Nils Petter Molvær

1.1. Childhood and Education

Molvær was born and raised on the island of Sula, Møre og Romsdal in Norway. At the age of 19, he moved to Trondheim to pursue formal musical education. From 1980 to 1982, he attended the Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, specializing in their jazz program, which provided him with crucial training and exposure to the jazz scene.

1.2. Early Band Activities

During his formative years, Molvær became an active participant in Norway's burgeoning jazz scene. He joined several notable bands, including Jazzpunkensemblet alongside guitarist Jon Eberson. His most significant early collaboration was with the band Masqualero, where he played alongside esteemed musicians such as Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen, and Tore Brunborg. Masqualero, named after a Wayne Shorter composition originally recorded by Miles Davis, recorded several albums for ECM Records. Before his solo debut, Molvær also recorded with other artists associated with the prestigious ECM label.

2.1. Musical Characteristics and Influences

Molvær is recognized for his groundbreaking work in "future jazz," a genre he helped define by seamlessly fusing jazz with electronic music, rock, and even hip-hop beats. His sound contrasts sharply with the delicate "chamber jazz" typically associated with ECM Records, the label that released his early solo work. His unique trumpet sound is often muted and electronically processed, demonstrating a clear influence from Miles Davis's work in the 1970s and 1980s, yet maintaining an original voice that avoids being a mere imitation. His innovative approach led ECM, for the first time, to release singles from his album Khmer, specifically "Song of Sand" (backed with three remixes) and "Ligotage", indicating the commercial appeal and distinctiveness of his music.

2.2. Major Solo Albums and Works

Molvær's solo career took flight with his debut album, Khmer, released in 1997. This album was a critical and commercial success, celebrated for its innovative blend of jazz, rock, electronic soundscapes, and hip-hop rhythms. A remix album, Khmer: The Remixes, followed in 1998, along with the EP Ligotage. In 2000, he released his second major album, Solid Ether, which featured artists like Sidsel Endresen. After Solid Ether, Molvær departed from ECM Records. He continued to release numerous albums, including Recoloured (2001, remixes), NP3 (2002), and the live recording Streamer (2004), which captured a 2002 performance. His 2005 album Er features track names ending with the "er" suffix (e.g., "Hover", "Softer", "Dancer"), a play on words with his own name. Subsequent albums include Remakes (2005, remixes), the compilation An American Compilation (2005), Re-Vision (2008, an album compiled from OST outtakes), Hamada (2009), Baboon Moon (2011), Switch (2014), Buoyancy (2016), and Stitches (2021). Several of his albums were also released with Japanese titles, such as Khmer (『クメール』 クメール_Khumeru^Japanese), Solid Ether (『ソリッド・エーテル』 ソリッド・エーテル_{Soriddo Ēteru}^Japanese), NP3 (『NP3』 NP3_NP3^Japanese), Er (『er』 er_er^Japanese), Re-Vision (『リ・ヴィジョン』 リ・ヴィジョン_{Ri Vijon}^Japanese), Baboon Moon (『バブーン・ムーン』 バブーン・ムーン_{Babun Mūn}^Japanese), and Switch (『スウィッチ』 スウィッチ_Suwitchi^Japanese).

2.3. Film and Theater Music

Beyond his studio albums, Nils Petter Molvær has made significant contributions to film and theater as a composer. His work includes the soundtrack for the 2005 film Edy, directed by Stéphan Guérin-Tillié. The album Re-Vision (2008) is notably composed of outtakes from his original soundtrack projects, underscoring his extensive engagement with visual media.

5.1. Solo Albums

• 1997: Khmer
• 1998: Khmer: The Remixes (promo only)
• 1998: Ligotage (EP)
• 2000: Solid Ether (feat. Sidsel Endresen and others)
• 2001: Recoloured (remixes)
• 2002: NP3
• 2004: Streamer (recorded live in 2002)
• 2005: Er
• 2005: Edy (soundtrack to the film by Guérin-Tillié)
• 2005: Remakes (remixes)
• 2005: An American Compilation (compilation)
• 2008: Re-Vision (OST outtakes merged into an album)
• 2009: Hamada
• 2011: Baboon Moon
• 2014: Switch
• 2016: Buoyancy
• 2021: Stitches

5.2. Masqualero Albums

• 1983: Masqualero
• 1985: Bande À Part
• 1987: Aero
• 1990: Re-Enter

5.3. Other Collaboration Albums

• 1990: So I Write, with Sidsel Endresen, Django Bates, Jon Christensen
• 1995: Hastening Westward, with Robyn Schulkowsky
• 1997: Small Labyrinths (recorded 1994), in Marilyn Mazur's Future Song
• 2005: Electra, in Arild Andersen Group
• 2008: Corps Electriques, with Hector Zazou/KatieJane Garside, Bill Rieflin, Lone Kent
• 2013: 1/1, with Moritz von Oswald
• 2015: Infolding, in Spin Marvel
• 2015: Høst: Autumn Fall (OST), with Mapping Oceans
• 2018: Nordub, with Sly & Robbie
• 2019: Music for Paintings, with Terje Evensen, Leo Abrahams, Anna Stereopoulou, Anthony Cox, Manongo Mujica
• 2023: The Harmony Codex with Steven Wilson
• 2024: Liminal Animals with Ulver

5.4. As Featured Artist

• 1990: Nonsentration - Jon Balke
• 1992: Night Caller - Rita Marcotulli
• 1993: Exile - Sidsel Endresen
• 1997: Brytningstid - Kenneth Sivertsen
• 1998: Électronique Noire - Eivind Aarset
• 2001: Radioaxiom: A Dub Transmission - Bill Laswell & Jah Wobble
• 2003: Digital Prophecy - Dhafer Youssef
• 2004: Seafarer's Song - Ketil Bjørnstad
• 2006: Mélange Bleu - Lars Danielsson
• 2007: A Pure Land - Sienná
• 2007: Ataraxis - Deeyah
• 2007: 23 Wheels of Dharma - Somma
• 2008: Dome - Johannes Enders
• 2008: Lodge - Fanu & Bill Laswell
• 2012: Manu Katché - Manu Katché
• 2015: Deeper Green - Christof May
• 2017: Hypersomniac - Lef
• 2019: Hyperuranion - Chat Noir
• 2021: Roses of Neurosis - Sivert Høyem

5.5. Other Appearances

• Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia (3CD, Nascente 2011)