“Portland-based 1939 Ensemble is not just a jazz group. Their atypical beats slowly build momentum, creating an ominous wave of sound that is both unsettling and delightful, sounding like a bunch of jazz musicians were tasked to write a post-rock soundtrack for an edgy cop show. With vibraphone”

“Rhythmic might and chiming tones are blackened by occasional swells of noise, giving the entire thing a compelling dynamism.”

“Exciting blend of Krautrockian moto-drive, avant jazz and screechy no-wave noise.”

“In the end, it’s not easy to pigeonhole 1939 Ensemble—but if there’s any cocktail party you want to be at when the bomb drops, it’s theirs.”

“A swirling mix of electronic noises, vintage drums, trumpet and vibraphone. The sound is layered into a mass of jazzy, post-rock beauty, one beat-driven note at a time.”

“Industrial art deco with no more than a vibraphone, constrained feedback, and the inexorable motion of multiple percussionists.”

“Their engaging experimentalism transcends the shackles of free jazz, infusing elements of gritty lounge, post-punk ethereal chimes and tone. A propulsive sound that skillfully straddles the worlds of post-rock and avant jazz.”

“1939 Ensemble is whatever it wants to be and that routinely equals noise, bombast and the reverberating drums and vibraphone of Jose Medeles.”