2023 saw the return of multi-talented Norwegian producer Espen Horne to Wah Wah 45s, after a 24 year hiatus. The man behind the label’s very first release, the now seminal Magnetica, never lost his connection with the label and has remained very much part of the Wah Wah family, making a comeback this spring with his first solo material under his own name since that club classic from 1999.
The gorgeous soul-jazz beauty , Bakeren, featuring the stunning vocals of Resonators’ Faye Houston, quickly found a home on Gilles Peterson’s internationally renowned BBC Radio 6 show as well as that of Jazz FM legend Robbie Vincent, Bandcamp Weekly and the Fresh Finds Jazz Spotify playlist.
“Brilliant track!” Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music)
With its follow up, Bergen Sunrays, Espen has employed the talents of another sublime vocalist – this time rapper and singer Selim Mutic who is also, quite aptly, from the Norwegian’s home town referenced in the song’s title. The track was the first piece that Espen started working on in this new collection of songs, and what started as a rough sketch was soon picked up to be used as part of the Visit Bergen tourism campaign! The song’s lyrics talk about loving their city for what it is – “raindrops, snowflakes, sunrays”, all in one day! It’s a melancholic and soulful love song to Bergen that incidentally also marks the first time that Mutic has written and performed a piece in English!
Curious keys come courtesy of Eirik Blåsternes alongside driving drums from Ivar Thormodsæter, but it’s Chris Holm’s heavy bassline groove, itself inspired, in typical Espen Horne style, by an obscure choral Christian record from 1970, that really propels the track forward. And that groove is tweaked subtly and classily by German house music producers Session Victim, who here deliver the added bonus of a refined downtempo remix to make the track a very handy early doors floor filler.
Bergen Sunrays is the second taster to be taken from the album, The Anatomy of Serene Eloquence, due out later this year on Wah Wah 45s.
Reactions & Radio Play
Radio play from Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music, UK); Sarah Ward (Jazz FM); Kev Beadle (Totally Wired Radio, UK); Rob Luis (1BTN / Tru Thoughts, UK); Toshio Matsuura (Inter FM, Japan); Nelson Ramalho (Power FM, UK); Tamar Osborn (Soho Radio, UK); Sven Thomschke (Radio Z, Germany)
“That is such a cool tune that, isn’t it? Double groovy!” Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music, UK)
“Superb!” The Reflex (Discolidays, UK)
“Mad love for this!!!” Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM, UK)
“This is not to be missed.” Dazzle Drums (Block Party, Japan)
“Sounding good. Into both versions. Will support.” Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts / 1BTN, UK)
“Great release!” Russ Dewbury (Brighton Jazz Bop, UK)
“Mind inspiring.” Francesco Adinolfi (Radio 1 / Manifesto newspaper, Italy)
“Was looking forward to it – thank you.”Alena Arpels (Various, UK)
“Welcome back Espen. Been supporting him for a long time..” Jamal Ahmad (Jazz 91.9FM, USA)
“Flows along very nicely!” Steve Johns (Solar Radio, UK)
“So good this, loving that spoken word vocal, Session Victim excel with their remix!!” Alan O’Malley (RTE Pulse, Ireland)
“Absolute quality and emotional music I can get onboard with… Both versions are spectacular!” Richard Peacey (Mi-Soul Radio, UK)
“Like this :)” Steve KIW (1BTN, UK)
“Nice. Great jazzy, funky sound. The out front drums make it.” Phil Grab (KPSU Radio, USA)
“Classy laid back funk.” Jack Duckham (Band On The Wall, UK)
“Wooow, dope!” Dobromir Marzov (Radio Varna, Bulgaria)
“Killer vibes!” DJ Kobayashi (Soho Radio, UK)
“Very cool track!” DJ Angola (Various, USA)
Good vibes nice funk.” MP Marcus (Choice FM, UK)
“Yesss!” Eliana Ben David (Radio EOL, Germany)
“Cool.” Richard Epps (Totally Wired Radio, UK)
“Perfect!!! What a masterpiece!” Eric Tchaikovsky (Night Light Radio, Ukraine)
“Supa Dope!” DJ Seb (Radio Krimi, France)
“Love the groove.” Ash Selector (Solar Radio, UK)
“Great track!” Chris Ex (Black Radio Berlin, Germany)
“WOW!!! Whattagroovytune. Full support.” Cesare Cera (Bologna Uno, Italy)
“A new type of groove/jazzy style, loving it! We’ll be adding Session Victim Remix) version to our afternoon playlist!” DJ Phil Dorsey (The BocX.com, USA)
“Really great track(s). look forward to hearing more.” Mark Mark Johnson (1BTN, UK)
“So excellent!” Veronique Prebolin (Radio Krim, France)
“Fuck me, this is brilliant!” Bob Hill (Illicit Grooves Radio Show, UK)
“Super!” Deface (Various, Italy)
“This track is food for my soul! Beautiful song!” Aldis Cirilus (Radio SWH, Lithuania)
“Well Jea!!” Mate (Radio Agora, Austria)
“Cool groove.” DJ Snuff (Universal Magnetic B Boy, UK)
“Amazing track! Love Espen Horne works!” Enrique Domenech (Freeform Podcast, Spain)
“Wonderful!!!!” Olivier Cavaller (De La Bonne Musique, France)
“Nice ones…” Lorenzo Aldino (Jockey Club, Ibiza, Spain)
“Fire!” Roshan Ram (Guestlist, UK)
“Ace!!!” Mark Bailey (Radio Corax, Germany)
“Fab track – supporting.” Andrew Haig (99.9 Bay FM, Australia)
“Yo!!!!!!!!!” DJ Junior (Record Breakin’, USA)
“WOW! This is really great! Love both versions – full support!” Sven Thomschke (Radio Z, Germany)
“Love both, remix is magic.” Matteo “Pzzo” Chelini (Ritmo Radio Show, Italy)
“Back to the old day of Nu Jazz Hip Hop.” Amar Kabouche (Fauve Radio, Hong Kong)
“Very smooth.” Sista Selecta (2Bob Radio, Australia)
“The original is dope!” David Hanke (Jazz Renegades / Bathurst, Germany)
“So good to see Sir Horne back on the block with a mighty Bergen anthem. Full radio& DJ support ON.” Tom Wieland (Les Gammas, Austria)
“Great track.” Rado Tomek (NU Spirit Club, Slovakia)
“Lovely.. will play on Loose FM.” Cal Gibson (Loose FM, UK)
“I love it!” Martijn Barkhuis (Jazzrdeville, Netherlands)
“DOPE DOPE DOPE!” Mr Shiver (Various, UK)
“Sicknessssssssss!” DJ Philly P (Various, Serbia)
“Lovin’ both versions I’ll be supporting thanks.” Nelson Ramalho (Power FM, UK)
“Espen Horne is back! Finally!” Ubbo Gronewold (Mannheim Radio, Germany)
“Both the original and the rework are superb. Will be difficult to know which to play. Great production on both cuts” DJ Expfression (What’s Hot Music, UK)
“”Really feeling the jazziness of this, a beautiful journey..Tranpsorting beauty.” DJ Mr Lob (Various, Australia)
“Excellent.” Robert Lochmann (Radio X, Germany)
“Cool ones…” Tjerk Coers (Armada Music, Netherlands)
“Oh yeah we are digging this beauty.” Aja Allsop (Ketch-A-Vibe, UK)
“Cool!” Ivan Mera (Higher Club, Spain)
“Totally dope. Welcome back ;)” Dan Deep Tenor City (Soho Radio, UK)
“Great – will play.” DJ Lamp (Coalition, UK)
“In typical eceletic Wah Wah 45s fashion, their connection with Norway is a bit of a strange northern hemisphere circle to square but it’s easy to see why it exists as their lates release, Espen Horne’s ‘Bergen Sunrays’ featuring Selim Mutic.
Clearly, the cities reputation of the Manchester of the North has been transposed into a slow burn soul-jazz Gil-Scot Heron weatherman vibe and that’s got to be cool. And it comes with a heavier-synth Session Victim remix for a Bandcamp Friday Bonus! This is apparently Espen’s first solo project in his own name since 1999 so it seems appropriate his old mates at Wah Wah 45s will be releasing the album, ‘Anatomy of Serene Eloquence’ later this year.” Gerry Hectic (You And The Music, UK)
Reviews
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