Christian Wallumrød – piano and keyboards
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – bass
Per Oddvar Johansen – drums

Close Erase consists of the pianist Christian Wallumrød, drummer Per Oddvar Johansen and bass player Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. With Close Erase, and in other constellations such as Atomic, Ken Vandermark, The Source, Zanussi 5 and Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, the three members have become forefront figures of the new generation of Norwegian jazz musicians which emerged around the club Blå in the early 90`s. Besides bands such as Atomic and Jaga Jazzist, Close Erase has been one of the most important groups to come from this scene; known for their original compositions, sound and intense live performances. 

​Close Erase started out heavily influenced by musicians such as Svein Finnerud Trio and Paul Bley and mixed it with elements from electronica, rock and improvised music. As Martin Revheim writes in the linernotes:

”The influence that comes across with the most clarity is Paul Brey’s trio around the Barrage and Closer albums. An edgy and stubborn touch with a heartfelt, contemplative impact. Svein Finnerud Trio is leaping at the water’s edge. On the two electric records, Dance This and Sport Rocks, we hear Herbie Hancock’s Sextant as well as Miles Davis’ Live Evil and Cellar Door, where Miles combined the repetitative elements of both Karlheinz Stockhausen and James Brown, with stubborness and love This, however is overtly simplifying. Even though the musical shoulders on which Close Erase are standing are quite audible, the musicians themselves are always more present then their models.”

​R.I.P contains their four studio albums plus one CD with brand new material. It contains the two acoustic records Close Erase (1996) and No.2 (1999), and the two electric albums Dance This (2001) and Sport Rocks (2006). CD 5 contains the brand new album Live At Dokkhuset – a live recording of a fantastic concert held in Trondheim 2007, one of the groups last concerts.

The box set also comes with a 20-page booklet with photos, drawings, press-clippings and linernotes by Martin Revheim. Here he states: ”This is why I am rarely as awake as when listening to Close Erase. I lean over, find myself shouting a disguised HURRAH, then self consciously looking around in fear of being caught in the act of my uncontrollable joy. I am annoyed by the same stubborness and discipline which I at the same time envy and admire. I always return….”

discography