Christer Fredriksen

vit

by christer fredriksen

«Vit marks Fredriksen's debut as a striking loop improviser. The imagination and musical variety on display mark him as a player worth watching.» (Mark Sullivan, Allaboutjazz)

«Overall this is an eye (ear) opener in many respects and for people who think they have already heard everything that can be done on a guitar, this album proves them wrong.»
(Adam Baruch, Soundtrack of my Life)

The big sound on Christer Fredriksen's new album “vit” comes from a single musician, playing a single guitar, in a single take. Using a loop pedal and three different guitar amps, Christer Fredriksen creates a vast musical landscape. Open and spacious, but with rough edges. Inspiration can be traced to classic albums like «Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band» and Deep Purple’s «In Rock», but also a wide range of other expressions. Fredriksen’s signature sound is beyond genre, and characterized by his continuous exploration of multiple musical directions. The Norwegian guitarist went into the studio in his hometown of Kristiansand in the summer of 2016. In the course of three days he improvised the nine tracks that constitute his new album. “vit” is without lyrics, but with plenty of substance and emotion.

- Words fall short for me. They’re too small. It’s easier for me to express myself through the guitar. The voice in this music is the atmosphere, Fredriksen says. “vit” is his third album, and the artist appears more confident than on his previous efforts.

Fredriksen explains:

- I like my first two albums as well, but I consider them to be research. This album is a more gratifying achievement. If I should attempt to illustrate the progression, I would say that the tones are less significant to me now. The sound is more important. The sound is everything.

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Christer Fredriksen is an ambient jazz guitarist and composer with a distinctive sound and a unique ability to tell stories through his music. Christer was born 1972 in Kristiansand, Norway and fell in love with the woods and the electric guitar at the age of 13. He studied music at the Agder University, finishing his Masters Degree with a Performing Masters in Rhythmical Music and began his musical career working as a session guitar player.

He soon began composing his own music, leading his own jazz-trio with bassist Audun Ramo and drummer Bjørn Stiauren, releasing his first solo album Urban Country (2011) on Losen Records with his old tutor/renowned saxophonist Bendik Hofseth (Steps Ahead) as a featured artist. This instrumental jazz album, with elements of other musical styles, was also mixed and mastered at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, by ECM engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug (Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal).

Fredriksen's second album Trademark (2014), featuring Valencian saxophone player Perico Sambeat, was rewarded 4 out of 5 stars in Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. 2016 marked a seminal change in Christer Fredriksen’s musical direction and he began exploring a new sound and a wider range of musical expression. 2017 sees the release of his new album “vit” where Christer Fredriksen, playing a single guitar in a single take creates a new, vast and musical landscape…