Almost two decades after Nils Petter Molvær’s groundbreaking ECM release, Khmer, European-style nü-jazz comes to America in the guise of Simplexity.

Formed in Los Angeles by producer, computer musician and bassist John von Seggern in league with sound designer and studio musician Steve Tavaglione, they are joined on record by John Beasley on keys, drummer Gary Novak, trumpeter Walt Fowler, a clarinetist/EVI player Judd Miller, and the late bassist, Dave Carpenter.

 Extreme Measures was recorded during few days of jam sessions and overdubs at Novak’s Kronos Recording studio in Burbank, where sax, drums, keyboards, and bass were mixed and combined with computer beats and grooves in live session. These were then edited and remixed into compositions by John von Seggern.

Check out this live performance including guitarist moderne Jon Margulies (he is handling beats and electronics in this clip), Steve Tavaglione on EWI, John Beasley on piano/effects, John von Seggern on acoustic bass/electronics and Gary Novak – drums.

European  nü-jazz artists like Molvær, Eivind Aarset, and Bugge Wesseltoft rarely tour the US. Unfortunately, given their status as top-shelf session musicians, it is unlikely we will see a US tour by Simplexity—but we can hope.