Norwegian post-rock giants Spurv release epic new concept album »Brefjære«, out today via Pelagic Records!
Norwegian instrumental post-rock/metal band Spurv presents their fourth full-length album, »Brefjære«, which was just released this Friday, September 22nd, 2023 via Pelagic Records.
Tracklist:
01. Krokete, rettskafen
02. En brennende vogn over jordet
03. Som skyer
04. Under himmelhelvingen
05. Til en ny vår
06. Å vente er å endre
07. Urdråpene
08. Din pust fra stein
Says the band: “»Brefjære« is now available on all platforms, and we’d like to thank everyone who joined us on the incredible journey to release this album.
After a prolonged pause following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we essentially had to start from square one to create the “Brefjare” record. Reuniting and playing music again wasn’t an easy task, but we managed to find our way…
»Brefjære« holds a special place in our hearts. It’s not only the heaviest and most enjoyable album we’ve had the pleasure of playing, but it’s also the quickest we’ve ever gone from concept to studio. We’re overjoyed with the final result of the album as a whole, and we sincerely hope that you’ll take pleasure in listening to it from start to finish. We deeply appreciate your continued support, even during our period of inactivity. Having you as listeners means the world to us.
We want to express our gratitude to our wives, girlfriends etc for affording us the space and opportunity to make music, even during the busiest and most challenging times.”
Photo by Jørn Veberg
Courtesy of Pelagic Records:
Scandinavian post-rock six-piece SPURV have released »Brefjære«, their fourth album of soaring, symphonic post-rock, through Berlin’s Pelagic Records.
Principal songwriter Gustav Jørgen Pedersen found inspiration for the album in the sheer magnitude of his new surroundings, having recently moved to Trømso, a remote province far above the Arctic Circle. With the looming presence of the mountains on the horizon, sculpted over aeons by unrelenting winter winds, Pedersen was struck by the resilience and sheer determination of life, from the young birch seedlings outside his window to a single butterfly battling against the breeze.
SPURV bear witness to this perpetual dialogue of ancient nature and new life throughout »Brefjære«, giving musical voices to the mountain, the wind, the birch tree and the butterfly as they exchange ideas and expressions across four movements of anthemic orchestral gravitas, bone-shaking guitar refrains and panoramic post-rock breakdowns.
Tracks such as »En brennende vogn over jordet« and »Udråpene« see the fully amplified might of the six-piece collide with elements of neo-classical composition in spectacular, sprawling fashion; the former featuring an otherworldly violin solo from Grammy-award winning musician Inger Hannisdal whilst the latter’s driving guitar refrain is embraced by woodwind, brass and string sections as the song evolves into something so much greater than the sum of its parts.
Sitting in the middle of this colossal post-rock record, »Under himmelhvelvingen« serves as a contemplative eye in a rapturous storm. Pared back to little more than a solitary male voice and an ominous, orchestral drone; »Under himmelhvelvingen« encapsulates SPURV’s breathtaking command of dynamic direction. With over 25 musicians involved in the production of »Brefjære«, including the might of a 14-voice choir, the patience and sensitivity involved in controlling such an unstoppable force even for a brief moment is testament to the band’s decade as international pioneers of orchestral post-rock.
Loosely translating to “Below Heaven”, »Under himmelhvelvingen« floats in limbo, having weathered what came before and already braced for what lies ahead. Perhaps a touchstone for the vast themes that inspire »Brefjære« as a whole, »Under himmelhvelvingen« is both a blink of an eye and an eternity.
Gustav Jørden Petersen on »Under himmelhvelvingen« & the release of »Brefjære«: “»Under himmelhvelvingen« features the speech of the mountain, who replies to the birch tree’s question about why the wind blows. In its reply, the immensity of the mountain’s age comes to expression as it struggles to understand the meaning of the question. The vocals are clothed in a massive, shimmering string drone and the flow and ebb of a brass ostinato, which together symbolizes the contrast between permanence and ephemerality – which is the core theme of the entire album.
Releasing »Brefjære« today feels like taking the final steps of climbing an enormous mountain, only to discover new passes and mountains ahead. We’re going to stop here and enjoy the view for a day or two, and then continue to further explore the paths and landscapes in the direction we have set. We hope you will join us.”
Order / stream / download here: listen.pelagic-records.com/spurv
SPURV is:
Gustav Jørgen Pedersen – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocal On #4, Percussion
Herman Otterlei – Electric Guitar
Hans-Jakob Jeremiassen – Bass
Simon Ljung – Drums
Eirik Ørevik Aadland – Electric Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Glockenspiel, Trumpet,
Simen Eifring – Trombone, Percussion
Guest musicians:
Tåran Reindal (Leonov) – vocal on #6
Jørgen Bagheera Apeness – vibraphone
Kari Rønnekleiv – violin
Ole-Henrik Moe – Violin, Viola, Cello, Picoletto Violin
Inger Hannisdal – solo violin on #2 and #7
Choir: Margrethe Lunde, Marthe Ødegård Olsen, Sanna Emilie Jensen Karlsrud, Kari Lisa Eide, Astrid Wøllo, Hege Nesset, Julia Nelson, Juliane Lauen Singstad, Linn Gaustadnes Hansen, David Sidi John Bakke, Tobias Føyen, Tor Haakon Bekkevold, Gustav Jørgen Pedersen, Eirik Ørevik Aadland
SPURV supporting The Ocean and This Will Destroy You on their EU tour:
16/10 – IT Milan, Magnolia
17/10 – SI Ljubljana, Kino Siska
18/10 – IT Bologna, Teatro Perla
21/10 – DE Munster, Sputnikhalle
22/10 – DE Berlin, Astra
23/10 – DK Copenhagen, Amager Bio
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well