Reviews 2106

A rather suitably eccentric look-back over his career influenced as much by Frank Zappa as by Magma and Henry Cow. Complex arrangements, early prog experimentalism and a penchant for silliness (in just the right doses) seep through every pore, but El Grande never lets things spiral out into the nether-regions. In keeping a firm hold over the proceedings, it's all skillfully crafted and composed, teeming with the kind of detail prog / art aficionados can obsess over for days.
Rock-a-Rolla (UK)

Norway's duke of art rock celebrates 10 years of progressive delirium. Self-styled eccentric Jono El Grande (Jon Andreas Håtun) has been lording it around Oslo for a decade now, and this gathers and compiles new versions of previous songs alongside fresh material. "Utopian Semi-Waltz" is like some bastard child of Zappa's "Peaches En Regalia" in a fearsome coupling with jazz-era Caravan.
Uncut (UK)

The artist name, which the Norwegian Jon Andreas Håtun, who lives in New York, uses, is the program: Jono El Grande is an artist who designs his own musical world with confidence, uncompromisingly and with great enthusiasm. After just the first few bars, the kaleidoscopic sound world of the guitarist, singer, composer and band leader shines in a variety of colors. Bursting with strength and in a complexity that is reminiscent of the musical world of Frank Zappa, he presents his many-headed ensemble. El Grande himself classifies his music under the term NEO DADA, the title of his previous CD and names Zappa Stravinsky, Magma and Henry Cow as sources of his inspiration. His latest, on February 19. appearing CD impresses with a dense sound of various instruments and styles. Guitar, Wind instruments, devil's violin, keyboards, synthesizers and percussion instruments are combined in various forms and condensed into a rock sound. Circus-like scenes are reminiscent of Sergeant Peppers, rocky passages suddenly turn into marches, romantic sounds mutate into wild guitar solos. Jono El Grande's musical world is full of references and quotes, he delights in the endless possibilities of the musical universe, but without running the risk of getting lost. Grand (e) ios! Jono El Grande's musical world is full of references and quotes, he delights in the endless possibilities of the musical universe, but without running the risk of getting lost. Grand (e) ios! Jono El Grande's musical world is full of references and quotations, he delights in the endless possibilities of the musical universe, but without running the risk of getting lost. Grand (e) ios!
Kreiszeitung (DE)

'Borrelia Boogie', the prelude to Phantom Stimulance (RCD 2106), leaps off as if JONO EL GRANDE wanted to tickle the zappanale to the ground. This is followed by 'Utopian Semi-Waltz', a half-rolling, half-bubbling underwater ballet, again in the jerky jazz-drying cut & paste in honor of the master (who would have turned 70 on December 21, 2010), but also in order to retrospectively and to put your own balance 10 -year anniversary of Jono el Grande. Because only two titles are brand new, the others are just new versions of Utopian Dances and Fevergreen pieces, but also of unpublished ones, both from the current band and with Vidunderlige Vidda. Sometimes, like 'Phantom Stimulance' and especially 'Pongery in Evention', Zappa's mind is as intrusive as Hamlet's father, with a singing saw whimpering on the diaphragm. The lively march 'Beggar to Beggar' is enriched with trombone and soprano sax solos and lavish keyboard and xylophone jokes. 'Moon-strictly in Love with a Figment Foetus', keyboard-heavy and singed again, is Frank-ensteint right down to the title and culminates in a zappesque guitar tirade. I like the slightly oriental groove and the baritone sax from 'Negation / Penetration', which is followed by the guitaristic, 'double-edged triplets' designed on the drawing board. Finally, 'The Goat' swings the goat legs, keyboard-like and fluted. Vibes, synthesizers and brass give El Jonos uptempo dynamics the elastic swing and the consistently high-proof double cream cheese spread, 'strange' vocals occasionally add further accents. It's a little too greasy for me also a bit over-arranged and awesome. But live and with a few beers, El Jonos goat boogie would clear away the biggest freak show flowerpot: ROCK'N'ROLL !!
Bad Alchemy (DE)

Outside his Norwegian homeland, JONO EL GRANDE is ennobled primarily with references to a virtuosity and inventiveness reminiscent of Frank Zappa, but anyone who is halfway familiar with the Jaga Jazzist environment has heard of When or the newcomers It's The End can guess which musical bouncy castle Jon Andreas Håtun originated with his fourth album "Phantom Stimulance". The latter mainly contains older compositions in a new, truly Dadaistic sound and combines apparently contradictory elements with humor and a lot of love for the weird, so that - that is a basic requirement - curious listeners in the proverbial roller coaster ride across a colorful fairground and meet all kinds of strange fellows who him with chimes, brass, prevent driving percussions and jazzy rock from looking for something like red thread or the meaning behind all of this. If the audacity of this monster that jumps back and forth between ingenuity and absurdity doesn't get to its knees in the first round, it might go even further than he likes - after all, Håtun was already in the sights of the country's own gossip press and with just this music keeps himself from paying too much attention to greases and scribbles like this. What a wise decision. he may go even further than he himself would like - after all, Håtun has already found himself in the sights of the state-owned gossip press and is using this music to prevent himself from taking too much notice of greasepins and scribbles like this. What a wise decision. he may go even further than he himself would like - after all, Håtun has already found himself in the sights of the state-owned gossip press and is using this music to prevent himself from taking too much notice of greasepins and scribbles like this. What a wise decision.
Legacy (DE)

The man with the poetic name is a musician, composer, conductor and active free spirit of the experimental rock circle in Norway. Like one of his most important influencers, he also plays the guitar. Virtuoso and dedicated. This someone is none other than Frank Zappa. In his spirit, without suspecting plagiarism, Mr. El Grande (witty pseudonym) designs crazy arrangements into which he packs exciting dynamic rotations, nested rhythm capers and breakneck tempo shifts. Like "good old Frank", Jono is a master of stop-and-go technology, a magician of breathtaking breaks and stylistically indestructible. Bone-dry rock grooves race along, accompanied by cutting brass staccato, jazzy sound paintings cross the path, everything suddenly plunges into comic restlessness before a cheerful Vaudeville melody turns the tiller and back. And in all this collection of harmonious, melodic and rhythmic somersaults that hardly leave time to take a break, the master takes the leisure for concise, precisely formulated solos in the best rock style. The captivating implementation by the multi-headed ensemble, which steps into action with extreme serenity, mastery and understanding for Jonos's visions, must also be mentioned. An ideal stimulation for lateral thinking and outrage. This edition celebrates Jonos fifteen years on stage and is a newly recorded work show from this period. Sounds like more, much more. And in all this collection of harmonious, melodic and rhythmic somersaults that hardly leave time to take a break, the master takes the leisure for concise, precisely formulated solos in the best rock style. The captivating implementation by the multi-headed ensemble, which steps into action with extreme serenity, mastery and understanding for Jonos's visions, must also be mentioned. An ideal stimulation for lateral thinking and outrage. This edition celebrates Jonos fifteen years on stage and is a newly recorded work show from this period. Sounds like more, much more. And in all this collection of harmonious, melodic and rhythmic somersaults that hardly leave time to take a break, the master takes the leisure for concise, precisely formulated solos in the best rock style. The captivating implementation by the multi-headed ensemble, which steps into action with extreme serenity, mastery and understanding for Jonos's visions, must also be mentioned. An ideal stimulation for lateral thinking and outrage. This edition celebrates Jonos fifteen years on stage and is a newly recorded work show from this period. Sounds like more, much more. The captivating implementation by the multi-headed ensemble, which steps into action with extreme serenity, mastery and understanding for Jonos's visions, must also be mentioned. An ideal stimulation for lateral thinking and outrage. This edition celebrates Jonos fifteen years on stage and is a newly recorded work show from this period. Sounds like more, much more. The captivating implementation by the multi-headed ensemble, which steps into action with extreme serenity, mastery and understanding for Jonos's visions, must also be mentioned. An ideal stimulation for lateral thinking and outrage. This edition celebrates Jonos fifteen years on stage and is a newly recorded work show from this period. Sounds like more, much more.
Freestyle (AT)

Gathers rare, unpublished and new versions of old pieces with the CD "Phantom Stimulance". The Norwegian art rocker makes complex instrumentals that honor Zappa, Van der Graf, King Crimson and others. Fine melodies, jazz, a little funk and other styles nestle between decent rock rums.
Compact disk (DE)

Jono El Grandes nye cd er en intens Reise i viltvoksende musikalske ideer som nok står i gjeld til Frank Zappa, men også i høy grad står på egne ben ... Musikken på "Phantom Stimulance" er rik og variert og spenner fra sjangeren Farmers Market gjorde kjent som speedbalkanboogie til relativt controversy instrumental rock, ortodoks prog (kjennetegnet ved hyppige taktskifter, unstemmelige tonearter og uvanlige instrumenter av types sag) og en del mer viltvoksende material som er vanskelig å classifisenn hard nder ander. Med seg har guitarists Grande et særdeles competent ensemble consisting of blåsere, tangenter, sag og rytmeseksjon ... "Phantom Stimulance" er en strålende plate; intense, omskiftelig, majestetisk og komisk.
Morgenbladet (NO)

Ikke for mitt bare liv kan jed erindre at Jono El Grande var så fordømt bra ... I alle henseender he "Phantom Stimulance" det sterkeste Grande noensinne har levert, og særlig fem av albumets elleve stykker he intet mindre enn sensasjonell, progressiv musikk - med rockens fortegn.
Norway Rock Magazine (NO)

Performance artist, guitarist mm Jon Håtun alias Jono El Grande imponerer stort på denne plate i høve tiårsjubileet for hans Jono El Grande Orchestra. Here he fills out med alt av blås og keyboards, various vowel effects, bruk av xylofon og sag - alt i ei myldrande blanding av kunstmusikk, bluesriff, transylvania boogie og avantgarderock. If he is at the Uncle Meat or Hot Rats with Zappa på nytt igjen. Meir av dette!
Dag Og Tid (NO)

http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk

http://boomkat.com

http://alarmpress.com

http://www.tarkus.org

http://oslopuls.aftsposten.no

http://www.ragazzi-music.de    (german)

http://www.progressia.net    (french)

http://www.soundofmusic.nu    (swedish)

http://alarmpress.com    (interview)