After a heavyweight 2-day residency in February, The Thing - Mats Gustafsson (sax/electronics), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass/electronics) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) return to Cafe OTO with a free improvisatory style that dives into an expansive songbook including everything from Don Cherry and Norman Howard to PJ Harvey and The White Stripes. This performance marks the launch of their new album - BOOT! - the first on their own imprint; The Thing Records.

Also on the bill, great Japanese trumpeter Toshinori Kondo. Having collaborated with the likes of Peter Brötzmann, Bill Laswell, John Zorn and Fred Frith, Toshinori Kondo has honed a unique playing style that draws on electronics to seamless and startling effect.

Please note that doors for this performance are at 4pm.

Toshinori Kondo (solo)
The Thing
The Thing + Toshinori Kondo

THE THING

The Thing was established in the spring of February 2000 when the three musicians met do play several concerts and to record the first CD on Crazy Wisdom, a sub label of Swedish Universal. In 2001, they also recorded another CD on the same label as a quartet with Joe McPhee. Both CD´s are out of print.

The trio was a long wanted constellation where several musical styles meet in a very high energetic outlet. All members are influenced by different traditions of free music derived from Germany, England and America, and these influences are to be felt and not necessary heard.

“Tapping into rock’s most primal forces with the fire and fury that’s something to behold” Mojo

When the trio started out, the book contained mainly of tunes by Don Cherry, hence the group’s name. Since Joe McPhee's participation, the group’s reportuar has included other free jazz standards by David Murray, Frank Lowe and Norman Howard. Also, the groups enthusiasm towards rock music, is heard when they play “To Bring You My Love” by PJ Harvey on the second CD. Today the book has expanded to include tunes by The White Stripes, The Sonics and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This is just an example that explains how close musical styles are today, how similar the energy is and can be, and how much today`s audience is melted together, devoted to creative music. The Thing is now signed on the Norwegian label Smalltown Supersound.



Mats Gustafsson is today Sweden’s and one of Europe’s biggest names on the free music scene. Through groups like Gush, AALY trio and Peter Brötzmann`s Chicago Tentet, he has established himself as a very powerful saxophonist, and has somewhat reinvented the way of playing the saxophone.

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love has become known as Norway`s heaviest rhythm-section. Since they`re long time collaboration started in 1992, they have been working in several groups, amongst them are School Days with Ken Vandermark, Scorch trio with Raoul Björkenheim, and the Swedish/Norwegian jazz-group Atomic.

The Thing also performs with Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore and Cato Salsa Experience.

“The sheer power they generate from wood, metal, breath and muscle is stunning” BBC

TOSHINORI KONDO

Toshinori Kondo is an avant-garde jazz trumpeter who has collaborated with the likes of Bill Laswell, John Zorn, Fred Frith and Peter Brötzmann's Die Like A Dog Quartet with William Parker and Hamid Drake. He resides in Tokyo, New York City, and Amsterdam. He attended Kyoto university in 1967, and became close friends with percussionist Tsuchitori Toshiyuki. In 1972 the pair left university, and Toshiyuki went on to work with Peter Brook, while Kondo joined Yosuke Yamashita. In 1978 he moved to New York, and began performing with Bill Laswell, John Zorn, Fred Frith, and Eraldo Bernocchi amongst others. A year later he released his first recording, and toured Europe with Eugene Chadbourne, and collaborated with European musicians such as Peter Brotzman. Returning to Japan, he worked with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kazumi Watanabe, and Herbie Hancock. In the mid-1980s he began focussing on his own career, blending his avant-garde origins with electronic music, and has collaborated with numerous musicians around the world since then. In 2002 he worked on an international peace festival in Hiroshima after being approached by the Dalai Lama about organizing one. He is a former member of Praxis.