkammer, og debut-CD-en lukter «øyeblikkelig klassiker» så det river som en ilderfarm i nesa.

Av TERJE MOSNES
Tirsdag 8. juni 1999 12:15

Hva Wunderkammer likner? Leonard Cohen på speed? En ung, intens Elvis Costello med rasende sigøynere i hæla på jakt etter kletzmer-musikkens kilder et eller annet sted i det jødiske Øst-Europa? Førkrigs berlinertysk tangodekadense? Upolert, intelligent rock'n'roll?
Alt sammen pluss mye mer. Wunderknabe Pål Jackman har alliert seg med rockere, jazzister, et par symfonikere og en trekkspiller (sag, rørklokker og andre redskaper inngår også i instrumentariet) og hentet et par tekster fra Poe og Goethe. («Erlkönig» raser unna som et løpsk marerittlokomotiv.) Men først og fremst har han skrevet og komponert, og synger med vrengt sjel over et glitrende band som holder energien rå i et øs som gudbedre også er musikalsk interessant. Med smart sans for dynamikk lager han lommer av uforfalsket skjønnhet i kjøret og slutter av med Dietrichs udødelige «Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss...» - få dette bandet ut i Festival-Norge. Snarest. - Dagbladet


"Quotes from the press"

Magazine: Uncle Sallys März 04
"extreme strange stuff from this norwegian band which mixes punk, rock and pop with east european wild west attitude. forthermore the intensive voice of the vocalist make you do the same like him"
 
"Give this norwegian band a chance and check them out "
 
 
Magazine: Visions 2/04 ( 8 /12Points)
 
"once again melancholic stuff from this norwegian guys"
 
"this four musicians mix their style with Jazz, Poka, Folk; Blues and any similar elements, but their music has a darker atmosphere and don´t deals with a partylike humpa attitude"
 
"an essential soundtrack for any drinking session"

 
Magazine: Legacy 03/04 ( 12 /15Points)
 
"WUNDERKAMMER play with many different influences; because only open minded persons will explore strange new facetts behind every corner!"
 
"All in All: At this time it´s not enough for me only listening to music; now i have to search for hidden treasures again and again!"
 
 
Magazine: rolling stone january 2004 (4 /5points)
 
"Its really a wonder chamber which is opened by these eight norwegian guys: Polka, Klezmar meets Folk and a strange kind of pop, rock and punk"
 
 
Magazine: Folker!
 
"WUNDERKAMMER show with their unique style mix that it´s able to  push music to new forms at this time!"
 
 
Online Magazine: powermetal.de
 
"after the regular playing time the hidden track abducts you into a new dimension of relaxion!

" test it or better buy it directly to enter a new dimension of music "
 
 
Online Magazine: music-scan.de (8/10 points)
 
"an absolute compulsory exercise, because infrequent so different musical styles were in such a way combined . absolute felicitous! "
 
 
Online Magazine: risingdarkness.de (6/7 points)
 
"this music is so versatile and originally, that a categoriesed  is herewith canceled."
 
"wunderkammer let us partake at their wondrously thoughts"
 
 
Online Magazine: soundbase-online.de (8.5/12 points)
 
"experiment felicitous! WUNDERKAMMER convinced with their headstronged but fascinated music filled with strange aesthetics."
 
 
Online Magazine: westzeit.de
"first of all the amazing vocalist pal jackmann and the wonderful whined violin from gjertrud okland makes these album to a timeless experience."
 
- Shureshotworks


Discography

Wunderkammer - Tres Cojones / Black Strap - 1995
(Kippers Records) 7"
Wunderkammer - Eldorado / A Hue - 1998 (Cementen Records) 7"
Wunderkammer - Wunderkammer - 1999 (Skarv) CD
Wunderkammer - Today I Cannot Hear The Music - 2002 (Honeymilk Records)
Wunderkammer - B Sides - 2003 (Honeymilk Records) CDEP
Jackman - EP 2005 (CCAP)
Jackman - Jackman CD 2006 (CCAP)

Pål Jackman`s Wunderkammer released a 7`single with «Tres Cojones» and «Black Strap» on local Stavanger label "Kippers" in mid-late 90´s. ("Black Strap" was the result of Pål Jackman and his brother Morten´s first band the Kippers` heavy whiskey drinking session in a recording studio trying to make pop music. This song initiated in many ways Wunderkammer, -a quest for mixing and experimenting freely with genres.)

Wunderkammer released a second 7`, Poe´s «Eldorado» and «A Hue» and thus started working with cover artist Vegard Hoel. The single was released by the local pub and hang-out, Cementen in Stavanger.

Then contemparary/avant garde cellist Tanja Orning from Oslo joined the group and free-jazz double bass player Øyvind Storesund stepped in when Zanussi moved on to playing the saw.

Wunderkammer released their first album «Wunderkammer» in the late nineties on yet another local label, "Skarv". The album got splendid critics all over the country, and was a one of the big surprise hit albums of the year. From this album Goethe´s «Erlkönig» has become an audience favourite both in Norway and abroad (German audiences especially has taken Pål´s version of a well known literary work to their hearts) and likewise "Taxi in Istanbul".

The next album was released on the Oslo label "Honeymilk" in the fall of 2002 . Officially the album title was «Today I cannot hear music», but the cover artwork (by local artist/acto/multitalent Vegar Hoel) has a specail design which enables the listener to chose title and front-cover. This album also received brilliant reviews.

Many of the tracks of this album features jazz-drummer Paal Nilssen-Love playing together with main drummer Børge Fjordheim. Also Trumpeteer Arve Henriksen plays on a few tracks.
Dylan Thomas` «Do not go gentle into that good night», Poe´s «A Dream Within A Dream» and Egon Bondy´s «The Sun was setting behind New Jersey» are some of the poems made into songs on this album.

This album also saw the band take a direction towards more experimentation. Many tracks have much improvisation and several tracks where even made while recording them.

In 2003 Wunderkammer recorded two arab-inspired songs and released them on an EP called "B-sides" (Honeymilk Records). The EP also includes unreleased songs and b-sides.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

After working several years with his critically acclaimed, innovative and genre breaking band Wunderkammer, Pål Jackman decided to break down his musical vision to a solo project. The solo project soon developed into a trio with Pål on guitar & vocals, his brother Morten Jackman on percussion and John Lilja on stand up bass & backing vocals (or yelling to be more precise).

Pål is one of the most intense solo live artists around today. His live set consists of songs from the Wunderkammer back catalogue, mixed with his new songs and an eclectic mix of hand picked cover songs filtered through Pål´s musical vision.

Jackman released an EP “Jackman EP” in the summer of 2005. His first full-length album with the new trio is being released in Norway in April 2006.

Much thought went into the recording process of the album. Jackman wanted to get as close as possible to the sound, atmosphere and intensity of his live shows, and spending a month in a recording studio was definitely not what he wanted. The solution was to record most of the tracks live, some in an regular live settings (live recording at gigs), some tracks was recorded live at their rehearsing space, and a couple of tracks was done in a regular studio setting. The live tracks was recorded and produced by Norwegian jazz artist Frode Gjerstad, using all kinds of old-fashioned equipment that he likes to collect. Later the tracks received some overdubs and careful tweaking in the studio.

For the Norwegian edition of the album Jackman picked only new songs plus a couple of cover tunes. For the international version he has also re-recorded a few of his favorite tunes from his Wunderkammer days. The international version is being mastered in march 2006, and will be presented to interested parties this spring.

Jackman has taken his show on the road, visiting The Roskilde and Spot festivals in Denmark, the Mozaique and Eurosonic Festivals in Netherlands as well as playing support for Kaizers Orchestra in Europe

Short background info:
Pål Jackman founded Wunderkammer in the mid-nineties after spending a summer in a small room with a guitar and a toy-piano making songs for a band not yet started. He then asked gipsy-violinist Gjertrud Økland to join, jazz double-bass player Per Zanussi, rock drummer Børge Fjordheim and contemparary-accordionist Johan Egdetveit to join. Four days later they joined on stage and had their first concert in Haugesund. The audience suprisingly loved it and the members of this brand new group was astonished as well. The music, a mixture of Anglo-American pop/rock, European gipsy/klezmer/Oom-pah/circus, and a dash of punk attitude, was the vision of Pål Jackman´s Wunderkammer. A rarity chamber where «all is allowed» as long as it means a clash between various genres. This is still the recepy of Pål´s stunts under the new artistname JACKMAN.

Check out the discography section for more information about the releases.