Tag: Karisma Records

Album Review: Bjørn Riis – “Everything to Everyone”

On By Bryan MoreyIn Atmospheric rock, progressive rock, progressive rock music1 Comment

BjoBjørn Riis, Everything to Everyone, Karisma Records, April 8, 2022
Tracks: Run (5:56), Lay Me Down (11:40), The Siren (7:20), Every Second Every Hour (13:20), Descending (4:33), Everything to Everyone (7:28)

At the risk of throwing objectivity out the window, I’ll start this review by saying I absolutely love this album. I think it’s the best music I’ve heard in a long time. But it’s Bjørn Riis! By this time I expect no less than the best from him.

While I still haven’t quite gotten into Airbag, the band for which Riis is most well known, I love his solo albums. They’re all excellent, and they seem to get better with each record. His 2019 album, A Storm is Coming, was brilliant, and it made my year-end best-of list. I expect Everything to Everyone will be near or at the top of that list this year. To make a contemporary comparison, Riis’ style reminds me most of Steven Wilson, both his more progressive solo albums and his work with Porcupine Tree. Riis is on that same level, as well.

Rather fascinatingly, Riis says the influence for the concept behind this album came from Dante’s Inferno. He comments,

A bit pretentious perhaps, but I’ve always been fascinated by that very personal journey and the search for some kind of peace or redemption, while being both mentored and hurt along the way. Musically, I wanted to take the listener on that journey, experiencing both hope and anxiety.”

The lyrics are filled with emotion, reminding me at times of Mariusz Duda’s lyrics. Riis is clearly a very thoughtful man, and I’ve found his lyrics always resonate with me. There’s a lot of depth in them, which allows for reflection on repeated listens. The music is often melancholic, which I especially enjoy, and this is frequently reflected in the lyrics.

The opening instrumental track acts as an overture for the rest of the album. With a careful listen you’ll spot musical themes from this track throughout the album. Parts of “Run” are on the heavier side, which sets a nice stage for the record, which has both its heavier rock sides and its spacier contemplative moments. Both are equally alluring.

“Lay Me Down” may start off a bit slow, and admittedly it is a bit of a jarring transition from the heavy rock of the opening instrumental track. The song really catches its groove a minute 20 seconds in, though, when the drums kick in. A little later female vocals come in to back Riis’ soothing voice, and the result is very [don’t say Floyd, don’t say Floyd, don’t say Floyd] spacey. The song is almost 12 minutes long, so it ebbs and flows through various passages, some of which do indeed remind me of Pink Floyd. David Gilmour is obviously an influence on Riis’ guitar playing, and Riis lives up to his musical influences. The song also has its heavier parts, reflecting the opening track.

“The Siren” was one of the singles for the record, complete with its own video. It’s a haunting track on the relaxed side of Riis’ musical spectrum. The lyrics are from the perspective of someone sitting in the audience at a dance performance, where the dancer performs for both you individually and for everyone all at the same time. It’s an interesting dynamic, but the lyrics are also written in such a way that deeper meanings can be inferred. I’ve found mine own rather personal meanings in it, and as such the song has grown on me to the point where I find it very moving.

Bjørn Riis – The Siren – YouTube

I’m not the biggest fan of the artificial vocal distortions on parts of “Every Second Every Hour,” mainly because I think Riis’ voice is great and shouldn’t be hidden, but it doesn’t take away from the song too much. Just a minor quibble. I have to keep my enthusiasm in check somehow. Overall this song is epically wonderful. It’s over 13 minutes long, and like the other similarly long song on the album, it ebbs and flows along the range of Riis’ styles. The acoustic guitar and piano passages with simple singing abound, but these also give way to soaring guitar solos and walls of drums. The synth soundscapes help create a wall of sound that isn’t particularly dense, but it lays a beautiful background to the song.

“Descending” is another instrumental track that has an interesting name because the music actually appears to ascend rather than descend. It starts out quiet and gradually gets louder and heavier as more elements are layered onto the song. If we go back to the inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, however, I think we get our answer to that question. In Inferno, Dante is given a tour of Hell by the poet Virgil. Hell is depicted as a ring of concentric circles, with each circle filled with increasingly brutal punishments for increasingly heinous sins. As such, the story gets more intense the further Dante and Virgil descend into Hell. When viewed in this light, “Descending” makes sense for this particular song on this particular album.

The title track is a quintessential Riis track, featuring the spacey electric guitar solos, walls of acoustic guitars, and emotion-filled vocals. There’s also more female backing vocals. The song gradually builds as it closes out, with a wall of sound created through guitars, drums, and piano. It’s very Porcupine Treeish in the best of ways. The lyrics talk about reaching out for help as we stumble through the dark parts of life.

Put simply, Bjørn Riis’ Everything to Everyone is a thing of beauty in very dark times. The album reflects the good and the bad we experience through our emotions, and it tells a beautiful story through music and words. Do yourself a favor and buy this record. Dwell with it. Let the music and lyrics wash over you. You won’t be disappointed.

https://www.bjornriis.com
https://www.karismarecords.no
https://bjornriis.bandcamp.com/album/everything-to-everyone

Bjørn Riis – Everything to Everyone – YouTube

Ave, Karisma

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment

karisma_600

Norway’s Karisma Records is one of my favorite labels.  For those of us who run part-time, non-professional websites dedicated to music, dealing with companies is the LEAST joyous part of it all.  They remember us one day, but forget us the next.  There are days in which I feel I do nothing but remind companies that we exist!

Not so with Karisma.

Not only has Karisma treated us professionally and wonderfully from its beginning, but it, more importantly, produces amazing music.  Not the cookie-cutter prog, but the real stuff.  Thus, ave, Karisma!

If everyone in this world acted as professionally as Karisma . . .

Nice Looking Arrivals at Progarchy HQ

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Several new arrivals at Progarchy HQ in Michigan.  Thank you so much to the good companies and artists for sending these!  We’re honored you would trust us.  May we continue to earn that trust.

 

IMG_0001
From AFL (California): Yurki Volodarsky’s RTFact’s LIFE IS GOOD.
mts from bem
From the U.K. (Bad Elephant Music): My Tricksy Spirit’s MY TRICKSY SPIRIT.
prog 80
PROG Issue 80.

Airbag’s DISCONNECTED: The Spirit of Mark Hollis and Rick Wright

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Review of Airbag, DISCONNECTED (Karisma, 2016).  Tracks: Killer; Broken; Slave; Sleepwalker; Disconnected; Returned.

airbag disconnected
Airbag, DISCONNECTED (Karisma, 2016).
identity
IDENTITY (2009).  It could be none-more-Talk Talk.

 

When Airbag first appeared on the prog scene with their extraordinary album, IDENTITY (2008-2009), they seemed a fascinating cross between Pink Floyd and Talk Talk, at least in their influences.  Or more accurately, perhaps, imagine Pink Floyd performing Talk Talk songs.  Even the cover of IDENTITY looked like something James Marsh would’ve painted.  The atmosphere the band created—at least in the studio—was nothing short of astounding.  Moody, driven, and meaningful.  One might be tempted to call their music prog shoe-gaze.

Their first and only (as far as I know) live release, LIVE IN OSLO, proved just how amazingly talented the four members of Airbag are.  After hearing them live, no one could dismiss them as a studio band merely.  As much as I liked IDENTITY, it was the 24 minutes of LIVE IN OSLO that utterly blew me away.  Upon my first listen to this short album, I knew this band was something special.

Continue reading “Airbag’s DISCONNECTED: The Spirit of Mark Hollis and Rick Wright” →

Seven Impale - City Of The Sun

Seven Impale – City Of The Sun

On By Jason RubensteinIn progressive rock music1 Comment

Take a big paper bag. Got one? Good – now toss in some 1970s King Crimson, some Frank Zappa, a bit of the 1969 ‘Crims, a healthy dose of their 80’s classic “Discipline“, a large amount of 90s-era ‘Crims, some Steely Dan, a bit of Toto, a very healthy quantity of the 1970s ECM catalog, a pinch of Edvard Grieg, a modicum of Steve Reich, a soupcon of Ulrich Schnauss’ textures, and some 50’s and 60s Blue Note Records for good measure. Got it all? Great. Now shake.

Keep shaking. Shake hard.

Right. That’s enough shaking. Now: Dump out the contents of your paper bag, and you should get the music of Seven Impale – “City Of The Sun”. Seven Impale - City Of The Sun

“WHO?” I heard someone in the back ask. 

Let’s turn to their label, Karimsa Records, for some details:

SEVEN IMPALE consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards, and was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010. The album itself, which was recorded and produced at the Solslottet and Duper Studio by Iver Sandøy, who has produced bands such as Enslaved and Krakow.

The band’s second release, due out in September of this year (2014), is a fantastic Progressive Rock album. Rock? Check. Jazz? Check. Progressing the genre? Oh yeah. Moody, light, heavy, melodic, pounding, dark, making the odd-meters groove? Yup. Most certainly.

Let me tell you, when I first heard the opening track “Oh My Gravity!” from a post on reddit/r/progrockmusic, I flipped. “What the…”, I said to the paper cut-out TARDIS sitting on my crowded desk. “Who are these guys? What is this? This the some of the best progressive rock I’ve heard this year!”, I said.  The track starts out in the middle of the dynamic range, and by the final third of the song is heavy, heavy, heavy.   Slamming guitars, saxophone, key changes that add tension to an already tense situation, rhythmic pounding that slams home the point… and finally the guitar and bass and B3 get us back to a contemplative solace: “…2000 years, and counting“.

Here’s what the press release from label Karisma Records has to say:

Whilst the prevailing influence throughout “City Of The Sun” clearly lies within the Classic Progressive Rock genre, SEVEN IMPALE’s music actually transcends several genres fearlessly and with deceptive ease. The five musically complex tracks that form the album are each distinctly different, something that only a lineup of musicians from a variety of disciplines as diverse as classical orchestra and big band, metal and jazz, and rock and electronica, could hope to create.

That’s a good description, thank you record-label-person. 

The production is clear, the writing and arranging very creative, and the dynamic range between quiet, mid, and heavy is produced beautifully. These guys are not shy about getting heavy, and even less shy about melody and harmonic movement. They’ll pound their fists on the table one moment, and sing about it with their saxophones the next. 

One moment complicated, complex; the next elegant and simple; one moment it’s a nightmare of prime-number-fueled angry metal, the next a gorgeous and plaintive melody, the album is a joy-rode through eidolons, fever-dreams, textures, philosophy, contemplation, quiet rumination, and angular rage. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale

Jason Rubenstein is a musician and technologist living in San Francisco, CA. His music can be found at http://music.jasonrubenstein.com and can be reached at jason-(a)-jasonrubenstein.com. 

The Punctuated Funk of Norway’s Karisma Records

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music1 Comment

Looking for a new, interesting label?  

You get the serious funk just looking at this logo
You get the serious funk just looking at this logo

We’ve spent so much time chasing down Kscope over the past five years that some other labels might have gotten too little attention.  Kscope has certainly been distracting for us, serving as a kind of Pixar to the prog and post-prog world.

Here’s one that definitely demands watching.  And, demands because it’s going to be an interesting ride with them.

At a time during which the major, big player, colossal labels of the last three decades are crumbling under the weight of radio formatting changes and imploding because of the extreme decentralization of the market–due to the release and outreach of the work and through the fundamentally democratic ethos of the internet–it’s great to see some new innovative and entrepreneurial labels realizing and offering the positions of ombudsman, muse, and midwife.  Kscope has that in spades.

This label I want to introduce to you now, has it well–again–in spades.  This one is Karisma Records.  Good solid, interesting, innovating lyrics and intense music.  Prog, psychedelic, bass-blues, funk, real funk, funkadelic., nineteenth-century folk instruments . . it’s fusing and combining in ways you might not be expecting.

Dang, does it work.

Karisma seems likely to be the next big label, ready to step in where the old have failed to adapt to such a fundamentally altered marketscape.

If you have time for nothing else at the moment, please set your browser to stun and at least visit the magical and mythic snow world of Norway: http://www.karismarecords.no/

Even the website makes my brain swirl with Pink Panther-like effects.

[Updated, June 16, 2014: fixed ca. 10 typos]

 

POSTAL ADDRESS:

Karisma &
Dark Essence Records AS
Postboks 472
5805 Bergen
Norway

PRESS, GENERAL CONTACT

Tel: +47 95 74 92 19 (Martin)
post(a)karismarecords.no

DISTRIBUTION, WHOLESALE, SHIPPING

Tel: +47 922 66 316 (Bjørnar)

FINANCE / ACCOUNTING / CONTRACTS

+47 412 11 208 (Kristine)
kristine(a)karismarecords.no