Nils Petter Molvær is one of the most prominent performers within an electroacoustic, improvised / composed musical hybrid that has become a genre of its own.

Few figures in European jazz have traced a trajectory as distinctive and influential as Nils Petter Molvær. A pivotal voice in the late-1990s Nordic jazz movement, Molvær helped shape a new musical language that absorbed ambient, electronica, dub, post-rock and jazz improvisation into a sound that feels physical, spatial and digitally charged. His music carries authority – immediately recognisable, deeply controlled, and unmistakably his own.

A pioneer of electro-acoustic jazz and a defining presence within what became known as Future Jazz or Nu Jazz, Molvær was among the first jazz musicians to fully integrate emerging digital technologies around the turn of the millennium. That vision has since become central to the Scandinavian jazz breakthrough, positioning Molvær as both architect and enduring reference point. His trumpet voice – melancholic, processed and piercing – moves freely between past and future, drawing strength from tradition while reshaping it in real time.

This trio performance arrives at a significant moment. Molvær’s new relationship with Edition Records signals a shared commitment to long-term artistic vision, depth and evolution. The recent release of Khmer Live in Bergen captures the enduring power of his landmark work in a live context – heavier, more expansive and charged with renewed intensity.

On stage with Jo Berger Myhre (guitar, bass) and Erland Dahlen (drums), the trio delivers music that is immersive, driven and volatile – shifting between deep groove, fractured electronics and vast open space. This is Molvær in full command: forward-facing, uncompromising, and still defining the terms of what European jazz can be.

This event will last for approximately 90 minutes with no interval.

Edition Records and Kings Place present a thrilling new series, as part of Edition’s associateship with Kings Place, featuring the exceptional talent from Edition’s acclaimed artist roster. This partnership embodies a spirit of deep collaboration and bold creativity – creating live experiences that push the boundaries of jazz and showcasing the creativity, skill, and vision of some of the genre’s most exciting artists.

Nils Petter Molvær

Few figures in European jazz have traced such a distinctive arc through the last three decades as Norwegian trumpeter and composer Nils Petter Molvær. A pivotal voice in the late 1990s wave of Nordic jazz, Molvær’s work transcends genre, drawing from ambient, electronica, dub, post-rock, and traditional jazz improvisation to forge a sound that feels natural, raw and digitally altered.

Born in Sula in 1960, Molvær came to prominence as part of Masqualero, the group co-led by Arild Andersen that hinted at the spaciousness and rhythmic complexity he would later pursue more radically. But it was 1997’s Khmer – released on ECM – that shifted the axis. A landmark release, Khmer fused brooding electronic textures with live trumpet and fractured beats, gaining critical acclaim beyond jazz circles and prefiguring the genre-fluidism that dominates much of today’s instrumental music. It remains one of ECM’s most commercially successful and influential releases, frequently cited as a watershed for jazz’s evolution in the digital age.

Over the following decades, Molvær has built a body of work that resists categorisation. Albums like Solid Ether, np3, Baboon Moon, and Buoyancy maintain a through-line of melodic restraint and sonic curiosity, with trumpet lines that often feel more like whispers or warnings than declarations. He has collaborated widely – with Bill Laswell, Moritz von Oswald, Sly & Robbie, and Eivind Aarset – yet his sound is unmistakably his own. In live performance, he’s become known for immersive, often cinematic shows where sound design plays as crucial a role as improvisation.

In signing with Dave Stapleton’s Edition Records in 2025, Molvær begins a new chapter that feels both natural and charged with fresh intent. The upcoming release of Khmer Live in Bergen revisits his most iconic work not as nostalgia, but as renewal—alive with raw energy and sharper edges. It’s a fitting move for an artist whose music has always looked forward, and for a label committed to artists who shape the future rather than repeat the past.

Edition Records

One of the defining independent labels of the modern era, where bold artistry meets purposeful curation.

Edition stands at the forefront of progressive music, connecting visionary artists with global audiences. Its catalogue bridges generations and geographies, spanning the UK, Europe, North America, and Japan featuring Grammy winners, Mercury Prize nominees, and some of the most influential voices in contemporary jazz and beyond.