Notes
Live In Copenhagen captures Causa Sui at two very special nights: at the release parties of Euporie Tide (EPR 013CD/LP 2013) and Return To Sky (EPR 030CD/LP, 2016). Since the band seldomly performs live, this may very well be the best chance to experience what the band are capable of at their best. One show was recorded at avant-garde institution extraordinaire, Jazzhouse, while the other captures Causa Sui at legendary underground venue Dragens Hule. Both shows were recorded multitrack with an A-grade selection of mics. During these three discs Causa Sui aren't merely running through classic cuts from the catalog. Each track is explored, reinterpreted and given new life - often straying far away from it's original roots with a fervent energy. One minute the band is bluesy and heavy, the next they're repetitive and blissed-out or venturing into a cacophony of Ayler-like sax bursts, free-form electronics, and feedback. Swedish saxophone player Johan Riedenlow joins both shows and Papir-guitar player Nicklas Sørensen occasionally adds his magic to the Dragens Hule set - including a towering 13-minute version of "Eternal Flow", that seems to channel the energy of mid-1970s Popol Vuh, as well as a breezy cover version of Agitation Free's "First Communication". "Ju-Ju Blues", from the Jazzhouse set, is Causa Sui at their most fuzzed-out and Hendrixian, reaching new improvisational heights, whereas "Dawn Passage" feels like an obvious fusion of Tame Impala and Allman Brothers. On the Dragens Hule sets, the band goes all the way out. "Portixeddu / Tropic Of Capricorn" turns Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis into a crazed sludge-fest, and fan-favorites "El Paraiso" and "Red Valley" appear here in their ultimate versions. To cap things off, the band delivers a 17-minute exclusive tribute to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" featuring both Johan Riedenlow and Nicklas Sørensen.
