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KOGEL MOGEL

SOT

RIO/Avant-Prog


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SOT Kogel Mogel album cover
3.29 | 9 ratings | 4 reviews | 22% 5 stars

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Studio Album, released in 2016

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Tømmer (3:03)
2. Salt 3/4 (4:51)
3. Kjede Tegn (3:42)
4. Strøsalt (4:58)
5. Ekspertgraad (2:31)
6. Ind (3:56)
7. Commandore (3:19)
8. Byttomfot (4:33)
9. Elma (3:22)

Total Time 34:15

Line-up / Musicians

- Skjalg Reithaug / guitars, vocals
- Anders Hunstad / drums, keyboards, vocals
- Lars Andreas Haug / tuba, trumpet, vocals

With:
- Grzech Piotrowski / saxophone (4-6)
- LAH / Bydgoszcz clarinet, Kala ukulele bass (9)

Releases information

LP Sotanic Sounds SOTLP503 (2016, Norway)

Thanks to The Bearded Bard for the addition
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SOT Kogel Mogel ratings distribution


3.29
(9 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(22%)
22%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(22%)
22%
Good, but non-essential (56%)
56%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

SOT Kogel Mogel reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by octopus-4
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams
4 stars The SOTanic guys are back. The Crimsonian atmospheres are still there, but the music is less fragmented than on the first two albums and this is an aprreciate improvement. Since the first track the impression is of an album a little darker than the previous one, on which there's still some fun, enhanced by the crazyness brought in by the tuba, which in this band replaces excellently the bass.

In the first track, as example, there's an interlude whose melody would be trivial but its highly distorted. The a- capella choir on the second track is another funny interlude in aa apparently chaotic track dominated by the tuba but on which at the same time drums and guitar often play at unison with it.

The same happens on track 3, where the crazy interlude is played by the vocies and guitar and tuba play unison until a drastic change into grotesque after 2 minutes.

I go ahead track by track, but I'm already too synthetic. There's really a lot going on even if a less than 4 minutes track.

Track 4 proceeds darkly and soft. The jazz imprinting is more than evident. It brings me to a smoky club in a dark rainy night. The guest saxophonist Grzech Piotrowski deserves a mention.

Of course after a track like that we need to wake up. Don't ask me what the signature is on track 5. If irrational numbers could be used for signatures, this could be one...Again the sax helps moving toward more jazzy environments, but the basis of the track is again Crimsonian.

The trilogy of tracks guesting the sax ends with track 6. This time it's like we moved to Canterbury, This track reminds me to the early GonG, those of the instrumental parts of Angel's Egg but with a touch of darkness that GonG didn't have. The guitar riff in the final part of the track, with somebody vocalizing like a trumpet is remarkable.

If anybody wants to hear what a tuba can do, the initial part of track 8 clarifies it. The track itself is the first completely fun, without the darkness of the rest of the album.

Track 8 starts like a military march. If it wasn't for the singing closer to GonG than to the operatic vocals of Magma, I could have said "borderline to Zeuhl", but no. It's SOT and nothing else. The reason why I mention other bands is just to give an idea, but this is an original band and this song is crazy. The choir is crazy and hypnotic backed by drums first and guitar later.

The album says that some LAH guests on track 9 playing clarinet and some Kala Ukulele bass (whatever it is). I suspect the guy behind is Lars Andreas Haug (LAH are the initials). The absence of percussion and the quietness of the major chords made me think to the Camel of Rain Dances. A very nice album closure that doesn't have anything to do with the rest.

Let's spend few words for the great instrumental skill of this trio, too.

The previous releases were both excellent, but this one is even better. Surely an excellent addition to any prog collection.

Review by memowakeman
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Pretty nice, quirky and interesting!

I would like to thank Skjalg Reithaug for contacting me and introducing me to the world of SOT, this trio than in 2016 produced their third studio album entitled Kogel Mogel, whose dogma is: "all music is to be recorded live without any overdubs." This is a short release in which the band offers 9 tracks and a total time of 34 minutes in which we can feel an obvious sense of craziness and fun that are spread through guitar, drums, trumpets and vocals, mainly, accompanied by some other instruments.

The first song is "Tømmer" and I bet the vocals will be the first thing that hit your mind and memory here, they are funny. The work of the tuba is great, because it produces the sound of a bass guitar, of course one can notice is not a bass, but I, at least, don't miss it. This extraordinary work is present in "Salt 3/4", in moments reminding me a bit of Primus. The guitars and drums are great as well, I assume the name of Frank Zappa is truly familiar for the musicians. "Kjede Tegn" has a friendly repetitive rhythm that might be considered rock or avant-rock, sometimes guitars sound heavier which is great; and later they make a change, it is a bit slower but the presence of "fun" is inherent and that is more evident where the vocals appear.

In the next 3 songs the band introduces us to a new element, a sax player who creates new nuances and of course, change a little bit the direction of the music. "Strøsalt" is a slow track, with a jazzy feeling in which the sax is the main element. "Ekspertgraad" is a more explosive track that truly contrasts with its predecessor. Here there is a cool communion between drums, guitars, sax and tuba, all is fast at an unison, all is great. The sax participation finishes with "Ind", a song that is much different than the previous two (all of them are different, by the way). This time they produce a sexy and spacey sound

"Commandore" has an explosive start, with some rock and avant garde elements that are fulfilled by jazzy nuances and the fun element, adding even a kind of march sound at the end. "Byttomfot" starts with a new marching sound, drums, tuba and voices; later guitar joins, produce new elements with different tempo but then return for a split moment to the marching sound. This is a pretty cool track that I have enjoyed a lot, interesting and odd. The album finishes with "Elma", a relaxing song, I don't know if it could even fit under the new age genre, but it is totally different to the previous songs. This is atmospheric and peaceful. A song that clearly says goodbye and thanks.

Listen to it! You can have half an hour of good and different music that may open your mind, but I have to be honest and say that I would like to see some longer songs with more power, something that this album lacks in moments.

Enjoy it!

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars The "Kogel Mogel" dogma is: All music is to be recorded live without any overdubs". The album therefore has what the Norwegian band SOT terms "very different energy". Skjalg Reithaug plays guitars, Anders Hunstad on drums, keys, and Lars Andreas Haug plays tuba, trumpet, and all three have a stint on vocals. The lyrics are unimportant and unintelligible at times; it is the music here that paints the taspestry.

Opening with T'mmer (3:03), think Gentle Giant on acid with quirky chants of T'mmer. One may be reminded of Magma in places, at least in spirit if not execution. These Norwegian nutters are off and running with this track and then launch into Salt 3/4 (4:51) that has that trademark lead Tuba sound and a ton of lead guitar improvisations. It is clear that the band just get together and unleash what ever they feel. The music has a lot of passion and in fact the lyrics that may be nonsense in parts or Norwegian dialect, which ever one may believe while listening, it works to augment the outer worldly music. Kjede Tegn (3:42) is a guitar and tuba workout. The rhythm is as fractured as other tracks and the drumming is sublime throughout. The weird lyrics enter again, as mad as Hocus Pocus by Focus. Str'salt (4:58) is a slower piece with guitar vibrations and ethereal atmospherics. The cymbals clash gently as a washed out background and then the beautiful saxophone by Grzech Piotrowski chimes in. The effect is haunting and may lull you into a trance. Ekspertgraad (2:31) is short and jumps out of your speakers with a ferocity; chaotic percussion and off kilter melodies of sax, tuba and guitar. Then a weird antithesis of jazz and out of sync RIO tempos jolt your eardrums. It's jazz but not as we know it and I like it.

Ind (3:56) has a cool riff with twanging Shadows guitar and an estranged meter. The saxophone is glorious and emotionally charged. I like how the sax keeps in time with the complex rhythms of guitar and drums. Commandore (3:19) is the tuba in a playful mood and very cool guitars and a bizarre phased vocal that may get too weird for the average listener. It does not last and the time sig changes with a tuba solo and guitar chords up the scale. The sig switches again and the lead guitar takes over with some nice riffs and melodies, then the vocals return like a lost spirit. False endings close off the tracks in style.

Byttomfot (4:33) opens with a fanfare of marching drum rolls, tuba and odd vocals. It settles into a cool guitar riff and then more fun vocals. The sig moves to a new meter and the tuba really unleashes its power over crashing guitar chords. It drags on and on with hilarious results and goes into a maddening infectious melody that you may not get out of your head.

Elma (3:22) closes proceedings with a gentler approach. The sound is unique especially with guest artists LAH / Bydgoszcz who plays clarinet, and Kala ukulele bass. It is a dreamscape of soothing sounds and a wash of tranquil tones.

Once again SOT prove music is a multi dimensional beast and the album should please those with a penchant for the unique and different RIO sound they generate. I prefer their previous two releases as they featured longer tracks that explored and defined each track with definitive innovation. This album had a lot of tracks but they were not very long and did not allow for a wider range of inventiveness. If you are desiring something as bizarre as Magma, Gong or The Cardiacs, here is your album "Kogel Mogel".

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars "Kogel Mogel" is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian avant garde/progressive rock act SOT. The album was released through Sotanic Sounds in November 2016. It´s the successor to "Redwings Nest" from 2014 and features the same trio lineup who recorded the predecessor. All tracks were recorded live in the studio without overdubs during a five day recording session in June 2016 at Mølla Studio, Gjerstad, Norway.

Stylistically the material on "Kogel Mogel" is a continuation of the eclectic avant garde/progressive rock style of the band´s first two albums. The tracks are quite intriguing and relatively complex in structure, shifting atmosphere and musical styles in the matter of seconds. It´s still relatively accessible for an avant garde oriented release, but it´s not easy listening material by any means. In fact I´d say "Kogel Mogel" is SOT´s least accessible release of the first three albums. While the main instruments on the album are tuba (which often works as the bass does in other band´s), drums, and guitar, the album features occasional odd/silly type vocals, and some keyboards too. Some guest musicians also add saxophone and strings to some parts.

The influences are many and there´s for example a strong jazz influence heard throughout the album (especially on the tracks where saxophonist Grzech Piotrowski guests), but this is not as such jazz/fusion...it´s simply too weird and experimental for that. The technical level of playing is through the roof, and this is music which will keep you on your toes. It demands your attention and with the many shifts in style, pace, and dynamics, it´s impossible not to feel greatly entertained.

"Kogel Mogel" features an organic, raw, and detailed sounding production, which to my ears is a slight step down in quality from the sound production of the first two albums, but it´s still overall a good quality production. Upon conclusion "Kogel Mogel" is a both challenging but also immediate avant garde rock album and while I prefer the first two albums to this one, a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved.

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