Press quotes: 

In this section you will find:

- reviews on the latest release "eco, arches & eras" (2008)

- reviews on the debut "for the middle class" (2006)
We are still receiving reviews for that one, too (January 2009!) 

- live reviews etc

Unfamiliar with some of these languagues? Copy and past the text into translate.google.com. You'll be able to understand most of it, and you'll pick up some funny new words too...

eco, arches & eras 

All About Jazz (US) 

«Eco, Arches & Eras represents a quantum leap for Huntsville, a group that keeps creating new promises as quickly as it delivers on its previous ones.»

Chicago Reader (US)

«...Huntsville creates a beautiful mosaic of sound, combining kaleidoscopic grooves with the nuanced interaction and unstructured freedom of abstract improvisation.»

MOJO (UK)

«...an hypnotic trip through percussive ragas, electro-acoustic scree and Morricone-like dreamscapes.»

ROCK-A-ROLLA (UK)

«...they alternate between brief Americana-esque instrumentals and lenghtier excursions into fast, fluid motion, attaining trance-velocity like some rare amalgam of Miles Davies, Steve Reich and early Tortoise.»

Kwadratuur (BE)

«Huntsville heeft met 'Eco, Arches and Eras' een interessante plaat gemaakt die bulkt van de spanning, alles kan gebeuren.» read more here

soundslike (BE)

«Het maakt van Huntsville een uitzonderlijke luisterervaring.» read more here

Uncut (UK)

«Elegant improvised ambience.»

Musique Machine

Album of the Month
«I could write on and on about this truly wonderful album - but I think it would ruin and cheapen the experience of it for yourself. Just trust me if you enjoy musical adventure & genre mixing that’s controlled/polished yet always daring and creative you have to pick this up. One of the must own albums of this year.» read more here

The WIRE (UK)

«There's rarely been such effective use of the South Asian drums in a crossover context since John McLaughlin's Shakti – though 'crossover' is too limiting a description for this substantial and challenging release.»

Organ Magazine (UK)

«...this is beautifully unpretentious and feels so naturally right. This is from nowhere, this is from everywhere... this is wonderful, this is different....»

plan b

«...it builds like a runaway train of thoughts and possibilities before breaking through barriers into  a world  of new  and rapturous potential.» 

Subjectivisten (NE)

«Verrassend, imponerend, bloedstollend, intrigerend, niet te beschrijven, niet te definiëren, avontuurlijk, het zijn maar een paar termen die van toepassing zijn op deze grootse opvolger.» ("Surprising, impressing, blood-curdling, intriguing, impossible to describe, impossible to define, adventurous, are only a few terms that apply to this great successor.") read more here

Bad Alchemy (DE)

«Das gebetsmühlenartig pulsierende Knattern oder Federn von Zachs Drumming und das Tocken seiner Shrutibox, Grydelands Gitarrenriffing, Kluftens gestrichener Basso continuo, der immer wieder zwischen den Zähnen ein ”Ich diene nicht” ausstösst, gehen dabei wieder abseits von Indienfahrerklischees ans Werk und öffnen dennoch die Schädeldecke mit unermüdlichem Brainstorming. Pluspunkte sind allein schon das tolle Coverdesign von Kim Hiorthøy, aber zudem auch noch der melancholische Sprechgesang von Sidsel Endresen als Auftakt des Monstertracks ’Eco’....»

Experimusic.com (UK)

«...theirs is a sound that is truly unique.» read more here

Svenska Dagblad (SE)

«Med ny dubbel-cd skruvar den norska trion Huntsville upp intensiteten i sin originella americana-raga-groove.» read more here

mapsadaisical (UK)

«As probably the best thing I’ve heard so far this year on Rune Grammofon, Eco Eras and Arches will undoubtedly meet your great expectations. Big fun to be had here.» read more here

Tokafi (UK)

«“Eco, Arches & Eras” delves even further into an adventurous crossbreed between Drones, Country, Jazz and electroacoustic Improvisation.» read more here  

Aftenposten (NO)

«Eco, Arches & Eras tydeliggjør sider og trekk fra Huntvilles tidligere liv, og det kan oppfattes som en frigjøringsprosess. Trioen har et nytt språk på gang, og det vil garantert forstås langt utenfor vårt lands grenser.» read more here

Furoreiharare.com (NO)

Kulturo (NO)

«...musikk som har sin egenart i behold. Vel blåst!» read more here

Dagsavisen (NO)

«...lyden av grus, gress, muld, natur som kneler, bygninger som reises og reiser som tilbakelegges, men uten å bli naturpornografisk på noe vis. Til det er heldigvis gruppas uforutsigbarhet og tverrhet for framtredende. Hele albumet byr for øvrig på en drivende blanding av krautrock, frijazz og køntri, og gjennom sjangerlekenheten beviser Huntsville at de vil være musikalsk bærekraftige i lang tid framover.» Read more here

Aftenposten (NO)

«...De kombinerer akustiske gitarakkorder med tørr bass og skarpskåren elektronikk. Eller de bygger en rytme og tar med banjo i bevegelsene. Perkusjonen gir løft og karakter til stykkene, og elgitaren drømmer om rock.»

Dagbladet (NO)

«Countryens plass i dette elektroniske, knitrete og frie landskapet er mer abstrakt enn konkret; en følelse, en luftspeiling, en sval bris som seiler gjennom Huntsville-lyden og skaper dens tiltalende egenart.» Read more here

Side2 (NO)

«Dette er det andre CD-møtet med det sjangerfrie og uhyre originale bandet Huntsville. Nå kan de være på vei mot verdensherredømme.» Read more here

Ballade (NO)

«...får meg til å slå opp øynene, åpne munnen, heve etter pusten og nikke anerkjennende med hodet.» Read more here

for the middle class

Adverse Effect

«Pretty incredible long-player...» read more here

monochrom (AT)

«All the while the music flows and grooves like some living organism, with the plucked notes from the bass bouncing, the drums steadily going their way and various kinds of noise blazing away everything that might come in the way of our happy little trail. It is as easy to join as to come aboard the peace train.» Read more here

It's a trap!

«Without a doubt, though, Huntsville take you on a wild, often psychedelic ride, making every overlapping sound matter. This is a major release in the realm of Nordic soundscape music.» Read more here

All About Jazz

«Norwegian trio Huntsville isn't a traditional country band, or a traditional anything else for that matter.» Read more here

Sefronia

«"For the middle class" se transforme alors, par intermittence, en magnifique album de noisy folk, hallucinatoire et énigmatique.» Read more here

Coke Machine Glow

«I heard this album right after we submitted our lists for the year-end, but this would have almost certainly been in my top ten.(...)Huntsville are a wonderful new edition to the experimental ranks of jazz and electronics, both in their seasoned instrumentation and the obvious joy they take in created music with character, soul, and humor, as well as a lot of broken middle class dreams.» Read more of this very well written review here

Rock City

«The middle classes referenced would doubtless scratch their heads in bewildered indifference and carry on with nondescript exsistences. For the most part that would be their loss.»

BBC 

«...involving, evocative music that's genuinely emotionally engaging aswell as pressing all the right buttons for those on the lookout for newsonic thrills. Beautiful.»

All About Jazz - December, 2006 

«Each musician has developed such an idiosyncratic language and analmost telepathic interaction with each other that the musical outcomeblurs any conventional concept of listening, yet the music sounds verynatural and organic and surprisingly quite harmonic.
(...) For The Middle Classesis the most accessible recording from these creativemusicians—surprising, sometimes funny, sometimes irritating, alwaysoffering tons of provocative revelations, and very convincing. One ofmy top ten releases of 2006.» read more here

Boston Weekly - December, 2006

«A Norwegian improv trio armed with a banjo, a double bass, a pedalsteel, a bizarre tabla machine, shruti boxes and a fondness for freeingfolk from its folk songs—from Santa Fe to Bombay. (...) If the futureis too much to bear come New Year’s Day, lodge yourself in the presentwith a 50-minute stay in Huntsville.» read more here

Gonzo - December 2006

«Huntsville spookt op intrigerende wijze door tal van stijlen en doet dat met een subtiel oor voor finesse, experiment en eigenzinnigheid.»  «Hypnotisered its de enige juiste omschrijving.»  « Ivar Grydeland, Tonny Kluften en Ingar Zach slagen erin dit onwaarschijnlijke geheel bijzonder meeslepend neer te zetten om zo van ”For the Middle Class” een spanned stukje experimentele muziek te maken.»

Other Music

«Epic, hellmouthed buildups that never quite break, organ grindermonkeys given bionic arms and legs and left to wonder why, obtusedrone, and the foresight to assemble all of these disparate elementsinto one compelling package are what's at stake here, Huntsvilleproviding a dead serious, dreamlike, at times blisteringly impatientstab at the advancement of the avant-garde trio. Hypnotic andreassuring.»

Indiepoprock.net

«Expérimentant de nouvelles formules, de nouveaux assemblages, lestrois membres de Huntsville proposent un premier album dépaysant, sortede folk atmosphérique mutant où les espaces de libertés sont nombreux,y compris pour y laisser courir notre imagination dans une relativequiétude… A découvrir !» read more here

De:Bug - 108, 12/06

«Grossartige Platte!» read more here

De:Bug - 108, 12/06 - (the second review in the same magazine)

«Huntsville sind die Köninge des Rhythmus!» read more here

Jazznytt - 06:2006 

«(...) but it sounds good. And new. Nobody has made such music before.»

The London Milk Man - December 14, 2006

«While it is pretty obvious from the two substantial improvisationshere that Huntsville can work from each other and build on theirrespective strength very well, For The Middle Class is a surprisinglyaccessible and melodic collection. The band experiment with variousmusic forms in very effective and convincing fashion, making this albumyet another flawless addition to the Rune Grammofon catalogue.» Readmore here.

Almost cool music reviews - December 14, 2006 

«(...)definitely make me want to keep an ear out for Huntsville.» Read more here.

Nordische Musiek - December 10, 2006

«Jazz oder Elektronik? Das Trio Huntsville will sich da wohl nicht sorecht entscheiden. In dem Fall ist aber gar nichts dagegen einzuwenden,denn die vier Stücke »für die Mittelklasse« gewinnen durch diesesWabern zwischen den Stilen. Und der Hörer irrt mit: Ist die Perkussionperfekt gespielt oder digital geloopt? Ist das ein Bass oder eineBassmaschine? Gitarre oder Synthesizer? Handgemacht odermaschinengefertigt lässt sich hier nicht mehr trennen.Dabei klingt derAnfang noch wie reine Experimental-Elektronik: Nach über drei Minutenschält sich ein Beatmuster heraus, nach acht Minuten schillert derKlang dann hinüber ins Instrumentale. Die Highspeed-Rhythmus-Schleifender 20-Minuten-Tracks peitschen ordentlich voran; dahinter klimpert,raschelt und zupft es improvisatorisch, plötzlich mit Hawaii-Gitarreoder einem Walking Bass, der die nervöse Trommel-Lokomotive auf einmalgrooven lässt. Einfache Musik ist das nicht. Man könnte sie sogaranstrengend nennen, diese ausgestelle Nervosität und Auflösung allerJazz-Strukturen – wenn sie nicht gleichzeitig so unverschämt lässigwäre.»

Trust - 12/06

«Drei impro-erfahrene Norweger entdecken ihre Liebe für Country,Elektronikk, Drones und Folk. Dabei bevorzugen sie immer nochexpansivere Formen, bringen gerade mal vier Stücke auf diesem Albumunter, die sich langsam zu voller Pracht entfalten, verleugnen auch dieLiebe für freien Jazz nicht. Was indes bisweilen bei freier Musik denEinstieg verwehrt – immenser Krach, Kakophonie oder im Gegenteilannäherndes Nichts– sucht man hier vergebens. Ein oberflächlichbetrachtet sanfter Fluss, in dem sich auch mal eine Steelguitar findenlässt, delikate Pickings, filigrane Polyrhythmik. Das erinnert manchmalan die freieren Momente von Gastr del Sol, aber auch an JimO’Rourke’sche Folk-Exkursionen.»

Terz - December, 2006

«Als ob's in der Luft läge: dieses norwegische Trio verbindetFolk-Fingerpicking / Countryvibes mit elektronischen undImprov-Kontexten, wobei der freigeistige Aspekt noch mehr überwiegt alsbei Alexander Tucker. Gerade mal vier Stücke hat's hier, die aberhaben's in sich: langsam entwickeln und öffnen sich Strukturen, diemehr auf Stimmung und Serielles setzen als auf ständigeRe-Territorialisierung. Hochspannende perkussive Polyrhythmik und neueKlangquellen - großartig!»

Dagsavisen - October 10, 2006 

«"For the Middle Class" is an album that immediately appeals andchallenges the listener with new revelations on repeated listenings. Intheir search to find unexplored territories they haven’t just made arecord for the middle class, but for everybody.» (5/6) read it here (Norwegian only)

Groove - November 28, 06 

«The music is similar to the film music of the Boxhead ensemble,Ornette Colemans polyrhytmical works, Canadian post-rock and earlySupersilent - but most of all it's strikingly original and different»Click here to read it (Norwegian only)

De Subjektivisten - November 18, 2006

«From their own world and with their own sound they embraceSupersilent, Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, Beirut, Tape, Tim Hecker, InThe Country and John Cage» Click here to read it

Alternative Nation - November 10, 2006

«Freie Geister entwerfen einen mitreißenden Rhythmenorganismus und dieHüfte folgt: One World Under The Influence Of Its Complex Grooves,Dancing To The Rhythm Of Our Hearts - um die Quintessenz von For TheMiddle Class in einer der Weltsprachen auszudrücken.» Click here to read more

Dagbladet - October 18, 2006

«(…) a feast of sound with a steady beat and soft harmonies. (..) akind of electronica- country (…). The interaction of many, oftenunorthodoxily played instruments, in addition to some electronicalboxes, varies in density, and gives therefore the necassary dynamic toa very original and attractive interplay.»

Bad Alchemy - November, 2006

«Diese Überraschung gelingt! Was immer ich von den drei Herren ausNorwegen erwarten würde, die HUNTSVILLE bilden, For The Middle Class(RCD2058) wär’s nicht.»

Aftenposten - October 16, 2006

«Det er en sann fornøyelse å høre hvordan Ivar Grydeland, Ingar Zach ogTonny Kluften utfordrer seg selv. (...) Ja, Huntsville frigjør seg,uten å fornekte røttene og opptrer med smidig muskuløsitet. Alle bidrager rettet inn mot fellesskapet. "For The Middle Class" er tuftet påspilleglede og skarp retningssans. Det er denne typen utgivelser somfornyer troen på det uforutsigbare i musikken.» (5/6) read more here (Norwegian only)

HISSIG - October 06, 2006

«So, by all means, give this a chance, For the Middle Class is undoubtably one of the finest albums of 2006» read it here (Norwegian only) 

Side 2 - October 17, 2006

« «For the Middle Class» er tøff og annerledes musikk som kommeroverraskende fra Grydeland/Kluften/Zach - nå også kjent somHuntsville.» read more here (Norwegian only)

The WIRE # 274, Philip Clark - December issue, 2006 

«If a title like For The Middle Class sounds like a provocation, thenHuntsville's mélange of floating grooves, Indian tabla rhythms andAmbient guitar might play directly into the hands of dilettantes notreally interested in the message of improvised music. Tonny Kluften(bass), Ivar Grydeland (guitars) and Ingar Zach (drums, percussion,tabla) are familiar from their work in Improv ensemble No SpaghettiEdition and as founders of the Sofa label; as such it's slightlydisconcerting to witness this latest direction.» Read more here

Universitas - October 11, 2006

live   

All About Jazz, September 07

«...Huntsville manages to combine organic sounds with sometimes densely harsh electronics, to create a kind of futuristic “roots” music. (...) As strong, if not stronger, in performance as on record, Huntsville hopefully has a new disc in the works representative of the trio's uniqueness.» read more

Ballade, July 07

«...Huntsville is one of many Norwegian projects with a clear, precise and original sound and naturally find themselves at home in the Kongsberg Jazz Festival program. In this flora of originality, Huntsville nonetheless manages to single themselves out.»  read more (Norwegian)

Down Beat - October 06

«(...)inspired Norwegians had the highest artistic batting average in this FIMAV. The powerfully evocative improvisational trio Huntsville – Ivar Grydeland (guitar, banjo, pedal steel), Tonny Kluften (acoustic bass) and Ingar Zach (percussion, ping-pong balls) – kept things beguilingly simple and organic, and concocted their set with anotherwordly abstract Americana.»

All About Jazz - July 16, 2006

«...this trio blended various tendencies in improvised music with a melodic sensibility to create something of their own. The richness of the musicians’ sound palettes coupled with the precision and cohesion of the execution contributed to the refinement and apparent simplicity of Huntsville’s music.» 

Exclaim - July 05, 2006

«Jazz/improv trios also figured prominently in the festival programming. High points included Norwegians Ivar Grydeland, Tonny Kluften and Ingar Zach, who squeezed their acoustic instruments through a gently obfuscating haze of electronics. Zach’s drums were sometimes “played” by vibrating boxes while Grydeland moved from guitar to banjo to pedal steel, always at the edge of full blown melody.» 

Ballade's Bjørn Hammershaug listed "For The Middle Class" on his top-ten Norwegian releases in 2006. This is what he writes:

«Gillian Welch inviting Ravi Shankar for a dance in a mid-west bar. Unthinkable? Not if the band playing is Huntsville. The three gentlemen usually work with improv (what most people call "pling-plong"). With Huntsville they have created an arena that gives more space to structured forms, and still gives plenty of playroom. They do this mainly by mixing east and west, modernity and tradition. The trio's view on country music is all but conventional, and tabla and eastern rhythm seldom feels this natural.»

After concert at the Festival Musiques Création - Jonquière, Canada in May 2006:

www.voir.ca

Le Quotidien, Jonquière