Posts Tagged ‘Funk’

KARISMA RECORDS RELEASES TRACK FROM UPCOMING ARABS IN ASPIC BACK CATALOGUE TRILOGY

Posted: November 1, 2023 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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The 1st December will see Karisma Records release the final three albums from the Back Catalogue of Prog Rockers ARABS IN ASPIC, and, as a prequel, the label has released, the title track from the band’s sixth album “The Magic of Sin” as a digi single. 

The single, can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at:

https://link.karismarecords.no/AIA_TheMagicOfSin

“The Magic of Sin” itself  was an album that marked a turning point in the band’s career, setting the parameters, both musically and structurally, for the direction that ARABS IN ASPIC would take going forward. Like all the albums in the Back Catalogue re-releases, it has been re-mastered  by Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, OPIUM CARTEL, SOLSTEIN etc), and features artwork by the band’s long-time collaborator Julia Proszowska.

Following on from the 2021 re-release of the first three albums from the band’s back-catalogue, those included in this, the final trilogy of releases, are:

“Pictures in a Dream” which was originally released in 2013, and will now be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Blue/Yellow marble Vinyl formats.

2015’s “Victims of your Father’s Agony” which will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Yellow/Blue Marble Vinyl formats.

And, of course, the afore-mentioned “The Magic of Sin”. First released in 2017, it is a very special album for ARABS IN ASPIC, for reasons too numerous to go into. Suffice it to say that its re-release deserves a special treatment.  Thus,  aside from the usual CD and Digital formats, “The Magic of Sin” will also be available in the form of a limited first pressing of the LP version in orange/black marble vinyl which comes in a unique tri-fold cover revealing more of Julia Proszowska’s striking cover art. If its  combined with the original  “Syndenes Magi” LP, all five panels of the painting will be visible.

All three albums will also be available as a Limited Edition Box Set vinyl titled “IV – VI”

All  versions of all the albums can now be pre-ordered from:

Webshop:  https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/
Bandcamp: https://arabs.bandcamp.com

Full details and history of each of the individual releases can be found at https://www.karismarecords.no/blog/2023/10/10/karisma-records-announces-details-of-three-back-catalogue-re-releases-from-arabs-in-aspic/

With a lineup  consisting of Jostein Smeby on Guitars + vocals, Stig Jørgensen on Organs + vocals, Erik Paulsen on Bass + vocals, Eskil Nyhus on Drums + cymbals and Alessandro G. Elide on Percussion + gongs,  and based  in Trondheim, Norway, the band’s roots can be traced back to the Golden Era of rock.

Given that they have seven full-length albums to their name (their seventh, “Madness and Magic” having been released on Karisma Records in 2020), ARABS IN ASPIC are certainly not newcomers to the prog scene.  Indeed, they have  been at  the forefront of 70’s inspired progressive rock and proto-hard rock for fifteen years. 

ARABS IN ASPIC’s unmistakable sound is mix of loud, heavy guitars and drums, 12 string acoustics, funky bass and percussion, screaming Hammond organs, soft Rhodes, Mellotrons and 70’s Synths, topped with plentiful vocal harmonies.  It’s an all-encompassing sound that includes aspects of classic rock, funk, pop, prog, heavy rock, bossanova, and a capella.  

ARABS IN ASPIC’s next live appearance will be on the 11th November, alongside Dark Essence Records artist LUMSK, at the Verkstedhallen & Lobbyen in Trondheim, Norway.

More information about ARABS IN ASPIC can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/arabsinaspic/ or on their website at  http://www.arabsinaspic.org/

A video of Arabs in Aspic live can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/v3jekw2m19c

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ARABS IN ASPIC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arabsinaspic/
Website: http://www.arabsinaspic.org/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/arabsinaspic YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/dragedraug
KARISMA RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records contact: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com
Karisma Records on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarismaRecords
Karisma on SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no
Karisma Records US Webshop:  https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

KARISMA RECORDS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF THREE BACK-CATALOGUE RE-RELEASES  FROM PROG ROCKERS ARABS IN ASPIC

Posted: October 10, 2023 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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ARABS IN ASPIC are no newcomers to the prog scene,  having  been at  the forefront of 70’s inspired progressive rock and proto-hard rock for fifteen years.  Based in Trondheim, Norway, the band’s roots can be traced to the Golden Era of rock, with a sound that is a mix of loud, heavy guitars and drums, 12 string acoustics, funky bass and percussion, screaming Hammond organs, soft Rhodes, Mellotrons and 70’s Synths, topped with plentiful vocal harmonies.

With seven full-length albums to their name, the lineup  of Jostein Smeby on Guitars + vocals, Stig Jørgensen on Organs + vocals, Erik Paulsen on Bass + vocals, Eskil Nyhus on Drums + cymbals and Alessandro G. Elide on Percussion + gongs,  include, within their sound,  aspects of classic rock, funk, pop, prog, heavy rock, bossanova, and a capella.  

When ARABS IN ASPIC signed to Karisma Records for the release of the band’s seventh full-length album “Madness and Magic”, it was the labels intention to also release the entire ARABS IN ASPIC back-catalogue.  With the first three albums having been released in 2021, Karisma is now ready to release the next three albums on the 1st December, not only as individual albums, but also as a limited edition box set which comes just in time for Prog fans wishing to give (or receive) something special for Christmas.

First up we have “Pictures in a Dream”, ARABS IN ASPIC’s  fourth album, originally released in 2013 on Black Widow Records.  The band’s love of experimenting with sounds and recording methods is at the forefront, along with some rather unconventional use of microphones  to capture the sound in the studio itself, rather than directly from the source.   For example  nine microphones are used on  the Hammond organ alone.  The inevitable result of this was the need for a lot of tweaking, and not so much control, and very much a different kind of sound for 2013. 

The re-release itself is based on all of the original recordings, but everything has been re-edited and remixed from scratch, thereby removing some of the pitfalls that came with having so many microphones in the room. Some of the vocals/lyrics have been replaced with lyrics from the archives, along with some new ideas, and a few instrumental overdubs, rendering the album even better than its predecessor.

Remastered  by Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, OPIUM CARTEL, SOLSTEIN etc)  “Pictures in a Dream” also sees the band  changing the song sequence to make a new listening experience that creates quite a different mood. 

“Pictures in a Dream” will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Blue/Yellow Vinyl formats.  With artwork by Julia Proszowska, and RUPHUS vocalist Rune Sundby guesting on two songs, tracklisting is as follows:

  1. Rejected Wasteland / Pictures in a Dream (feat. Rune Sundby)
  2. Let Us Pray
  3. You Are Blind
  4. Felix
  5. Ta et steg til siden
  6. Difference in Time
  7. Lifeguard@sharkbay
  8. Prevail to Fail (feat. Rune Sundby)
  9. Hard to Find
  10. Vi møtes sikkert igjen

Next up is the fifth album from ARABS IN ASPIC “Victim of your Father’s Agony”, which first saw the light of day in 2015, again on Black Widow Records, and which has now also been re-edited and remixed from scratch, with a change in the song sequence and instrumental overdubbing, and once again Jacob Holm-Lupo can be found at the remastering helm. It is possibly the band’s most diverse to date, due to the large numbers of songwriters on this particular release. 

This new version of the album starts with a short instrumental inspired by the band’s first concert in France which took place at sunset, 300 meters from the most beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and in front of 2000 ecstatic prog nerds. “One”, is an oldie that didn’t quite fit on the previous couple of albums, but has been a staple in their live shows since 2009.

“Italian Class” started as an instrumental called “The Turk and the Italian Restaurant”.  With no proper Italian vocabulary, the band cobbled together bits and pieces from the most well known Italian nursery rhymes and  performed the song live at a festival, where some found it brilliant, and others were offended or embarrassed on the band’s behalf!  “Sad Without You”  is about the sudden realization that you’re eventually going to lose your loved ones, whilst “The Flight of the Halibut” features no less than 16 lead guitars in unison.

With artwork by Julia Proszowska, “Victim of your Father’s Agony”,  will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Blue/Yellow Vinyl formats, and tracklisting is as follows:

  1. Saint-Palais-sur-Mer Part 1
  2. One
  3. Italian Class
  4. God Requires Insanity
  5. Saint-Palais-Sur-Mer Part 2
  6. Sad Without You
  7. Flight of the Halibut
  8. Tv3
  9. Victim of your Father’s Agony

And then we have what will be the sixth and final re-release, “The Magic of Sin”, which was originally titled “Syndenes magi” and was a turning point in the career of ARABS IN ASPIC. After “Pictures in a Dream” and “Victim of your Father’s Agony” the infrastructure of the “new Arabs” was set. They had lots of songs ready to go, but, after attending a spectacular KING CRIMSON gig in Oslo, the band decided that their new material wasn’t up to par, and they had to do better.

Returning to his home in Trondheim, Jostein Smeby wrote what was to become   the 12-minute song “Syndenes Magi”. He called up cover artist Julia Proszowska and asked her to write down some keywords for a concept album.  She delivered an excellent selection of keywords about anxiety, which inspired the composition of the rest of the album.  Originally written in English, countless attempts to make the vocals blend in with the music failed and Smeby tried to write a verse in Norwegian instead, and there it was!  Re-writing the rest of the lyrics in  Norwegian,  “Syndenes magi”  was released on Apollon Records in the fall of 2017, and received a lot of international attention, despite having only Norwegian lyrics.

Regarding what has now become “The Magic of Sin”, which was once again remastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo in his Dude Ranch Studios, Jostein Smeby commented:

When it comes to the remix of the album, that is the hardest project we’ve ever done. We were really happy with the record – so if it was going to get remixed, then the result had to be even better. The band wasn’t entirely in agreement about a remix at all, but the composer had some unfinished business regarding English lyrics.

I tried singing the original English lyrics again. And it sounded just as bad as last time. What do you do then? Well, you delete all the Norwegian vocals and work until it gets better. Working with the remix and remaster of «The Magic of Sin» has taken more than twice the amount of time than writing, recording and mixing the original version took.

Obviously, since “The Magic of Sin” is something of a very special album to the band, for so many reasons, its new release also merits something a bit special,  so, aside from the usual CD and Digital formats, the album will also be available in the form of a limited first pressing of the LP version in orange/black vinyl which comes in a unique tri-fold cover revealing more of Julia Proszowska’s striking cover art. If its  combined with the original  “Syndenes Magi” LP, all five panels of the painting will be visible.

Tracklisting on “The Magic of Sin” is as follows:

  1. The Magic of Sin
  2. Down in Darkness Pt 2
  3. Down in Darkness Pt 3

All three albums will also be available as a Limited Edition Box Set titled “IV – VI”

All  versions of all the albums can now be pre-ordered from:

Webshop:  https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/
Bandcamp: https://arabs.bandcamp.com

ARABS IN ASPIC’s next live appearance will be on the 11th November alongside Dark Essence Records artist LUMSK at the Verkstedhallen & Lobbyen in Trondheim

More information about ARABS IN ASPIC can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/arabsinaspic/ or on their website at  http://www.arabsinaspic.org/

A video of Arabs in Aspic live can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/v3jekw2m19c

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ARABS IN ASPIC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arabsinaspic/
Website: http://www.arabsinaspic.org/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/arabsinaspic
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/dragedraug
KARISMA RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records contact: post@karismarecords.no 
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com
Karisma Records on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarismaRecords
Karisma on SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no
Karisma Records US Webshop:  https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES NEW SINGLE FROM  UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: June 16, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Fans eagerly awaiting the release of the debut full-length album from SOLSTEIN, the new project that features in its lineup multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEl), drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO),  guitarist Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN), and Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) on keyboards,  get to hear another track from the album before its 7 July release, courtesy of Is It Jazz? Records who have released a second single from the self-titled album.

Titled “Intersection”, this is what the band had to say about it:

“Intersection” is named for its somewhat busy feel and on it the band is stripped down to its core trio of Larsen on fantastic lead guitar, Carlock on inimitably groovy drums, and Holm-Lupo  anchoring on bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. It was one of the first tunes written for the album, and one we feel represents the sound of the band well.

“Intersection” is available to download or stream from a variety of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Intersection

Drawing their inspiration from jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s  musicians are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs, as long as it feels right to everyone.  By combining jazz harmony with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves SOLSTEIN’s sound is elegant, oscillating, as it does, between funky fusion and rock.

The result is a debut album that is both accessible, whilst at the same time, adventurous.  Colourful  and engaging, it succeeds in mixing  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, eschewing the usual 2020s fusion sound for an altogether funkier, more melodic range, that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

For those curious as to where the name  SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES FIRST SINGLE FROM  UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: May 23, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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With SOLSTEIN’s self-titled debut full-length album due out on the 7th July, Is it Jazz? Records have today released a single that  gives fans a taste of what they can  expect from multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo’s new project.

Titled “Hamada”, the track features SOLSTEIN’s core lineup of  Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN) on lead guitar, Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO) on drums and Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL) on bass, rhythm guitars and keyboards. Joining them on “Hamada” are American synth wizard Bill Bressler on lead synth and Fender Rhodes, Martin Windstad (KURT NILSEN, BIGBANG, ANE BRUN) on percussion, and INA A who provides some wordless vocal harmonies.

The name “Hamada” is partly  inspired by plane trips over the breathtaking landscape  of the Eilat Desert. On the Eastern side you can see the red rocks of Jordan, whilst the high plains desert landscape of the Hamada of the Eilat Desert are directly beneath you, and the endless deserts of the Sinai are to your West.

“Hamada” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Hamada

SOLSTEIN was formed after Holm-Lupo and Carlock had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. Finding that together they jelled, the duo decided to expand the lineup with the addition of Larsen and keyboardist Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW). 

Inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s  is an  instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and  elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock, where all the musicians involved are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs and feels right to everyone

The album itself is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

For those curious as to where the name  SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS DETAILS OF UPCOMING ALBUM FROM JACOB HOLM-LUPO’S  SOLSTEIN

Posted: April 21, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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SOLSTEIN came into being after multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL, DONNER) and drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO, JOHN LEGEND, STING) had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. The collaboration between the duo worked so well that they  decided to come together again on a whole album.

Joining Carlock and Holm-Lupo are up-and-coming guitarist Stian Larsen and keyboardists Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) and Bill Bressler, and together they form a project that is inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out.  The sound they produce is an  instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and  elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock.

Given some of the member’s prog backgrounds, there are also echoes of the jazzier side of prog, but, more than anything, SOLSTEIN is a playground for the musicians, where everyone was given free reins to do whatever they felt the music needed. If it put a smile on everyone’s face, it was deemed right.

The result is a self-titled album that is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be released on Is it Jazz? Records on the 7th July in CD, Digital and LPC formats and is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

The name SOLSTEIN means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS INKS DEAL WITH NEW JACOB HOLM-LUPO PROJECT SOLSTEIN

Posted: May 20, 2022 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, Uncategorized
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Is it Jazz? Records have inked a deal with Norway’s SOLSTEIN, the latest project from multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo.  Inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN, offers up an instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves.  The end result is a laid back, elegant, sound that oscillates between funky fusion and rock.

SOLSTEIN’s four- piece lineup have a  history that could be classed as illustrious.

On keyboards for SOLSTEIN is Brynjar Dambo, known for his work with WHITE WILLOW, PINE LAKE, DONNER, HAAKON ELLINGSEN

A published author of books on various artists including TOTO and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT,  Jacob Holm-Lupo himself, who will handle bass guitar, guitar and  keyboards, is known for his other projects WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL and DONNER. He is also a much respected producer and audio engineer, working out of his Dude Ranch Studio, whose name is very well known to  fans of many of the bands on Is it Jazz? Records’ sister-label Karisma Records, with whom he has had a long collaboration. 

Guitarist Stian Larsen was educated at the Norwegian Academy of Music, where he specialised in Jazz. He has recorded with, amongst others, SMITH KOMMA JOHN, KÖÖK and PET ZOO, and played live with the likes of LÖV, DANIEL KVAMMEN and  BENDIK BAKSAAS, to name but a few.

Drummer Keith Carlock is a drum instructor who is a Grammy-winning recording artist and a Member of the Mississippi Musicians’ Hall of Fame.  STEELY DAN, DONALD FAGEN, WALTER BECKER, TOTO, JOHN MAYER and STING are amongst the myriad artists with whom he has recorded or played live.

The initial idea behind SOLSTEIN, which translated means “Sunstone,  was born from Jacob and Keith Carlock’s  2021 collaboration on “Hesitant Light”,  the debut album from DONNER, on which Keith’s playing pushed some of the material in a jazzier, funkier, direction that Jacob felt merited further exploration.

The band itself is named after a relatively rare rock whose main deposit is found along the coast in Southern Norway where Jacob lives on a small island. The Sunstone has copper-red crystals that refract light in a beautiful way when seen from different angles.

About their upcoming collaboration with Is it Jazz? Records, the band  had this to say:

SOLSTEIN are proud and pleased to sign with Is It Jazz? Records. We are looking forward to joining their artist roster and we feel their name reflects questions we often ask ourselves!

About their debut album, which will be titled “The Skerry” and which will be comprised of eight instrumental tracks, SOLSTEIN explained:

The making of our debut album has been a fun, light-hearted affair where zero fucks were given as to what the jazz police may have to say. Cheeky, 80’s-tinged fusion-soloing, pastel synths and a very open-minded interpretation of a Wayne Shorter classic are all par for the course. In fact there has only been one rule: No long solos. Keep it rock-length, not jazz-length.

More details about “The Skerry” will be revealed at a later date.

In the meantime, more  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no