Øystein Sevåg
The contrast between the vast, cosmic synth sounds and Sevågs intimate, sensitive piano playing creates a rare three-dimensional depth in the soundscape on this production that is both engaging and atmospheric. This is his album featuring the most extensive use of electronic instruments in Sevåg’s album catalogue.
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Performers:
Øystein Sevåg – grand piano and keyboards
Barbara Buchholz – theremin
Benedicte Torget – vocals
Full album credits
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Øystein Sevåg in Siddharta Studios, Oslo, Norway, 2006 – 2012, exept track 4 and 8 with Barbara Buchholz; recorded in her apartement in Berlin, april 2006.
Cover photo: NASA
Artwork: Sølve Westli
On eight of the albums 11 tracks, Sevåg captivates the audience on his own. On three tracks, Sevåg invited guest performers: two tracks featuring a collaboration with the renowned German theremin player Barbara Buchholz, and one track with the highly esteemed Norwegian vocalist Benedicte Torget.
The process of completing this album took seven years, reflecting Sevåg’s dedication and attention to detail in every note, as well as in the sound production.
The album has its roots in a series of solo concerts Sevåg held in Norway between 2005 and 2010. He had designed an advanced electronic setup for live improvisation, where manipulation of timbres and the color of sound became as crucial as harmonic progressions and melodic lines. The tracks “Urban Nocturne” and “Stroke of the Wing” are examples of his performances; here everything is played and controlled at once.
In 2006, Sevåg met the German theremin master Barbara Buchholz, and together they recorded several unique improvisations. Two of these recordings, “Song from another Place” and “Lights after Dark” are included on the album in Berlin. Tragically, Buchholz passed away shortly after the album was released, lending an even deeper resonance to these tracks.
The album’s climax is the track “Contact”, the only one featuring vocals, where Benedicte Torget uses her flexible voice without lyrics. She sings with deep musicality and employs a surprising array of techniques that produce a wide range of vocal expressions, a diversity that perfectly complements Sevåg’s intricate soundscapes.
“This album is the distillation of all the spaciousness, beauty, sophistication, simplicity, richness, delicacy, melody, spirit and heart that I’ve felt from Oystein’s music since I first heard his “Close Your Eyes and See” album” – Kieth G. Rowly, USA