The Story of Iceland

Released in 2000 on the Tzadik label as part of the Composer Series, The Story of Iceland represents a pivotal moment in Eyvind Kang's discography. While Kang is often associated with the New York 'Downtown' scene and frequent collaborations with John Zorn, this album showcases his prowess as a formal composer of modern chamber music. The record is structured around the multi-part 'Karma' suites, which utilize a large ensemble to bridge the gap between Western classical notation and the improvisational freedom of spiritual jazz. The inclusion of Bill Frisell is crucial, as his signature Americana-inflected guitar tone is stripped of its usual warmth and repurposed into a ghostly, ambient texture. Critically, the album is noted for its 'Icelandic' quality - not necessarily in a literal folk sense, but in its evocation of vast, sparsely populated landscapes and geological time. It stands as a more expansive and atmospheric follow-up to his earlier, more frantic works, signaling his shift toward the patient, ritualistic style that would define his later career.