Thomas Strønen's 'Time Is A Blind Guide'

Time Is A Blind Guide is both the title of Thomas Strønen's album and the name of his new Norwegian-British ensemble. Unlike Food, a duo formation with Iain Ballamy and his electronic soundscapes, TIABG is an all-acoustic group that plays what its drummer and composer calls "melodic music with a twist." Their melodies unfold gently over shifting rhythmic patterns. The band was assembled to include a number of overlapping musical subgroups. "There's a kind of extended piano trio at the center of Time Is A Blind Guide," Strønen says. "And there's a string section with violin, cello and bass - over the years I've written a lot of music for strings..." which is reflected in the ensemble's imaginative expression.

Time is a blind guide was formed in 2013 when BBC journalist Fiona Talkington curated the Conexions concert series for the National Jazz Scene. Thomas Strønen was challenged to create a new line-up and emerged with a band that brings together most of the threads of his musical life: Classical, Electronica and Improvisation. After almost ten years of intense touring and musical development, Time is a blind guide is now the quintet's third release on ECM Records.