Iskra made free jazz and improvisation fun. They could be playful and
made the music accessible through audience participation, but they
never lost their integrity. They used silence to create a dynamic tension, much like The Art
Ensemble of Chicago.
Jazz i Sverige '75 (Caprice, 1975)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***
Iskra's first album was this double LP
in Caprice's ”Jazz i Sverige” series, which caused some annoyance with jazz purists and a debate whether this was jazz or not. Nevertheless, it's an excellent example of
Iskra's brilliance. All their trademarks are here, hushed reflection,
sudden full force aural outbursts, percussion pieces exploring
rhythms, ethnic influences, and of course their disarming
playfulness. You could say that Iskra was a complete band as they
included the full range of human characteristics in their music. This
is easily one of the best ”Jazz i Sverige” installments, and
Iskra at their best.
Allemansrätt (Ett Minne För Livet,
1977)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***
Opening with a piece of humour (”Den
ensamme cyklisten”), this is one of Iskra's most relaxed efforts,
and also the one with less violent jazz outbursts. Instrumental
quacks, farts and laughs might seem silly to some but it puts a smile
to my face. It's not my first-hand Iskra recommendation to someone
unfamiliar with them, but once you've grown to love them, this is a
joyful little addition to the collection.
Besvärjelser (Ett Minne För Livet,
1979)
International relevance: ***
Instrumental
Their most serious album, permeated by
an eerie mystical feel (the title means ”incantations” in
English). ”Besvärjelser” moves on a subconscious spiritual
level, like a ritual, why it stands out as Iskra's most profound
release. This and ”Jazz i Sverige” are both essential albums.
In 1983,
Iskra made the disappointing ”Fantasies” for the Mistlur label.
It sounds like a well meant attempt to beef up their sound, meaning
it's produced in a way their previous albums aren't, but
unfortunately, it detracts from the immediacy of their best music.
”Luft” followed in 1990, and then it took more than twenty years
for their next album to materialize, this time on the Country &
Eastern label. Interesting enough, that album – ”Liberté Égalité
Humanité” – is their best one altogether, just about perfectly
balancing everything that's good about Iskra. There's also a digital
compilation released by Caprice featuring a fair amount of previously
unreleased material. The album,
”Gränslös musik”, was released
in conjuction with an Iskra biography of the same name, almost like a
soundtrack to the book.
