English-born but norwegian resident pianist/keyboard player/organist Roy Powell, whose recent releases on RareNoiseRecords count two full length albums with Naked Truth (with Lorenzo Feliciati and Pat Mastelotto) and his organ trio InterStatic with Jacob Young and Jarle Vespestad, creates astonishing near-symphonic progressive rock-fuelled compositions in Mumpbeak.
Using a heavily modified set of pedals and a Hohner Clavinet, he successfully fuses the sound and textures of organ, keyboards and touch-guitar into a dark, relentless sonic maelstroem, at times reminiscent of King Crimson, Rush and Stickmen.
On his initial RareNoise release as Mumpbeak, he is supported in this endeavour by a four magnificent bass players, Bill Laswell, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, Lorenzo Feliciati and Tony Levin, all overdubbed by Laswell himself and by master King Crimson and Naked Truth drummer Pat Mastelotto.
On their followup release, Tooth, Mumpbeak again conjures up memories of vintage King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant as well as inflections of electric Miles. This new edition of the prog-rock-jazz power trio showcases the remarkable Norwegian drummer Torstein Lofthus, who is also a member of the avant garde group Shining and the psychedelic prog-rock-jazz trio Elephant 9 and prog-jazz quartet Red Kite.
