With its May 3 release date a little under a month away, Karisma Records have released a second single from BJORN RIIS’ upcoming third full-length album “A Storm Is Coming”.
According to Riis, “Stormwatch” did not start out as it ended up:
“Stormwatch” originated as a completely different song but after countless rewrites, it turned into a 15 minute piece that in many ways sums up the theme of the new album, “A Storm is Coming”. The lyrics are a dialogue between two individuals, describing the violent tension and frustration in a relationship. As the song progresses, the storm unfolds. I’m very proud of how it turned out. There are a lot of musical references throughout that are sort of a homage to my influences and it was great fun working with both Henrik Bergan Fossum (drums) and Mimi Tamba (vocals). They both delivered outstanding performances.
With “A Storm Is Coming”, Riis, also known for his work as the co-founder, songwriter and lead guitarist of Norwegian Prog Rockers AIRBAG, has managed to combine the art of rock, prog and atmospheric pop, to produce a prog rock album laden with atmosphere, and which is both heavier, but at the same time more tender, than his previous releases.
With its themes of human relationships and loss, “A Storm Is Coming” is written as a dialogue between two people. Formed of six epic songs and clocking in at 51 minutes, the album was recorded at the Subsonic Society in Oslo, mixed by long-time collaborator Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes, and mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL).
In addition to Bjørn Riis on vocals, guitars and a wide variety of instruments, the album features performances by Henrik Bergan Fossum (AIRBAG) on drums, Simen Valldal Johannessen (OAK) on keys, Ole Michael Bjørndal on guitar, Kristian Hultgren (WOBBLER) on bass, and Mimmi Tamba on guest vocals.
With artwork by Asle Tostrup, tracklisting on “A Storm is Coming” is as follows:
With artwork by Asle Tostrup, tracklisting on “A Storm is Coming” is as follows:
1 When Rain Falls 2. Icarus 3. You And Me 4. Stormwatch 5. This House 6. Epilogue
“A Storm is Coming” will be available in Digisleeve CD, Digital, and two different vinyl formats, which include a limited edition, one-time-only pressing on marble vinyl with an alternative portrait album cover, as well as a standard black vinyl version. All formats are now available to pre-order from the following:
BJORN RIIS’ next live appearance will be on the 17 May at the three-day Terra Incognita Festival in Quebec, Canada, where fellow Karisma Records label-mates AIRBAG and OAK are also scheduled to perform.
In September he is also set to appear at the 2 Days Prog + 1 Festival in Veruno, Italy.
A video by Kjetil Karlsen for the track “Where Are You Now” from Bjørn Riis’s album ‘Forever Comes to an End’ can be seen at https://youtu.be/cuGTuNKKgso
With just over two weeks to go to the 22nd February release of “October After All”, the third full-length album from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer RHYS MARSH, Karisma Records have today released a track from the album.
“October After All” once again sees RHYS handling most of the instrumental and vocal duties, but the album also features contributions from Anders Bjermeland, Tale Vang Ellefsen, Kåre Kolve, Roar Øien and Arve Henriksen, as well as vocals from the likes of, Silje Leirvik, Anders Bjermeland, Rohey Taalah, Ole Kristian Malmedal, Vilde Aakre Lie, Tale Vang Ellefsen, Arve Henriksen and Tim Bowness.
The end result is a beautiful, atmospheric, prog album that features both alternative rock and jazz elements, and about which Rhys recently had this to say:
I try to approach every album from a different angle, to give it its own identity. When I was writing this album, I was very inspired by music from the mid- to late-seventies, especially songs that had string synthesizers in place of Mellotrons. And of course, the drum sounds from that era, which I absolutely love. These songs were all written after I got married and our son was born, so for the first time, on any album really, I let the songs be reflections of specific events.
“October After All” was produced by Rhys Marsh and recorded & mixed by Marsh at the Autumnsongs Recording Studio in Trondheim, with additional recording by Roar Øien at Tyrirot Studio, Tim Bowness at the Hidden Art Studios, and Arve Henriksen at the Arve Music Studio.
Tracklisting for “October After All” is as follows:
River
Long Way Back
Golden Lullabies
Ride The New Wave
The Butterflies
Let It Be Known!
One Hundred Memories
The Summer Days
‘22’
(It Will Be) October After All
“October After All” will be available in CD, Digital and Vinyl formats.The CD and Vinyl formats will include a link to 12 downloadable bonus tracks and can now be pre-ordered from the following:
Karisma Records have revealed the details of the upcoming full-length album from Iceland’s Psychedelic Prog Rockers LUCY IN BLUE. The eight-track album, titled “In Flight”, will be the second full-length release from the young band who are making considerable waves on the Icelandic Prog Scene with their elaborate grooves and delicate chord movements, performed with a skill that belies their age.
To give listeners a taste of what they can expect from LUCY IN BLUE, Karisma Records have today released a single from “In Flight”. The single, titled “Matricide” can be downloaded and streamed at https://karismarecords.lnk.to/Matricide
“In Flight” is an album that amply showcases LUCY IN BLUE’s ethereal harmonies and philosophical lyrics, which deal not only with the whole spectrum of human emotion, but also touch on more political themes as well.
Tracklisting for “In Flight” is as follows:
01. Alight Part 1 02. Alight Part 2 03. Respire 04. Matricide 05. Núverandi 06. Tempest 07. In Flight 08. On Ground
Formed in 2013, LUCY IN BLUE released their self-titled debut album via Bandcamp in 2016, and, since then, the band has been stunning crowds in their native Iceland with their soaring guitar solos and intense build-ups, taking their audiences for a ride through the psychedelic soundscapes and the progressive song writing styles of the 1970’s.
Finally, with the release of “In Flight” a much wider audience will be able to see LUCY IN BLUE’s Arnaldur Ingi Jónsson on Keyboards and vocals, Kolbeinn Þórsson on Drums, Matthías Hlífar Mogensen on Bass and vocals, and Steinþór Bjarni Gíslason on guitar and vocals in action, when they hit the stage at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, on the 14th April.
“In Flight” will hit the streets on the 12 April and will be available in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition transparent turquoise vinyl formats, and can be pre-ordered now from:
Karisma Records have gone much further afield than their native Norway with their latest signing, Brazilian Symphonic Proggers CARAVELA ESCARLATE, whose self-titled sophomore full-length album will be released by the label on the 1st of March.
Formed in Rio de Janeiro in 2011, CARAVELA ESCARLATE’s lineup of David Caravelle on vocals, bass, guitars and violins, Ronaldo Rodrigues (MASSAHARA, ARCPELAGO) on Keyboards and Elcio Cáfaro on Drums, are a trio heavily inspired by both English and Italian ’70’s Prog Rock, but they draw on traditional and popular Brazilian music, which gives them a special, and quite unique, sound.
Whilst the band’s 2017 debut album “Raschuno” was more acoustic, “Caravela Escarlate” is a huge step towards a more keyboard-driven, classic prog rock sound for the band. It is an album that almost sounds as if it could have been recorded in 1973, but the lyrics (in Portuguese) give it a distinctly modern edge, inspired, as they are, by science fiction, comic books and environmental concerns.
Recorded at the Mata Studio in Rio De Janeiro in 2017, the album follows the adventures of Caravela Escarlate, which, translated means “Crimson Ship”, an alien being from Sideral space that can transform itself into its own means of transport – specifically a ship. And you’d be hard-pushed to find a better subject for a spaced-out, retro prog album than that!
With Artwork by Fabio Gracia, tracklisting for “Caravela Escarlate” is as follows:
01. Um Brilho Frágil no Infinito 02. Caravela Escarlate 03. Atmosfera 04. Gigantes da Destruição 05. Toque as Constelações 06. Futuro Passado 07. Cosmos 08. Planeta-Estrela
Karisma Records have given us a taste of what to expect from “Caravela Escarlate” by releasing the title track as a single, which can be streamed or downloaded at https://karismarecords.lnk.to/CaravelaEscarlate
“Caravela Escarlate” will be released in CD, LP and Digital formats, and is now available to pre-order from the following:
Karisma Records presents: minus Two albums worth of material distilled into one, focused, gem.
Following the laborious process of distilling two albums worth of material into one focused gem, we give you “minus”. The pinnacle achievement of KRAKOW’s thirteen-year existence. After a year of recording, shaping, re-recording and refining, “minus” has been reduced to the bare essence of who KRAKOW are as individuals, as a group, and as storytellers. It is an album that defies any attempts at genre definition and covers the heavy, the subtle, the melodic, the atonal, the groovy, the sluggish, the dense, the airy, the naked, and always, always, that wall of sound where no light can escape.
“minus” was once again recorded in the renowned Duper and Solslottet studios in the Bergen Kjøtt creative complex, in collaboration, once more, with Iver Sandøy. KRAKOW even brought in some help this time, to tell these stories, the album ending with a choir consisting of a select group of Bergen-based musical veterans, whilst the opening track introduces the most rock n’ roll guitar solo, courtesy of one Phil Campbell of Motörhead fame.
Sirens.
“This just might be our most political song to date. And as with our music, it just ended up that way. The song is at first glance a visualization of a weird world gone sour. If you dig a little further you will find pointers towards different warning signs about how we are slowly killing the planet.”
“The music is all about the riff, all about the riff man.”
TRACKLIST
1. black wandering sun
2. sirens
3. the stranger
4. from fire, from stone
5. minus
6. tidlaus
“It has been 10 years since last time we toured europe together with Enslaved, and we are really excited about it! Not only are they close friends, but one of the best live acts around!”
“To be able to also tour with High On Fire is for us a milestone! This has been a goal for us since the formation of Krakow!
This is such a strong package! We cant wait to hit the road with these gentlemen!!”
“See you in the pit earth dogs!!”
Routing:
29.09.2018 København/Danmark – Pumpehuset
30.09.2018 Poznan/Polen – U Bazyla
01.10.2018 Warsaw/Polen – Proxima
02.10.2018 Leipzig/Tyskland – UT Connewitz
03.10.2018 Esch-sur-alzette/Luxembourg – Kulturfabrik
04.10.2018 Breda/Nederland – Mezz
06.10.2018 Norwich/England, UK – Waterfront
07.10.2018 Sheffield/England, UK – Plug
08.10.2018 Manchester/England, UK – Academy 2
09.10.2018 Dublin/Irland – Tivoli
10.10.2018 Belfast/Northern Ireland, UK – Limelight
12.10.2018 Birmingham/England, UK – Asylum
13.10.2018 Antwerp/Belgia – Desertfest
14.10.2018 Bristol/England, UK – SWX
15.10.2018 London/England, UK – The Dome
16.10.2018 Paris/Frankrike – La Machine du moulin rouge
20.10.2018 Bergen/Norway – Hulen (Only Krakow)
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
