Elephant9

When Rolling Stone’s prominent music journalist David Fricke heard the collaboration between Elephant9 and legendary guitarist Terje Rypdal, he was reminded of classic live albums by bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, ELP and King Crimson. That’s fair, considering the boundless energy that they have been unleashing over 20 years of live performances and album releases with eclectic label Rune Grammofon. The trio might have their roots in groups like Bigbang, Shining, Motorpsycho and Supersilent, but are more than happy to filter their tastes through the worlds of Tangerine Dream, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Soft Machine and Fela Kuti, melding a cohesive collective sound. A paradox? Maybe, but Elephant9 consistently challenge the boundaries of fusion by adding progressive elements and still manage to sound organic, creating their own kind of riveting, unbridled electric jazz rock