Money Will Ruin Everything
Rune Grammofon’s
32nd release is a compilation in the form of a book, whose two cds tucked
are into its covers. Money Will Ruin Everything celebrates five years and
thirty or so releases over which the labour-of-love label has mapped the interstices
of jazz and electronica, composition and improvisation, all from within Norway’s
national borders. Its inaugural releases were Supersilent’s 3cd ‘1-3’:
a clarion call of noise, improvisation and groove and Arne Nordheim’s
‘Electric’ which saw the electric music of Norway’s elder
statesman composer released on cd for the first time. From one perspective
these two continue to be guiding parameters for subsequent releases. From
another viewpoint they’re but two examples of a cornucopia of musical
possibilities which sees electronica merge into musique-concrete (Archetti/Wiget),
ambient mix with jazz and folk (Food) and the guitar trio taken to new extremes
(Scorch Trio). Rune Grammofon’s lovely visual design is the sole preserve
of Kim Hiorthoy and cleverly serves to associate disparate musics in the mind
of the listener. As well as sumptuous reproductions of Hiorthoy’s work,
Money Will Ruin Everything includes two appreciations and an enjoyably searching
interview with label boss Rune Kristofferson. Almost all of the 30 tracks
are unique to this compilation. Altogether a rather gorgeous package which
I find myself returning to again and again.
Colin Buttimer
February 2004