Music store: E.S.T.

Ok, we're back in business, let's see how long it lasts. It is about time I present you e.s.t., or the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. These Swedish guys are an interesting hybrid in the music world. Officially they are a standard jazz trio, but that's only the very surface. Deep down their music, they use electronic landscapes in their compositions, as well as explore countless ways to use their instruments (piano, drums and bass).

We saw them at the Barbican in London a few months back, and it was impressive. It was not a pure improvisational performance, that's not what they do. There was not an absolute lack of improvisation, but these guys know what they want to get from each piece. The freedom has its bounds. It was amazing to see Esbjörn Svensson, the leader, play the piano in ways we had never seen before, specially when he plays with one hand while twitching the strings in the piano belly with the other, to give a kind of magical and metallic effect.

I remember we bought a DVD of a live performance and then we queued up to get it signed by them. I remember telling Esbjörn "you guys are genius" while he looked at me, and the fact is that he could look more human. Talent is so charming and unfair.

The bottom line is that you got to check these guys out. If you don't die for jazz but like alternative rock musical landscapes and instrument experiments, specially with a piano, you'll like this. Really. And they are a dream when playing live.

It's difficult to select some songs from their extensive discography, since each CD is like a different journey, but if I had to, I'd go for Eight hundred street by feet, The well-wisher or this delicious A picture of Doris travelling with Boris: