Cargo Records

Freedom Land

In the late summer of 2006, Jackie-O Motherfucker- the infamous, shape-shifting, free rock constellation- were in their hometown of Portland OR.

Preparing for a cross country tour of the USA. When it was discovered that two of the four touring members, at the time, could not make the trip, due to financial situations, and problems getting away from jobs and domesticity. After some discussion, and re-grouping, they decided to continue on with the tour, and placed a call to Eva Salens (inca ore) who was doing agricultural work in the hills of Humboldt county, ca. she eagerly accepted the challenge of conspiring with the group, lending her considerable skills as a vocalist, and it was decided that they would all meet at the great American music hall in san Francisco, where the group were scheduled for their first appearance supporting the dirty three.

There they would begin- unrehearsed in this formation, and in front of a large audience. The plans to perform material from their newest release "flags of the sacred harp" were scraped, and the band launched into a free form set of improvised trance inducing, punk inspired, psychedelic rock, which became the framework of the new music they would develop together over the next few years. With a backpack full of California’s finest, the newly created touring group- consisting now of Eva Salens, tom greenwood, Danny Sasaki, and Nick Bindeman, continued on to Los Angeles, over the deserts, and through America. Freedomland, is a document of this trip, as well as another American tour, which the same band set off on the following spring... the record consists of location recordings, captured live, and mastered in the United Kingdom.

The songs were created from the spirit of improvisation- and honed true by performing nightly in dive bars, music halls, and art galleries across America. The music is a testament to creation, brave and searching, and an endorsement of the abstraction that lies hidden in the footprints of all great music... Salens' vocal delivery is raw and honest, the words flow from conversations, to streams of sub-conscious conjuring, and prayer. guitars alternately soar into cloud-scapes, and battle like free-jazz saxophones, propelling the group into new terrain nightly, while the percussion of Danny Sasaki alternates between exploratory and dead-solid motoric. The collection was edited by tom greenwood, from dozens of live recordings, and captures a rare moment in the bands long, and confusing history. It is truly the music of everyday life- birthed each night in a new form, from musicians who put great faith in each other, under awesome strain at times, to project modern music, with soul. – Tom Greenwood, Portland OR. July 2008