Katarina Protsack is the Canadian-born, London-based Founder & Creative Director of slow fashion brand Blue Nude. She designs from visual cues and auditory interpretations of landscapes from around the world.
Von August is a Norwegian alternative electronic pop trio consisting of Klara Lucie Østrem Ossum, Live Haugejorden Schau, and Simon Nenseter Nome.
Von August invites listeners into a sonic universe that blends warmth and coldness, softness and industrial textures – always with a distinct Nordic sensibility. Their music is woven together with acoustic instruments, modular synths, vocal harmonies, and drum machines. The soundscapes are deep, dreamy, and adventurous, creating a sense of traversing a landscape where reality and fantasy seamlessly merge.
Since their debut in 2018, they have released several singles and the album Blåøyd (2021), which was also released in a remixed version in collaboration with Norwegian electronic artists (Niilas, Fochs Koshka, and Maud). They have received praise from NRK P3 (2021) for their contribution to the new wave of Norwegian-language pop and from Ballade.no (2022) for their influence on the Norwegian electronic scene. The trio has performed on numerous stages across Norway and has spent the past three years honing their sound and shaping their second album, Samme hvor du går, set for release in spring 2025. In this upcoming album, they aim to capture the essence of human relationships, platonic love, and feelings (or the lack thereof) about community - both in words and sound.
“We could name-drop artists like FKA Twigs and James Blake, but mostly to convey the idea that the simple strength of ballads, the surprises of contemporary music, and electronic exploration can merge into compelling alloys. Perhaps not surprising, but it's often a hallmark of quality when music resists being placed in a single category. ”
- Siri Narverud Moen (Ballade)
“Heartfelt Norwegian-language female vocal harmonies layered upon each other, adorned with dreamy synths. Philosophical, sincere lyrics paired with captivating electronic soundscapes that invite a relaxed escape from reality rather than longing for closed dance floors. (...) Von August are excellent representatives of this new wave. ”
- Eskil Olaf Vestre (NRK P3)
Photo: Anne Valeur
Erlend Mokkelbost is a Norwegian producer, composer, musician and music supervisor based in Oslo, Norway.
He has been working with music all his life, starting his career in the hardcore/punk band JR Ewing at the age of 18, followed by work with the avantgarde metalband KILLL and later Montée. Today he’s focusing on his solo project Fuori, as well as the collaborative projects OKIOK and Candura.
In 2011 he started producing albums, the first one being the Norwegian band Rumble In Rhodos´ acclaimed album "Signs Of Fervent Devotion", along with Anders Tjore.
Since then he has produced an array of albums and singles of different bands and artists, working within a wide variety of genres.
The list of artists Mokkelbost has worked with includes Honningbarna, Jonas Alaska, Atlanter, Silja Sol, han gaiden, Bow To Each Other, No. 4, Aiming For Enrike, Bendik, Torsion Beat, Virkelig, Mari Boine, Jaa9 & Onkl P, Rohey, Billie Van, Morudes, Bendik, Magnus Bechmann, Hawkon, IVIE, Kildaphew, Tellef Raabe, The Cheaters, Anna Of The North and many more.
He makes yearly commissioned works for the famous club Parkteatret in Oslo with a total of 6 different pieces: Vol. 1 - ARP, Vol. 2 - ONENESS and Vol. 3 - HEXAGON, Vol. 4 - HYDRA, Vol. 5 - ORIXA and Vol. 6 - SOLARA.
As a film composer, he’s done both full length films and short, as well as documentary and drama series.
As a music supervisor, he has worked with acclaimed director Joachim Trier on 2 films - including the American movie "Louder Than Bombs" (where he also composed some music for the score) and the Norwegian film "Thelma". He has also been a music supervisor on the films "Welcome To Norway" and “Hope” (with Stellan Skarsgård.
He runs the label Pekula Records together with Jansen Records, featuring artists like Aiming For Enrike, Amgala Temple, HVCKER and more.
Photo: Chloé Krithara
Today, Sigur Rós are pleased to announce the EU/UK leg of their unique world tour that sees them collaborating with orchestras, bringing their latest album ÁTTA to life alongside favourites from their extensive catalogue. This tour will see them playing in some of the world's most iconic orchestral venues. London’s Royal Albert Hall, Rome’s Sala Santa Cecilia, Paris’ Salle Playel, Brussels’ Bozar and the Konzerthaus in Vienna are just some of the storied venues included.
This tour arrives off the back of their acclaimed 2023 album, ÁTTA, as well as last year’s sold-out orchestral tour across Europe and two recently completed sold-out tours in North America. The 2024/2025 shows will be the last chance for fans to see this orchestral performance from Sigur Rós, making these dates another important milestone in their career. 2025 will continue to be a special year for the band, with their seminal album Takk reaching its 20th anniversary.
Playing at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in their career, Sigur Rós will be joined by and performing with the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) and all shows will be conducted by Robert Ames.
Other orchestras the band will be collaborating with in 2025 include the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, Resound Collective, Brisbane Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and more.
In 2023, Sigur Rós set upon having orchestral accompaniment as part of their tours, with the band wanting to put a spotlight on a series of phenomenal orchestras around the world, not just themselves. Having reunited with keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson in 2022, the members played alongside full orchestras in grand concert halls across Europe and North America. The band enlisted the Wordless Music Orchestra for their Stateside dates and were described as “an articulation of beauty almost beyond comprehension” (Dallas Observer), the performances are simultaneously as expressive and indescribable as Hopelandic, all a testament to the timeless pull of Sigur Rós.
The new tour comes in the wake of a fruitful era for the band’s fans. At the start of the new decade, the band dove deep into their archives for long-anticipated works. They first released Odin’s Raven Magic (2020), an orchestral album originally made nearly two decades prior, and later reissued ( ) for its 20th anniversary in 2022. Their first collection of new material in nearly a decade, ÁTTA (2023) leans heavily towards the orchestral, featuring contributions from the London Contemporary Orchestra. With close to ten million albums sold, Sigur Rós stands as one of the most ambitious and acclaimed bands of recent times, whose new artistic endeavours only points towards an expansive, exciting future.
Arvin Engegård - Violin
Laurra Custodio Sabas - Violin
Juliet Jopling - Viola
Jan Clemens Carlsen - Violoncello
The Engegård Quartet has been directing and hosting the classical minifestival “1-2-3…” since 2016 when they started with 1-2-3 Schumann. Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2005, the Engegård Quartet has rapidly become one of Norway’s most sought after ensembles. Their bold, fresh interpretations of the classical repertoire combined with a deep attachment to their Scandinavian roots has attracted international acclaim, and inspired some innovative partnerships and programming.
SVS is proud to present a unique mix compiled by a flux of extraordinary artists performing at a Oslo's Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene tomorrow evening. All tickets sales for this event support Redd Barna's cause to raise funds for vulnerable children currently suffering in Gaza. We hope the unifying medium of music offers a fitting opportunity to bring people together at this challenging time.
Performers:
Trio Djup (Frida Fredrikke Waaler Wærvågen, Inga Grytås Byrkjeland, Torun Sæter Stavseng), Bugge Wesseltoft, Javid Afsari Rad, Gregor Riddell, Shana Mathai, Ibou Cissokho, Harpreet Bansal, Sanyu
Torstein Slåen - Guitar
Karl Erik Horndalsveen - Bass
Ola Øverby - Drums
Damata is the Norwegian Instrumental Jazz variant of the adjective story. While the narrative remains consistent throughout the music, the shapes and forms it might take might vary extremely. Sometimes like an acoustic trio playing electronic music, other times like a shoegaze band, other times like an ambient orchestra - the gist of Damata remains in it's colourful music filled with impulsivity, humour, calmness, and a general joy of playing. Damata came out with their debut album 'What's Damata' in 2021 and their follow up 'Vannsklie' in 2023 whilst they currently labour away in the studio making their third album.
Rock poet Tom Roger Aadland is one of Norway’s most critically acclaimed artists and songwriters the last years. His new album Skyer has received brilliant reviews. “Tom Roger Aadland is a musical treasure” hi-fi magazine Stereo+ writes. The Wilhelmsen describes the album as “vivid, honest, beautiful, strong and personal”, giving it six stars out of six. Øystein Rønning, music reviewer for Dagbladet, claims that the album is “rock solid” and “with brilliant lyrics”, calling it “an album that will be on many lists when the album of the year is to be voted”.
Aadland is also known for his translations and interpretations of Bob Dylan’s songs, with Blondt i blondt voted album of the year by Norwegian national radio show Norsk på norsk. He has also made his mark as a lyricist for Norwegian country rock favourites Hellbillies, folk rock pioneers Vamp and pop singer Marion Ravn. As a songwriter he is marked by a rare ability to write strong lyrics coupled with haunting melodies, and several of his songs have become radio hits. Norwegian listeners will recognise titles such as “Alle dei i ei”, “Like til mi dør” and “Min beste ven på ein dårleg dag”.
Tom Roger Aadland has been described as a “great lyricist” and an “exceptional tunesmith”, but he is also a solid and energetic performer with a unique ability to convey the content of a song. This year he celebrates twenty years as a performing artist, and his jubilee tour will take him all over Norway, from Halden to Hammerfest. A new album project is already in the making.
Gro-Marthe Dickson (b. 1984) is a Norwegian singer with a distinct originality and an unmistakable presence in her musicianship. On an almost constant search for new endeavors, she is not a stranger to take on and explore unknown musical paths.
At the moment she is writing new music while also debuting her own jazz quartet. Her main projects besides these projects includes the Cole Porter in Norwegian; the jazz band D-lovely (AMP Music & Records 2019 and 2021), the vocal improvisation ensemble Oslo14 (Losen Records 2018, 2019, NOR CD 2016) and the big band show "Sing ‘n’ Swing”.
Louisa Palmi, an innovative composer specializing in electroacoustic music, seamlessly blends electronics with 3D sound tech to craft immersive soundscapes. Her work explores transforming the sense of space through manipulation of sound. From subtle textures to sweeping movements, her compositions span a spectrum of contrasts. In a short time, Palmi's progressive pieces have gained recognition across European venues. Honored as "Young Artist" at the 2023 Northern Norway Festival, her impact resonates.
Shana Mathai has been singing and writing songs her whole adult life. Since 2018 these energies have gone into making kids/family music with her band, Mikrokosmos. Mellow Mathai is her solo project. Mellow Mathai's first two singles will be coming out early next year, aiming to infuse chilly Norwegians with a boost of warmth, soul and groove.
Photo: Hasla-Løkkeberg Agency
Bergill challenges the vice-pop genre by using extended time and changing spaces. Here you get texts as you would say it, not as you would think it. In a musical world that grows both outwards and inwards, they take you into single life, neurotic life and everyday life. This is music with clear melodies, but unpredictable progressions. The debut album "Si Noe" contains no simple tricks, only sober fervor from Åshild Bergill Hagen's voice and pen, surrounded by the rich combination of the guitars of Torstein Slåen (Damata) and Håvard Nordberg Funderud (Master Oogway).
I had a great desire to capture the interaction between us, and therefore have several recordings on the album that were recorded with the audience, live in the confirmation hall at Vålerenga. Here is a video from this evening: https://youtu.be/Ek4J-FClJZw
In 2023 we have played at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival and Gressholmen. We had a release party at ByMad in Oslo and this autumn we are going to Sandefjord, Trondheim and Mjøndalen, among other places.
The album was recorded in Kapsel Studio, mixed in Athletic Sound and mastered by Oslo Fuzz. Photo is made by Hasla-Løkkeberg Agency. Released on FOYN Records.
Flautist and composer Johanna Orellana has already received international attention for her expressive and atmospheric improvisations. Over the last years she has worked closely with Carmen Villain and made several musical collaborations with Anja Lauvdal, among others. With her debut album Las Camelias,Tres Esquinas, released on Smalltown Supersound, Orellana has officially stepped into the role as a solo artist. Her cosmic wanderings puts her into a tradition somewhere between Maggi Payne and Don Cherry, and in a domestic context somewhere between Arve Henriksen and Bendik Giske.
Håvard Nordberg Funderud - Guitar
Lauritz Heitmann Skeidsvoll - Tenor and soprano saxophones
Karl Erik Horndalsveen - Double bass and electric bass
Martin Heggli Mellem - Drums
During the last few years Master Oogway has worked extensively with their music in a liveformat. The quartet has invited different guest musicians, composed and improvised newmusic in several different aesthetics and directions. This way Master Oogway has evolvedfrom being a jazz/rock band to an ever changing and creative phenomenon. The liveformat is where Master Oogway’s music comes most alive, and this is the spirit theybrought into Athletic Sound studio during the recording sessions ofA Lot of Music AboutEverything. The quartet wanted to preserve their live energy, while utilizing the toolsprovided in a studio environment. With the expertise of sound engineer Dag ErikJohansen,A Lot of Music About Everythinghas become Master Oogway’s most gnarly,loudest and dirtiest album so far!
Photo: Helge Skodvin
"Skarbø moves fluidly between measured cadences, pulse-free surges, and patient silences, contributing most by contributing just what the music needs." DUSTED MAGAZINE
Øyvind Skarbø, b. 1982, is a drummer, composer and producer based in Bergen, Norway. He studied with Terje Isungset from 2004-2006, and has also studied Norwegian, Cuban and Yoruba traditional music.
Øyvind has played on 37 albums, and performed in 29 countries. He received the Vossajazz Prize in 2016 and the TONO Edvard award in 2022.
Skarbø Skulekorps is his main unit, for which he also composes the music. The ensemble, featuring the who's who of Scandinavian musicians, has received high acclaim for their two albums Skarbø Skulekorps (2019) and Dugnad (2021), both released on Hubro. Their third album Innesko is released on Skarbø's own Øyvind Jazzforum label.
Superless is a new project featuring Jeff Parker, Eirik Hegdal and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. The quartet will release their debut album in 2023.
Since 2006 he has been a strong presence on the European scene, initiating several highly acclaimed projects. These include his long-running trio 1982 with Nils Økland on Hardanger fiddle and Sigbjørn Apeland on harmonium. Between 2007–2018, the trio released 5 albums (and one bottle mail) and toured across Europe. The electric trio Bly de Blyant (2012–2015) where Skarbø composed and produced all the music, featured Hilmar Jensson on guitar and Shahzad Ismaily on bass. The band released three albums on Hubro. In 2016 he initiated the international quartet Inland Empire, which included Kris Davis (piano), Fredrik Ljungkvist (tenor sax) and Ole Morten Vågan (bass), and released an album on Clean Feed. From 2012–2018 Øyvind toured and recorded two albums for Håkon Kornstad's highly successful Tenor Battle project.
He runs the record label Øyvind Jazzforum. From 2006 to 2012 he organized a concert series for improvised music under the same name in Bergen. In 2015 he arranged the 1982 Festival and in 2020 the festival Jazzknappleik, together with Paal Nilssen-Love, Jens Borge and Isach Skeidsvoll.
Since 2017, Skarbø has been composing and producing more. Apart from his music for Skarbø Skulekorps, this has resulted in such works as 25MB RAM for video and string quartet, debuted at the Borealis-festival 2018; and Psst! and PSST2; two scenic performances made in collaboration with fellow drummer Øyvind Hegg-Lunde and illustrator Fredrik Rysjedal, building on many years of experience performing for children.
Julie Alapnes has really made her mark as a fiddler, and you can tell her apart from others due to her strong signature as an instrumentalist. She is well known for her presence on stage, where she delivers beautiful compositions while carrying on the tradition of folk music from the North of Norway. The fiddle and her music has brought Julie to every nook and cranny of Norway as well as giving her wings to cross boarders: Galle Music Festival in Sri Lanka, The Opera house of Cairo, Shetland Folk Festival, Celtic Connections i Glasgow, as well as Folk Baltica and Trønderfestivalen, among others. Several of her compositions have been recorded by other artists, for instance can «Julies vals» and «Arnt Ivars polska» be found on releases from French, Canadian and Scottish artists.
Julie gathered some of her favorite musicians in 2014 to start a new quartet; Petter Carlsen on Baryton guitar, Halvard Rundberg on pump organ and guitars, and Wetle Holte behind the drums. This musical dream team of the north have created an energetic, cool and fresh sound based in their local folk music. Julies tunes, beautiful and quirky, happily joins up with energetic rhythms, a rock’n’roll baryton guitar and dreamy vocals. And how her music thrives in this cinematic landscape; laid down by her fiddle and the pump organ (named Leon)! This band obtained splendid acclaims for their debut album in 2018, and their second album was released on 14th October 2022.
photo by Jonathan Vivaas Kise
Johannes Fosse Solvang is an Oslo-based trombonist/composer whose new music features at their upcoming Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene 21. March performance. This will be his second concert written for OJKOS, the first, Miniatyrland, released as a studioalbum on Taragot Sounds in 2021.
Johannes Fosse Solvang cooks up a dusky and sonorous mix featuring music by Mark Turner & Ethan Iverson, Olivier Messiaen, John Hollenbeck & Frankfurt Radio Big Band, and Johannes' own projects.
Camilla Hole is an Oslo-based saxophonist and composer from Vestland. From the countryside, Camilla brought with her the inspiration from the folk music, which in recent years has been mixed with the interest in the more abstract, that reflects in the compositions. Lately Camilla has released music with BenReddik and Camilla Hole Trio, and she is a member of the composers orchestra OJKOS.
Starting our OJKOS residency in style, Camilla Hole brings a short and luminous set laced with tinges of avant-jazz, folk, electronic, and vocal work.
Holsen & Cassiers is the new duo of Norwegian experimental trumpet player Hilde Marie Holsen and Belgian vocalist Lynn Cassiers, who rupture distant lounge jazz with dizzy psychedelic textures and hiccuping experimental sonics. The duo initially came together in Dublin for a "Match&Fuse" event where they represented their respective countries and worked together for five days in 2017. And despite having well-developed solo practices they found a way to improvise together so harmonically that a successful performance led to an ongoing project that continued in Oslo a year later. "Walking in Circles" is the duo's first recorded material and showcases the sound they've now spent a few years sculpting; if you've heard either artist's solo albums (like Holsen's brilliant "Lazuli" or Cassiers' smokey "Nacht Slakje") you'll be able to guess the general direction, but their collaborative sound is deeper and dreamier than anything they've produced on their own.
The music of Holsen & Cassiers results in a fascinating sound magma that constructs itself starting from nothing but a breath, a simple noise or gesture. Quickly, these initial ideas transform themselves into the most enchanting melodic textures. Within their crafty soundscapes, Holsen’s unique gentle melodies emerge to surface and go hand in hand with Cassiers’ fragile bits of songs and words, offering the listener a lead through an etheric dream world. It’s a moving and poetic journey that can sound at once coldly electronic, seemingly abstract, and at once heartwarmingly human.
This one's good - imagine Arve Henriksen jamming with Bohren, Broadcast and Lasse Marhaug. Dark, sure, but with a folkloric charm that's impossible to ignore. Boomkat
Pakistani-American musician Qasim Naqvi is perhaps best known as a founding member of acoustic trio Dawn of Midi, in which he has played drums since 2008. Outside of his work in D.O.M., Naqvi is an accomplished solo artist who has worked on a variety of projects from electronic music, to composing for orchestras, chamber groups, dance and film. His passion of late is analogue and modular synthesizer systems and orchestral configurations. His concert music has been performed/commissioned by The BBC Concert Orchestra, Jennifer Koh, The London Contemporary Orchestra, Stargaze, Cikada, ACME, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Crash Ensemble, yMusic, The Helsinki Chamber Choir, Alexander Whitley Dance, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra(MusicNOW Season) and others. As a solo artist Qasim has released albums on New Amsterdam, NNA Tapes and Erased Tapes Records.
