Relocate

The first thing that struck me about the music presented here was the intense beauty of the sound of the guitar. Lush throughout, from the introspective “Is It Me, Is It You”, to more dense tunes such as “Tuesday Morning Coffee”. And oh, that pedal steel doubling with the electric guitar on “Grace On High” is so mesmerising. Engineer Gestur Sveinsson deserves a feather in his cap for the excellent recording quality: warm, direct, homogeneous, with subtle use of reverb and a fantastic approach to the stereo placement of the instruments, making the music wonderfully transparent. These musicians have nothing to prove; they simply add their maturity and individual voice to the diverse tunes composed by Andrés. Bassist Nico Moreaux, navigating between Reykjavik and Paris, is a truly wonderful player. A lush, warm sound; he possesses a strong melodic sense and great interplay abilities. He is a wonderful example of how the double bass has developed over the last four to five decades. His playing is modern, yet deeply rooted in a tradition that embraces bassists like Larry Grenadier and Thomas Morgan, who both stand on the shoulders of greats like Dave Holland, Palle Danielsson, George Mraz, and others. What a joy to listen to a fellow bassist who plays with so much maturity, taste, fine intonation and musical dedication. Check out his interactive playing on “Under The Weather”, his breathtaking solo on “Is It You, Is It Me”, and his concise intro on “Vingt Huit”. Drummer Magnús Trygvason Elíassen amazed me with his ability to always create a rhythmic tapestry that supports each of the tunes, yet pulls the ear toward its own inner intricacies and creativity. You can understand him being a much sought-after drummer in a broad musical field. Personality, impeccable taste and sound is not only rare but also very precious. And again I wonder: what is it that makes this small, magical, cold and rugged island of Iceland give the world so many musical creators? Of course Björk, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, Kaleo, Laufey – but also Sunna Gunnlaugs, Sigurður Flosason, Tómas Einarsson, Óskar Guðjónsson, and Benjamin Gísli. I remember my teaching days at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag, where a number of young Icelandic musicians studied during those years (with Andrés being one of them), and how, without fail, they all possessed a certain strength of character, an individuality that was not to be ignored. It was Nordic, it was European, it was solid, strong – full of personality. Well: listen to this album, and that is exactly what you get. The other thing that immediately catches the ear is the placement of the three instruments within the music of the trio. Although the role of the bass and drums seems defined in a somewhat traditional accompanying way, the space within the music allows each player to truly add to the final tapestry of sounds, melodies and rhythms. And this is perhaps the most exciting realisation for a listener: you get an immediate sense of three players who all possess the most important quality of an improvising musician – their sense of listening. Playing on this level can only become truly satisfying for the astute ear when you sense that every sound that any player creates at any moment is completely connected with what came before, with what is within, and what is outside. This masterful and delicate process is present in abundance on this recording. It is wonderful to see how Andrés has developed into a mature and beautiful player and composer over the years. His tunes on this album each have a distinct personality. This, combined with renditions that are compact – without unnecessary meandering or leading the listener away from the musical topic, gives us an album of nine musical poems: concise, precise, individual. Poems that lead into conversations, but never wander too far away from them. Really Andrés, you did it. You pulled me into your musical world and gave me an hour of deep musical joy and satisfaction that is rare. Thank you for that. Hein Van de Geyn Scarborough, April 2026