Having recently announced that AIRBAG guitarist BJØRN RIIS would be releasing his first solo album, “Lullabies in a Car Crash”, in the Autumn, Karisma Records have today debuted a track from the album. The track, “Stay Calm”, can be heard above and on the Karisma Records SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/bjorn-riis-stay-calm
“Lullabies in a Car Crash” will be co-produced by long-time ARIBAG collaborator Vegard Sleipnes and will feature AIRBAG’s Henrik Fossum on drums, as well as vocalist Asle Tostrup, who will provide programming. RIIS recently commented on his reasons for embarking on a solo venture, and how he felt about working outside of AIRBAG: “I’m excited, it has been an interesting journey doing everything by myself. This is not a huge departure from the AIRBAG sound or format, but it is a chance for me to explore different directions and musical ground that might not have fit the band. It’s a personal album and I think some of the stuff is my best work to date.”
Karisma Records announced today that they have inked a deal with AIRBAG guitarist BJØRN RIIS for the release of his debut solo album. The album, which will be titled “Lullabies in a Car Crash”, will feature AIRBAG’s Henrik Fossum on drums, whilst the band’s vocalist Asle Tostrup will provide programming. Long-time Airbag collaborator, Vegard Sleipnes, is set to co-produce the album together with RIIS. “Lullabies in a Car Crash” is expected to appear on Karisma Records in the Autumn of this year.
Commenting on his solo venture, BJØRN RIIS had this to say: “I’m excited, it has been an interesting journey doing everything by myself. This is not a huge departure from the AIRBAG sound or format, but it is a chance for me to explore different directions and musical ground that might not have fit the band. It’s a personal album and I think some of the stuff is my best work to date.”
Norwegian Prog Rockers AIRBAG are set to play three more shows before taking a break from live appearances whilst their vocalist Asle Tostrup embarks on a year-long trip around the world. The shows will take place on the 24th May at the Progresja Music Zone in Warsaw, the 25th May at the Klubie Studio in Krakow and a newly announced show is set for the 14th June at the John Dee in Oslo, where they will be joined by Karisma Records label-mates FATAL FUSION. “It’s something that Asle and his girlfriend have been planning for a long time” commented the band, “and finally they are able to do it. It’s the journey of a lifetime and we will hopefully be receiving updates on his progress throughout their trip”.
It is expected that the band will start performing live again towards summer/autumn 2015, and in the meantime they will begin working on new material for their next album. According to AIRBAG, even their vacationing vocalist will be participating in the process thanks to modern technology. The band have also hinted that there will be some interesting news coming up soon, but have given no indication yet as to what this will be about.
AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth”, was released at the end of last year on Karisma Records, and demonstrates an edgier side of the band, with the inclusion on some heavier passages. However, AIRBAG’s musical craftsmanship is still very much to the fore with a trademark sound that encompasses massive walls of sound, ambient textures and soulful soundscapes. The band’s lineup consists of Bjørn Riis (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, bass, co-producer), Asle Tostrup (vocals, keyboards, programming, producer, graphic design), Henrik Fossum (drums), Jørgen Hagen (programming, keyboards) and Anders Hovdan (bass).
A video of AIRBAG playing “All Rights Removed” live in Oslo when the band supported Marillion on the Scandinavian leg of their world tour can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/iwK_hpJAPPA
DARK ESSENCE RECORDS plans to make their annual Inferno Festival event a little different this yea when they join forces with sister label KARISMA RECORDS to showcase two of their bands each at Blå on Wednesday 16th April. “We are always conscious of the fact that while many of Dark Essence’s artists such as TAAKE tour frequently, and fans in Europe have a good chance of seeing them live, the Karisma artists tend to tour much less, so we thought that this year we would open up the event to give their fans a chance to see some of them, and introduce them to Dark Essence’s fans at the same time”, commented the label’s Martin Kvam.
Representing Dark Essence will be two bands whose recent releases have been getting rave reviews from press and fans alike. First up will be SLEGEST, the new project from former VREID guitarist Ese, who has skilfully blended classic heavy rock and old-school black metal to produce a sound that is both dark and sinister, and with an unmistakably down and dirty catchy groove that weaves its way through the music. Originally started as a one-man project, once the debut full-length album “Løyndom” was released at the end of 2013, it quickly became clear that the demand from fans to see SLEGEST perform live was such that Ese was persuaded to form a fully functioning band. More information about SLEGEST can be found at https://www.facebook.com/slegest
The official video for the track “Ho Som Haustar Aleine” from SLEGEST’s “Løyndom” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/ti8XokQakEw
Joining them will be Sweden’s ALFAHANNE, whose lineup includes members of bands such as VINTERLAND and early MAZE OF TORMENT, and who have come together to play what they themselves have called ”Alfapocalyptic Rock”, a fascinating and hard-hitting mix of Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk with some Goth influences . Their high-energy live performances have garnered them much praise. Making a guest appearance on stage with ALFAHANNE, will be HELHEIM’s V’gandr who performed vocals on one of the tracks from the band’s new album “Alfapokalyps” . It is a tribute to ALFAHANNE that they were able to attract not only V’gandr to make a guest appearance on the album, but also Dark Essence label-mates Hoest from TAAKE and Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING. More information about ALFAHANNE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial
Making an appearance for Karisma will be two bands, representing the new and the established. Lovers of Prog Rock cannot fail to recognise the name of AIRBAG, a band known the world-over for an exquisite musical craftsmanship that enables its musicians to create a sonic experience ranging from massive walls of sound, to ambient textures and soulful soundscapes, both in the studio and on stage. The release of AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth” at the end of last year confirmed the band’s status in the world of prog, earning them many accolades. Inferno will be one of the very few chancesthat to catch this incredible band live this year so it is an opportunity that should not be missed. One for fans of ANATHEMA. More information about AIRBAG can be found at http://www.airbagsound.com/
The second of the Karisma bands is one of their latest signings, SEVEN IMPALE. The release of the digital EP “Beginning/Relieve” last year gave an indication of the multi-faceted nature of these young musicians. With its member drawn from a range of disciplines including classical orchestra, big band, metal, jazz, rock and electronic music, their sound ranges from progressive and jazzy to the softer and more melodic to the harder and edgier. They bring a freshness and enthusiasm to their live performances, and it is anticipated that their debut full-length album later this year will more than meet expectations, setting them apart from many other new arrivals on the scene. If you are a fan of Norway’s SHINING, SEVEN IMPALE is definitely a band you will want to check out. More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
Scheduled performances for the Dark Essence Records / Karisma Records artists at Inferno Festival, which will take place at Blå, Brennereiven 9C, Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday 16th April as follows:
PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT 