By @rybazoxo // Sunday March 24th 2024
It’s been a while (but to get this website into shape) I thought I’d review some music. Harking back to my radio DJ days I still get sent new music by email and quite a bit from Norway (random. but true)
Norwegian musician Sandra Kolstad releases her new album "SOFT HARD" on March 15th, with "Wind" being the focus single
Sandra Kolstad is a completely unknown artist to me but her latest single ‘Wind’ from her seventh album ‘Soft-Hard’ is an art-pop introduction I could gladly spin on repeat.
Best known for her electronic music her seventh album, SOFT HARD makes an artistic U-turn and returns to her original main instrument: the piano. It has been an ambivalent rendezvous.
"On good days, it was like meeting an old friend. But usually, it was like meeting an old enemy," says Kolstad herself about the process. "I wanted to deconstruct the piano, open it up, not treat it with as much respect as I did when entering the classical music world as a child."
Textually, SOFT HARD is an exploration of human extremes: to be soft and hard (at the same time)in body and spirit. A longing to rid oneself of old layers, a kind of expulsion of spiritual sediment. Musically, SOFT HARD is a sonic exploded view, where Kolstad explores the piano's possibilities in tone and combination with electronics.
"There is probably something in me that has always longed for the piano since I left it. I have been in a split between electronic music and acoustic music. It has been a musical - and human - split. SOFT HARD is my attempt to unite these two life worlds that the electronic and the acoustic represent for me. It is a union of head and body, an anti-duality," says Kolstad herself.
Sandra Kolstad's musical journey is filled with adventure and redirection, coming near full circle with her latest work. It began with training under the tutelage of Norwegian composer and pianist Wolfgang Plagge, before a daring escape from the tradition of classical music and the grandeur of the piano-led her into the playful realms of electronic music, dance, and club culture. Now, on her upcoming album, "SOFT HARD," Kolstad reconciles with her roots, returning to the piano with a newfound curiosity and exploration.
The title "SOFT HARD," is Kolstad’s translation of the Italian word for piano, pianoforte. It symbolizes Kolstad's exploration of the instrument, slowly gleaning its sonic possibilities and temperament, all while infusing her unmistakable electronic signatures.
Kolstad has released six critically acclaimed albums and has graced stages touring extensively in the USA, UK, Europe, and South America. Her versatility extends beyond music, as she is an accomplished composer in the performing arts. Kolstad has also made commissioned performances in cooperation with esteemed authors such as Jon Fosse, Ann Carson, and Edouard Louis. In 2021, she debuted to acclaim with her first novel "To ord for ødeleggelse" ("Two Words for Destruction"), earning her the coveted Aschehougs debutantpris (Aschehoug's Debut Prize)
LISTEN TO ''WIND'' here
Label: Nordic Records International Publishing: Sinnbus Musikverlag ll 2024 Nordic Records International ll