Nils Petter Molvær on his album Khmer: ‘For me, it became a game-changer’

Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær’s 1998 album Khmer came like a bolt out of the blue when it was first released, with its intense mix of heavy dub electronica, spacious melodies and crunching ethno-music textures. It was like nothing ECM had released before, and ushered in a new dawn for electronic jazz. The album is set to be celebrated as part of this month’s 20th anniversary PUNKT festival in Kristiansand, Norway, and Molvær is also artistic director of the Jazz Juniors festival in Krakow, Poland in late September, Mike Flynn spoke to him about this landmark album...

It’s amazing that Khmer is now 27 years old – I remember seeing it originally when I worked in a record shop at the time and was so surprised to see a CD single release too in 1998 (of ‘Ligotage’) – it was quite shocking to me! Did Khmer feel like a bit of a game changer for you and for ECM at the time?

NPM: Well, for me, it became a game-changer. When I did it, I was hoping I could sell a couple of thousand copies… if I was lucky. And then it ended up opening up the world for me. So we travelled everywhere. It was intense times. I also became a father when the album came out, so there was a lot going on around this time. I think you need to ask ECM if it was a game- changer for them. It was the first ever remix released on ECM. That was perhaps a little game-changer.

Aesthetically it was also very different to what ECM had released previously – perhaps some jazz-rock albums have the same intensity – but I assume you were free to make the music how you wanted to? No pressure to water it down…

NPM: I was free to do whatever I wanted, so no pressure from Manfred [Eicher, ECM boss]. I was working with Ulf Holand, the sound engineer on the second floor at Rainbow studio. We called it the 'Over the Rainbow' studio. I was working there in between other artists, when the studio was free. Ulf was very important in the making of Khmer.

It’s an album that’s perhaps best remembered for its use of beats, techno grooves and lots of cool production; but listening now there are some chaotic moments, intense dub production and some heavy world music/Arabic overtones as well – which give it quite a strange atmosphere – where did some of these ideas come from?

NPM: Yes. I had an idea of merging all the things I liked, and had listened to over the last few years… and that was quite a lot. Different genres, different cultures, instruments, voices, all kinds of music as long as I liked it. And then I tried to merge this into an organic whole. I played percussion, bass, some guitar, trumpet and using samples in the process. Then Eivind Aarset, Morten Mølster (who sadly passed away), Roger Ludvigsen, Rune Arnesen and Reidar Skaar joined in and finished the album. Ulf was there from the very beginning.

For me it also celebrates the concept of a soundsystem – where everyone is in service of creating this wall of sound – is that something you were consciously striving for with this album and when you performed it live? I love how this sounds on ‘Access/Song of Sand’… which gets almost orchestral/cinematic too…

NPM: We had a saying in the beginning… ‘no solos’, meant as a bit of a joke, but it was a lot of space, and interaction on top of the ‘train’ from the drummers, DJ and bass. So it was quite open for all the musicians to interact in their own way. It could be long inputs, or shorter ones… as far as I can remember.

Khmer also gave permission to jazz musicians to embrace a new universe of sounds – was there a feeling that you were creating something that would help this paradigm shift (beyond the Norwegian scene too)?

NPM: I wasn’t thinking of this at all. I just wanted to do an album that could reflect where I was musically at the moment.

I love the contrasts on the album – from really heavy moments to something quite minimalist like ‘On Stream’…. The quieter moments seem to amplify the heavier ones…

NPM: Well, I also like contrasts. I think contrast is important in all aspects of life. Music, life, food, nature… you know.

I read that Manfred Eicher helped – as you say – ‘bring focus’ to the album, how did he do this?

NPM: At a very early stage of the process, I played some of the sketches to Manfred, and he said, ‘the music needs more focus’. Which was absolutely true. So I tried to bring more focus in to the music.

Artistically do you think Khmer opened doors for you to embrace lots of different music since you made it? (or perhaps made it easier for you to explore different contexts as you please?)

NPM: Yes absolutely. Khmer is the platform that made it possible to release more music, and travel around the world and play. Also with other artists.

The album has just been reissued on vinyl – has that helped introduce it to a new audience? Or have new people discovered it and commented on it to you?

NPM: I don’t know actually… It was ECM´s idea. I’m glad they did it.

How will you be celebrating the album at PUNKT (which also marks its 20th) this year?

NPM: We will play a concert on Saturday, 7 September. I will also play a concert with the great [electronicist] Alva Noto, and do a remix concert with the wonderful kamancheh player Soheil Shoyasteh.

You’re also involved with Jazz Juniors in Krakow – will you be performing there?

NPM: Yes. I will play the last concert on the festival, with my trio. Erlad Dahlen and Jo B Myhre. I am ‘artistic director’ for this festival. So in the programme this year, I wanted to focus on female bandleaders in this male-dominated culture.

Are there any plans to perform the album in the UK any time soon?

NPM: I hope so. We are planning to do a tour next year with Khmer. So if any promoter wants us to come and play in the UK… we’re all in.

The 20th edition of PUNKT runs from 5 to 7 September in Kristiansand, Norway; the Jazz Juniors festival runs from 26 September to 3 October in Kraków, Poland

This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Jazzwise. Whether you want to enjoy Jazzwise online, explore our Reviews Database or our huge archive of issues, or simply receive the magazine through your door every month, we've got the perfect subscription for you. Find out more at magsubscriptions.com