Krokofant

Krokofant is a progressive free jazz-rock instrumental trio from Kongsberg, Bukserud, Norway, comprised of guitarist Tom Hasslan, saxophonist Jørgen Mathisen, and drummer Axel Skalstad. They take their name from a mythical creature out of a popular Norwegian children's song, described as "a lumbering trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of teeth in its snapping jaws...," a dead cross between an elephant and a crocodile. It describes their sound perfectly. The group was formed in 2011 as a guitar-and-drum duo when Hasslan met Skalstad in a guitar shop and began playing together, working out an explosive prog rock meets free jazz sound. The trio was completed in 2012 when they encountered Mathisen, already a seasoned veteran, having played in Norwegian groups Shagma, the Core, and Zanussi Five. The band's sound weds progressive rock influenced by King Crimson and Henry Cow to the improvisational power of electric jazz ensembles such as Terje Rypdal's early quartet, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the free jazz tendencies of Last Exit, and the mathy metal precision of Meshuggah. The trio quickly gained popularity in Norway as part of a burgeoning 21st century jazz-rock scene. Their self-titled debut album was issued by Rune Grammofon in March of 2014.