Large Unit
Led by Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, Large Unit is a powerhouse ensemble that pushes the boundaries of free jazz, improvisation, and avant-garde music. Known for its raw energy and fearless experimentation, the band blends chaotic intensity with precise collective interplay.
With a rotating lineup of top-tier improvisers, Large Unit delivers electrifying performances—swinging, screeching, and exploding in a whirlwind of sound. Their music is a thrilling ride, where structure and freedom collide, showcasing Nilssen-Love’s visionary leadership and the band’s unstoppable creativity.
Selected Tracks
Selected Tracks
After four years of extensive touring and five albums, of which one was a photo book with two CDs, it’s time to look back, but also forward. SELECTED TRACKS 2013-2017 gives the listener a chance to hear the band’s continuous development in retrospect. The disc starts off with two tracks from the forthcoming album FLUKU, which will be released in September 2017. First, a kind of game piece where every soloist has to decide on the spot who to accompany them on various given material. Second, a ballad which brings out a new side to Nilssen-Love’s writing. “ANA” features an extended version of the band, including two Brazilian percussionists, and shows Nilssen-Love’s passion for Brazilian rhythms. “Fendika” was recorded at the band’s last concert during their 15 gig tour of North America in 2015 and there’s no doubt what those two weeks did to the band. “Fortar Hardar” was recorded at the band’s “debut” in Europe, at the famous Moers festival in Germany. An audience of 2000 were thrilled to pieces by the bands energy and strength. “Culius” was recorded at the band’s very first concert at Molde Jazzfestival in 2013, after two days of rehearsal out in the woods. Nilssen-Love’s immediate conclusion was that this a band and not a project. About 60 concerts later, and following a slight change in the line-up, there’s no doubt this will go on!
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Thomas Johansson – trumpet
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Per Åke Holmlander – tuba (all except Culius, Fortar Hardar)
Børre Mølstad – tuba (Culius, Fortar Hardar, Ana)
Julie Kjær – alto saxophone, flute (all except Culius, Fortar Hardar)
Kasper Værnes – alto saxophone (Culius, Fortar Hardar)
Klaus Ellerhusen Holm – Bb clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone
Kristoffer Berre Alberts – alto and tenor saxophone (Happy Slappy, Springsummer)
Ketil Gutvik – guitar
Tommi Keränen – electronics (all except Culius, Fortar Hardar)
Lasse Marhaug – electronics and turntable (Culius, Fortar Hardar)
Jon Rune Strøm – electric and double bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen – electric and double bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums and percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums and percussion
Paulinho Bicolor – cuica (Ana)
Célio De Carvalho – pandeiro (Ana)
Christian Obermayer – live soundTracks 1 and 2 recorded 8th April 2016 at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo – mixed and mastered by Christian Obermayer.
Track 3 recorded 15th of August 2015 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo – mixed and mastered by Christian Obermayer.
Track 4 recorded live in concert 28th June 2015, Seatte, USA by Klaus Ellerhusen Holm on zoom microphone – mixed and mastered by Lasse Marhaug.
Track 5 recorded live in concert 7th June 2014 at Moers Jazzfestival, Moers, Germany – recorded and mixed by Simeon Klein and Michael Hohnstock – mastered by Bob Weston.
Track 6 recorded live in concert 18th July 2013 at Molde Jazzfestival, Molde – recorded by Håkon Dalen – mixed and mastered by Lasse Marhaug.
All tracks remastered for this CD by Christian Obermayer.
All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO-Cien Fuegos).
Cover design by Lasse Marhaug.
Photo (label) by Petra Cvelbar.
Photo (inner) by Peter Gannushkin
Rio Fun
Rio Fun
Limited Edition CD and EP available exclusively on the Large Unit US Tour and through Catalytic-Sound.
Recorded May 7th, 2015 live at Bimhuis, Amsterdam.
Recorded by: Jurre Wieman for Bimhuis Radio
Mixed and Masterd by: Christian Obermayer
Cover by: Lasse Marhaug
Thanks to Huub Van Riel, Alexandra Mientjes.
Thomas Johansson – cornet and flugelhorn
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Julie Kjaer – alto saxophone
Klaus Holm – alto and baritone saxophone
Per Ake Holmlander – tuba
Ketil Gutvik – electric guitar
Tommi KerÄnen – electronics
Jon Rune Strøm – double and electric bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen – double and electric bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums & percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums & percussion
New Map
New Map
In the autumn of 2021 a 15-piece strong Large Unit reunited at Studio Paradiso in Oslo to record two new albums: “New Map” and “Clusterfuck”. These two albums can be seen as twin releases, recorded and released in conjunction with each other, yet they are also different to each other. Both albums follow the previous “More Fun Please” album from 2018, with Nilssen-Love working within the field of new music composition, taking inspiration from composers like John Cage, Morton Feldman and Cornelius Cardew. For “New Map” Nilssen-Love provided the band with open-form “cells” of concrete ideas/notes/directions that the musicians had to respond to. On “Clusterfuck” the approach was graphic notations. Both approaches gave the musicians more responsibility on how to shape the music. The compositional guidelines are balanced with blocks of improvisation, with the band veering from subtle passages to bursts of explosive blowouts. Two exciting new additions to the Large Unit catalogue at the end of 2022, which sets the tone for the band’s ten- year anniversary in 2023.
More Fun, Please
More Fun, Please
With a cast of 27 members, Paal Nilssen-Love’s ‘More Fun Please’ more than doubles the Large Unit ensemble in size. This piece was commissioned for the Only Connect festival in Oslo and marks PNL records 40th release.
Klaus Holm: Alto Saxophone: Bb Clarinet
Mats Äleklint: Trombone
Per Åke Holmlander: Tuba
Jon Rune Strøm: Acoustic Bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen: Acoustic Bass
Tommi Keránen: Electronics: Conduction
Andreas Wildhagen: Drums
Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums: Conduction
Julie Helgeland Davidsen: Flute, Picolo Flute
Reindert Spanhove: Tenor Saxophone
Markus Dvergastein: Guitar
Tor nn Hofstad: Violin
Maria Quevedo Meloni: Cello
Rebekka Eikefet: Cello
Torstein Johansen: Acoustic Bass
Håkon Bjørgo: Acoustic Bass
Tatia Chikovani: Piano
Joao Grilo: Piano
Shayila Mahestuti: Piano
Ásta Sof a Thorrgeirsdóttir: Accordion
Mykola Sheremeta: Accordion
Kalle Moberg: Accordion
Richard Köster: Trumpet, Conduction
Edo Hayek: French Horn
Eirik Sanner: Euphonium
Mats Hägerlind: Trombone
Magnus Breivik Løvseth: Tuba
Torgrim Halse: Percussion.
All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (tono/cien fuegos).
Recorded live in concert at Sentralen, Oslo Norway on the 20th of May 2017, as a commissoned piece by Ny Musikk for the Only Connect festival, with support from Arts Council Norway. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Brynildsen Obermayer. Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love.
Fluku
Fluku
Julie Kjær – alto saxophone, flute
Klaus Ellerhusen Holm – Bb clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone
Kristoffer Berre Alberts – alto and tenor saxophone
Thomas Johansson – trumpet
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Per Åke Holmlander – tuba
Ketil Gutvik – electric guitar
Tommi Keränen – electronics
Jon Rune Strøm – electric and double bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen – electric and double bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums and percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums and percussion
Christian Brynildsen Obermayer – live sound
Recorded 8th of April 2016 at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Brynildsen Obermayer.
Photo by Petra Cvelbar. Cover art by Lasse Marhaug.
All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO/Cien Fuegos).
Thanks to Fond for Lyd og Bilde for supporting this production.
Thanks also to Nasjonal Jazzscene, Arts Council Norway, Norsk Jazzforum, Music Norway and Fund for Performing Artists.
First Blow
First Blow
“Mr. Love is a superb band leader and improviser and it’s hard to think of a drummer right now I’d rather listen to in the free jazz world. He’s powerful, commanding but never overwhelming or ostentatious. That he could take a complete seat back on the second track and let it happen outside the drums is a testament to his taste and restraint.” -Ed Pettersen, Free Jazz Blog
—Jon Rune Strøm – bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Christian Meaas Svendsen – bass
Klaus Holm – alto and baritone saxophone, Bb clarinet
Kasper Værnes – alto saxophone
Thomas Johansson – trumpet
Børre Mølstad – tuba
Ketil Gutvik – guitar
Lasse Marhaug – electronicsRecorded live in concert at Molde International Jazz Festival July 18 2013.
Live sound by Ingvar Kristensen and Ørland Godø.
Recorded by Håkon Dalen. Mixed by Lasse Marhaug.
This recording was supported by Fund for Performing Artists.
Ethiobraz
Ethiobraz
“Ethiobraz” documents the meeting of Paal Nilssen-Love’s Large Unit big band and Ethiopian dance/music ensemble Fendika at Molde Jazz Festival in 2018. Joining them as a special guest was guitarist Terrie Ex, a key component in getting making the meeting happen with his long involvement with the Ethiopian music scene. And, Paal Nilssen-Loves’s first travel to Ethiopia was with The Ex in December 2009. This changed his life. Paal’s first travel to Brazil was in June 2013. This also changed his life. Large Unit was established during fall of 2013. During numerous trips to both Ethiopia and Brazil, Paal established many contacts to schools, clubs, presenters, musicians and dancers in these two countries. The music he created for Large Unit was heavily informed by these trips and meetings, and fusing these influences together with the Scandinavian free music sensibility became an important factor in the Large Unit sound.
When Large Unit turned five, it was time to bring all these sources together and celebrate more than just the five years of the band, but also the collaborations with musicians and dancers in both Ethiopia and Brazil. Therefor Ethiobraz. 22 musicians and dancers together on stage. It could be argued that this is the most accessible recording in the Large Unit catalogue, and there is no doubt that this is the first one you can dance to all the way through.
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Nardos Tesfaye: vocal
Melaku Belay: dance, vocal
Zinash Tsegaye: dance
Julie Kjær: flute and alto saxophone
Kristoffer Berre Alberts: alto and tenor saxophone
Klaus Ellerhusen Holm: Bb clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone
Thomas Johansson: trumpet
Mats Äleklint: trombone
Per Åke Holmlander: tuba
Kalle Moberg: accordion
Tommi Keränen: electronics
Habetamu Yeshambel: masingo
Fasika Hailu: krahr
Terrie Ex: electric guitar
Ketil Gutvik: electric guitar
Jon Rune Strøm: electric and acoustic bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen: electric and acoustic bass
Mesay Abebaye: kobero
Paulinho Bicolor: cuica
Celio de Carvalho: percussion and berimbau
Andreas Wildhagen: drums
Paal Nilssen-Love: drums.
Erta Ale
Erta Ale
Thomas Johansson – cornet and flugelhorn
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Kasper Værnes – soprano and alto saxophone
Klaus Holm – alto and baritone saxophone
Børre Mølstad – tuba
Ketil Gutvik – electric guitar
Lasse Marhaug – turntable and electronics
Jon Rune Strøm – double and electric bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen – double and electric bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums & percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums & percussion
All music by Paal Nilssen-Love (TONO)
Recorded live in concert at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo; Verftet, Bergen Jazzforum; Dokkhuset, Trondheim and studio on location at Dokkhuset, Trondheim during a tour of Norway between the 30th of January and 4th of February 2014.
Live sound and recording by Christian Obermayer.
Mixed by Christian Obermayer and Paal Nilssen-Love at Strype Audio.
Mastered by Bob Weston and Paal Nilssen-Love at Chicago Mastering Service.
Lacquer masters cut by Bob Weston.
Bonus disc, live recording from Moers Festival, recorded by Simeon Klein and Michael Hohnstick, mastered by Lasse Marhaug.
Liner notes by Audun Vinger.
Cover art by Terry Nilssen-Love
Cover design by Lasse Marhaug.
Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love.
This recording was supported by Fund for Performing Artists: FFUK and Fond for Lyd og Bilde: Arts Council Norway. Impossible without…
Thanks to Norsk Jazzforum, Arts Council Norway, Fond For Lyd og Bilde, Fund For Performing Artists, Molde Jazzfestival, Eldbjørg at Sjøbygda Kulturhus, Thorbjørn Ottersen at Union Scene, Jan Ole Otnæs at Nasjonal Jazzscene, Signe Irene Time at Stajazz, Katrine Lilleland at Tou Scene, Tom Svendsgård at Bergen Jazzforum, Arild Schei, Tor “Torsken” Breivik and Andreas Hårklau at Dokkhuset, Trondheim, Norway; Reiner Michalke at Moers Festival.
Personal thanks also to Helge Jan Ingebrigtsen, Didrik Ingvaldsen, Frode Gjerstad, Gisle Røen Johansen Wincentz, Håvard Wiik, Sten Sandell, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Ken Vandermark, Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson, Terrie Ex, Melaku Belay, Bernardo Oliveira and of course Lisbeth, Terry and Carl Nilssen-Love.
Clusterfuck
Clusterfuck
In the autumn of 2021 a 15-piece strong Large Unit reunited at Studio Paradiso in Oslo to record two new albums: “New Map” and “Clusterfuck”. These two albums can be seen as twin releases, recorded and released in conjunction with each other, yet they are also different to each other. Both albums follow the previous “More Fun Please” album from 2018, with Nilssen-Love working within the field of new music composition, taking inspiration from composers like John Cage, Morton Feldman and Cornelius Cardew. For “New Map” Nilssen-Love provided the band with open-form “cells” of concrete ideas/notes/directions that the musicians had to respond to. On “Clusterfuck” the approach was graphic notations. Both approaches gave the musicians more responsibility on how to shape the music. The compositional guidelines are balanced with blocks of improvisation, with the band veering from subtle passages to bursts of explosive blowouts. Two exciting new additions to the Large Unit catalogue at the end of 2022, which sets the tone for the band’s ten- year anniversary in 2023.
Ana
Ana
Large Unit is the 11+ piece group led by Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Since the band’s incarnation in 2013 it has gone from strength to strength, with 2015 being a landmark year with a monumental 40+ dates European and North-American tour, on the heel of the acclaimed “Erta Ale” album from 2014.
Paal Nilssen-Love’s connection to Brazil is strong. Throughout his musical career he has been influenced by Brazilian music he’d hear on records, from Luiz Gonzaga and Trio Nordestino to Milton Nascimento and Pedro Santos. In his ears Brazil stood out as a country that shared his ideals of music being a celebration of life – a celebration that should be loud, rhythmic and intense. This Brazilian influence also crept into his own music. When Nilssen-Love finally got the chance to visit and tour the country in 2013 it was obvious this was not a one-way love-affair – connections were soon made between him and the musicians and audiences of Brazil. Since then he has visited twice a year.
The Brazilian connection found its way into the material he was writing for Large Unit at the time, especially with the half-hour piece “Rio Fun”, which incorporated elements of Brazil’s Bahia music. The song quickly became the climax of Large Unit’s concerts, which peaked with their performance at the Oslo Jazzfestival in August 2015, when the already crowded line-up was extended with Brazilian musicians Celio de Carvalho and Paulinho Bicolor on percussion. Only hours after the gig ended (to the roar of an ecstatic audience) the band went straight into the legendary Rainbow studios to capture that energy in what is now being released as Large Unit’s second full length album: “ANA”. And rarely has a studio booking been better timed – “ANA” documents a dynamic band riding high on a frenetic tour schedule – only with the added extra musical vitamin-shot of Bicolor and de Carvalho.
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Thomas Johansson: trumpet.
Mats Äleklint: trombone.
Julie Kjær: alto saxophone and flute.
Klaus Holm: alto and baritone saxophone.
Per Åke Holmlander: tuba.
Børre Mølstad: tuba.
Ketil Gutvik: electric guitar.
Tommi KerÄnen: electronics.
Paulinho Bicolor: cuica, triangle, tamborim.
Celio de Carvalho: congas, bongos, tamborim, pandeiro, berimbau, caxixi, alfaia.
Jon Rune Strøm: acoustic and electric bass.
Christian Meaas Svendsen: acoustic and electric bass.
Andreas Wildhagen: drums and percussion.
Paal Nilssen-Love: drums and percussion.
All music by Paal Nilssen-Love. Recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo Norway on the 14th of August 2015. Mixed and mastered at Strype Audio. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christian Obermayer. Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love. Cover by Lasse Marhaug.
2015
2015
Julie Kjær – alto saxophone and flute
Klaus Ellerhusen Holm – alto and baritone saxophone
Thomas Johansson – trumpet
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Per Åke Holmlander – tuba
Ketil Gutvik – electric guitar
Tommi R. Keränen – electronics
Jon Rune Strøm – electric and double bass
Christian Meaas Svendsen – electric and double bass
Andreas Wildhagen – drums
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums
Christian Obermayer – live sound
CD1 (download tracks 1-4): SMALL UNITS
Recorded on the 21st of June 2015 at Case Del Popolo, Suoni per il Popolo, Montreal, Canada.
Recorded by Mathieu Bélanger.
Mastered by Lasse Marhaug.
CD2 (download tracks 5-9): LARGE UNIT
Recorded on the 28th of June 2015 at Poncho Concert Hall, Earshot Jazz, Seattle, USA.
Recorded by Klaus Holm.
Mastered by Lasse Marhaug.