Jordsjø is a Norwegian project consisting of multi-instrumentalist Håkon Oftung (Tusmørke, Black Magic) and drummer Kristian Frøland. The new album “Jord Sessions” was released on November 25, 2022 via Karisma Records and contains eight long-form tracks. The opener “Over Vidda” is a short introductory track with atmospheric sounds and effects. An interweaving of arpeggios opens “Abstraksjoner fra et Dunkelt Kammer” with horns embellishing the sound. The band’s retro-sounding prog imprinting immediately comes to the fore with forays into folk. The vocals in Norwegian are warm and expressive, reminiscent of the Northern European bands of the 1970s. The band skilfully combines tradition with their own personal touch and style, creating a fresh and original sound. The song continually evolves with refined tempo changes and rich textures. The first of two parts “Jord I” is characterised by dreamy atmospheres with intertwining guitar and flute in the opening. Long instrumental textures where the duo increases the intensity as the minutes go by, evolving the song with tempo changes and beautifully crafted solo inserts. A very intense track full of pathos, ending with a fine vocal verse. “I Momos Trädgård” is another short passage, characterised by guitar arpeggios and a dreamy atmosphere that permeates the track. The sound is softer and more enveloping, combining Folk and Progressive with technique and quality. The journey through Scandinavian Prog sounds continues with “La meg forsvinne” where guitar and synth duet and engage the listener. The vocals are dynamic and expressive, while the intensity of the song increases in a continuous crescendo both sonically and emotionally. The track ends in a musical crescendo that incorporates excellent, heavier guitar work intertwined with keyboards. The second part “Jord II” evolves the central theme by developing an energetic and engaging Prog sound between accelerations and tempo changes. The ideas are of an absolute level, the band’s compositional and performing technique is enhanced in the textures and interweavings between different instruments and genres, incorporating Folk and Progressive Rock. Guitar arpeggios open “Se Valinors Lamper,” a very distinctive and original track where the band incorporates electronic keyboards with traditional sounds. Softer openings alternate with accelerations and more heavy sounds markedly Prog, excellent guitar and keyboard work, a constantly evolving rhythm section. The album ends with the epic track “Nattfiolens Suite,” which is over 13 minutes long. All the elements that make up the band’s style are present, from Folk to the more elaborate Northern European Prog. The keyboards and guitar offer instrumental sections that take us back to the golden age of Prog, the rhythm section is solid and enriched by elaborate tempo changes. The vocal parts intensely interpret the lyrics, a carrier track for the album, which nicely concludes this work, leaving us wanting to listen to it again and again. This band continues to put out high quality albums, having managed to create their own personal style that incorporates tradition with their own personal touch. Between Folk and Progressive, the album shows a very high technical level in both composition and performance. Discs like this show how Prog music also has high-level exponents nowadays. A recommended listen for all lovers of Prog sounds with Folk contaminations, a true masterpiece.
Tracklist
01. Over Vidda (01:48)
02. Abstraksjoner fra et Dunkelt Kammer (06:51)
03. Jord I “06:24”
04. I Momos Trädgård (02:31)
05. La meg forsvinne (06:34)
06. Jord II (08:25)
07. Se Valinors Lamper (07:08)
08. Nattfiolens Suite (13:38)
Lineup
The band consists of multiinstrumentalist Håkon Oftung (Tusmørke, Black Magic) and drummer Kristian Frøland.
