Reviews RCD2001

1-3 is probably one of the best albums ever released in Norway. A classic.
Panorama (NO)

If the music lacks in subtlety and depth of interplay compared to later albums, it features a vivacity, excitement and sense of danger unheard of. In the course of these long improvisations (each disc contains a track at least 25 minutes long, many others reach 15 minutes), the group moves through countless moods, drawing from ecstatic jazz, avant-rock, noise and electroacoustics to produce captivating music that pushes far into experimentation and yet remains immediate, even at times accessible. Henriksen´s finely chiselled lines evoke Miles Davis´ fusion period, while Sten´s electronics occasionally bring to mind Merzbow´s harsh constructions. In between, we get the full avant-jam treatment without the psychedelic leanings of Jackie-O Motherfucker or the No-Neck Blues Band, and something in the cold warmth of the music (oxymoron, I know) that will become almost a trademark of Scandinavian experimentalism at the turn of the millennium. Highly recommended, although if you are looking for just a taste of Supersilent, you better start with a single-disc release.
Alternative Music Guide (US)

Allegedly only meeting to play live and record, the four Supersilent members never rehearse nor discuss their music. Mixing hardcore noise processing, free jazz, avant-rock and electro-acoustic, Supersilent´s first outburst was definitely a unique record. Containing thirteen tracks spread over the three parts of this album, some lasting over twenty five minutes, with the majority stretching between ten and fifteen minutes, this first album is an impressive if somehow daunting, piece of work. Refusing to induce any preconception about their music, Supersilent identify their compositions with numbers. Resulting of over ten hours of total improvisation, having be edited down to a mere three hours, eight minutes and thirty seconds exactly, 1-3 presents a variety of tones and ambiences, from the rough concussed soundscapes of 1.3 to the soft, airy atmospherics of 2.1, which give Arve Henriksen's incredible trumpet playing its most prominent space here. For a first release, 1-3 is definitely an impressive piece of recording. The essence of Supersilent already fuels these thirteen tracks unequivocally, constantly challenging the listener with unsettling concepts. Even for the more experienced listener, 1-3 remains an uneasy album, constantly offering different angles and shades as the band meticulously rejects all preconceived ideas of improvised music to set their own rules. Typical of the unashamedly diverse approach adopted by the majority of contemporary Scandinavian musicians, Supersilent set with this album the foundations for their later work.
Milkfactory (UK)

A daring and challenging release, free jazz meets avant rock.
Gränslöst (SE)

This music is merciless and I love it.
Klassekampen (NO)

Supersilent have created their own musical universe...a work that unfolds an untamed beast of incredible and far-out structures where sound and anti-sound (?) are combined with grooves and anti-grooves.
Audio (NO)