Lars Horntveth was fourteen when he assembled the first incarnation of Jaga Jazzist, the experimental Norwegian jazz band, and fifteen years later he is gigging their fifth album, One-Armed Bandit, released by Ninja Tune in January of last year.

The current personnel of ten multi-instrumentalists includes Lars’ brother, Martin Horntveth on drums, Marxophone and mandolin harp, Mathias Eick on piano, trumpet, French horn and upright bass, and Andreas Mjos on guitar, glockenspiel, marimba and vibes.

Last night’s gig at The Scala, like their last, was a sell out, and the attention of this full house of passionate fans didn’t waver once throughout a captivating performance that lasted almost two hours. With enough grit to ward off blandness, Jaga’s latest material explores their prog rock influences, with moments of Sketches Of Spain-like serenity giving way to epic crescendos intensified by the sticky heat inside the venue.

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Soundcrash are in the middle of a heavy season of line ups including shows with DJ Yoda, Bonobo, Gonjasufi and Andreya Triana.