Over the past decade, Danish double bassist Jasper Høiby has become renowned the world over for his fearlessly expressive sound, charismatic stage presence, and distinct compositional prowess.
Besides performing and recording with a number of original artists, including Mark Guiliana, Shai Maestro, Jeff Ballard, Kurt Elling, Kairos 4tet, Marc O’Reilly, Ana Silvera & more, he also created several highly acclaimed personal projects, with which Jasper toured the world namely with his well known power trio Phronesis, his group Fellow Creatures and most recent and current his group Planet B.
Planet B is the project and title of the first of four albums that sees Danish composer and bassist open up big questions for everyone. Together with the fearless young British saxophonist Josh Arcoleo and adventurous French drummer Marc Michel, Jasper Høiby is shaping adventurous new music to prise open the narrow framework of political debate.
This adventure takes Høiby’s compositional skills into thrillingly uncharted territory, combining the dynamism and warmth of his acoustic tones with expansive electronic soundscapes, samples of speech and atmospheres along with vertiginous loops.
The first album Planet B is shaped by a deeply personal plea that will be recognised by fans of Høiby’s powerful writing for Phronesis and Fellow Creatures. Ecology and justice have long been in his thinking and his music. Planet B pulls this into the open with real conviction: “It’s about more than making music for music’s sake. Planet B is a conversation about who we are as a people today, how we exist in relation to this earth and to each other, and where we want to go from here. Let us be inspired together and explore what a reimagining of this planet can be.”
Translated into music, Planet B dives into the unknown and embraces each moment with shimmering, fluid, composed and improvised sound worlds that interact with speech samples from some of the brightest, most inspiring thinkers – past to present. It makes for a dialogue on themes such as ecology, climate and human interconnectedness.
“Debates about money, technology and the environment can feel dry and circular, with complex challenges reduced to catchphrases,” explains Høiby. “Our call is to ask deeper questions about ourselves. We’re creating honest, original music that appeals as much as it challenges. Planet B is alive and evolving and is meant to help us all open up and dig deep – as musicians and listeners.”
This is a Jazz album with a difference. At its core is the muscular writing that Phronesis fans have come to expect from Jasper Høiby. At the same time, it’s highly-developed art music. The evocative soundscapes, use of loops and ethereal improvisations form a suite of intensely beautiful music, exposing the raw and fundamental nature of the subjects being explored. The compositions offer a sweet balance of pace and depth, offering the listener a chance to absorb and reflect. This is evocative and highly thought-provoking music.
Planet B was released on Edition Records on 6th March 2020 and was featured in Downbeat Magazine as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2020’ and Bandcamp’s ‘The Best Jazz Albums of 2020’.
The second album – ‘What it means to be Human’ is inspired by several of the Women speakers on the record. The focus is on transformation, change and connection – connection between humans, our fellow creatures and our environment. It’s about the challenges we all face collectively. The speakers all share a lifetime of experience in fighting for positive change and rebuilding their communities. They are deeply reflective minds and this is a way of sharing their outlook with you all.
As humans we have the capacity to contain so many contrasting emotions, ideas and opinions. We can be happy about one thing and at the same time sad about another. We can contain sorrow and joy simultaneously. It’s one of our strengths and allows us to cope in our everyday lives. This nuance exists in all things and that’s the nuance I sense when you hear Ruby Sales, Jane Goddall or Grace Lee Boggs speak.
The project Planet B is a reminder that united we can all share the power to control our collective destiny. Let’s suspend limiting concepts of what’s possible and create a new normality that works for us all. Come and join the ride.
