Karokh, as well as PGA, brought their A-game for the second semi-final of Jazzinto 2014 if we are to believe the jury.
- Two radically different bands made our job extra hard today, says jury foreman Øyvind Skjerven Larsen of Norsk jazzforum.
- In the end we chose Karokh, with their punk aesthetics, intricate rhythms and a highly original expression, as the band who played their way to the Jazzintro-finale.
The Oslo-based, experimental septet are set to release their debut album shortly, and promise to ensure that their time up to the finale is well spent.
- Now we'll do a whole lot of rehearsing, as well as create some new music, before the finale in Molde, says Ina Sagstuen and Jonas Cambien of Karokh.
In the finale at Moldejazz on July 15th Karokh is set to face off against Monkey Plot, whom qualified during VossaJazz, and two other bands. The winner of the Jazzintro-finale will be named "Young jazz-musicians of 2014". This band will, over the following two years, receive a larger "release-package" from Norsk Jazzforum, in addition to a 150.000 NOK grant from the compensation agency Gramo. The remaining two finalists will qualify through Nattjazz and Kongsberg Jazzfestival.
The jury for Jazzintro 2014 consists of pianist Tord Gustavsen, trumpeter Gunhild Seim, drummer Gard Nilssen and guitarist Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen, as well as jury foreman Øyvind Skjerven Larsen of Norsk jazzforum.
