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We Jazz Records 是一個來自芬蘭的爵士廠牌，他們的發行核心圍繞在「有趣」，在各種融會數流派的爵士、即興音樂裡，他們的發行總會聽到許多讓耳朵「叮」一聲亮點，那些亮點總是深入淺出，平常沒有在接觸爵士音樂的人也都能享受其中。
除了發行，他們也做 Festival、發行刊物，甚至有一間實體店面，會有一家唱片行的原因很浪漫，因一封來自瑞典陌生人在網站上隨機找到 We Jazz Records 而寄的信，信中寫著「我的 92 歲父親去世後留下了 11,000 張的黑膠，不知道你們有沒有興趣收購？」。
ENEMY, the trio of drummer James Maddren, pianist Kit Downes and bassist Petter Eldh make their We Jazz Records debut with their third album The Betrayal, out 22 September 2023. After their self-titled debut (Edition, 2018) and the follow up (Vermillion, ECM 2022), the explosive yet lyrical trio is seeking new directions with the 12-track new record, arguably their strongest yet.
The Betrayal consists of all original material penned by Downes and Eldh. Its an album of "purposeful contradictions and a shedding of skin", a studio recording recorded within the scope of a single day, edited, produced and mixed by the band themselves. In their own words, the band "doesnt really rehearse, playing a lot live, taking risks, always writing new music, always playing as fresh as possible", and evolving in the process.
Careful listeners will quickly notice how different from Vermillion the new album is. Where once was echo and reverb, is now rhythmic intensity and a more compact sense of sound. The band sounds closer, their movement seems more focused. If ENEMY would have a motto, it would be "no risk, no fun". True to this, The Betrayal has its sudden twists and turns, yet the trio never loses sight of what makes the music theirs. It wouldnt be fair to call them "experimental", at least for the sake of using such a vague word, but they do experiment, having fun while at it. Listen to the three albums in one serving and youll surely hear many directions in music being suggested, tried out, perfected, thrown out, and taken into processing again. You can also hear it within a single track at times.
While being on the move at all times, they have a real "swing" in their sound, and theres always a bigger idea for the music than just playing it, whatever it might be at any given moment. Their music is natural, and why not, for its based on long-time collaboration and friendship.
As Kit Downes once said: "Whatever the situation is, Im always looking forward to meeting up with Petter and James again, discussing everything from W.G. Sebald, to Eels, to Mad Max (Fury Road) to East Croydon."
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