From a world of its own, somewhat like ours, yet a bit different. Familiar sound, but in a slightly different order, upside down or backwards, with different instruments or in another language just beyond comprehension, that still, somehow, makes sense and carries us further in search of musical discovery.
With playful and creative interaction and exceptional chemistry, Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Stein Urheim, and Moskus take another step into uncharted musical territory. The result is the album Barefoot in Bryophyte.
The members of this quintet are frequent figures in the Hubro discography but had not played together before this project. The collaboration began as the commissioned work Branches & Limits for Voss Jazz Festival in 2023. The music has an immediacy, an unusual combination of song material, spontaneous improvisation and musicianship that made the concert a favorite among both critics and audience at the festival.
Mari Kvien Brunvoll and Stein Urheim have written the songs that were further developed together with Moskus. The open and improvisational approach is evident, in the blending of the known and unknown in their songs. They have a curious approach to creativity, with lyrics that are both open for interpretation and poignant at the same time.
In addition to several releases, nominations, and collaborations with various musicians, Mari Kvien Brunvoll and Stein Urheim have three releases as a duo: Stein & Mari’s Daydream Community (2011), Daydream Twin (2013), and For Individuals Facing the Terror of Cosmic Loneliness (2015), with Daydream Twin also receiving a Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) nomination in the open category.
Anja Lauvdal, Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson, and Hans Hulbækmo are the members of Moskus. Over the past decade, they have established themselves as a formidable force in the Norwegian jazz scene. They approach music with a distinctive signature of infectious playfulness, genre-blind blending, and defiant experimental will. With one foot in the tradition and one in the future, with continuity as a key word, they have released seven albums, received five Spellemann nominations, and left a significant mark on the music scene over the past decade.
Barefoot in Bryophyte was recorded at Duper Studio in Bergen with Jørgen Træen at the helm as both engineer and co-producer. He also mixed and mastered the album.
The release is available on LP, CD, and digitally, and it should be noted that the LP version includes all the lyrics printed in the cover sleeve. Yokoland and Aslak Gurholt Rønsen are responsible for the cover design.
