In the nineteenth century, cosmorama was all the rage. This technique allows people to look at photographs through a specially designed contraption that makes the photograph seem three-dimensional and multi-layers, so that it seems as if the viewer is standing in the actual picture. A popular subject for cosmorama pictures was landscapes. So, when a singer-songwriter from Norway looked at one of these pictures in 2009, it sparked off an idea. He decided to write a series of songs that would be multi-layered like one of these pictures. He also wanted to focus on the inner landscape specifically. This led to the creation of Kosmoratik.
The singer-songwriter who started the band is Eivind Johansen. He is the lead vocalist and writes most of the lyrics. Odd Gunnar Froysland is co-composer and arranger of the music and also plays guitar and keyboards. The third member of the group is Lise Lotte Agedal, who provides the vocal harmonies with her soaring voice.
Kosmoratik's sound is epic and at the same time meditative. Acoustic guitar, string quartet and oboe supplement the vocal harmonies provided by Eivind and Lise Lotte. Other instruments that help to add more layers to this landscape of sound include flutes, keyboards and synthesizers, especially the mellotron.
The band's influences are mainly first-wave progressive rock or prog-rock, especially bands like Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and Camel. They have also been influenced by singers and songwriters like Nick Drake, John Martyn and the Beatles. Eivind cites John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and the fourteenth-century Persian mystical poet Hafiz as his main influences for his introspective, poetic lyrics.
In May 2012, the record label Nordic Records released the band's debut album, 'Gravitation'. Recording of this album started in 2011 at around Easter. Drummer Bjarte Jorgensen as well as Arthur Kay Piene on piano, keyboard and minimoog, a type of synthesizer, joined Eivind, Lise Lotte and Odd in the studio to add more layers of sound to the songs.
What you hear when you listen to the album 'Gravitation' is a collection of moving, unforgettable songs. 'Veronica, go', the opening track, is a heartrending ballad sung mainly to acoustic guitar accompaniment. The other eight songs on the album are generally a little more upbeat, yet still create a sense of melancholy that sets the tone for the entire album.
The use of electric guitars alludes to the prog-rock influences in some of the songs. 'Cosmorama' and 'It's in my mind' are reminiscent of Pink Floyd when David Gilmour became the creative force behind the group. Electric guitars also feature in 'In spite of all (Life was grand)', 'Years ago, miles apart' and 'Lilac smile'. 'Nothing is static', with Lise Lotte singing lead vocals, evokes the Beatles. There is something folky about 'Unfinished journeys', while the jazzy 'Don Quixote' would not be out of place on a Roxy Music album.
Kosmoratik plays progressive rock but adds something unique and contemporary, so that many people describe their sound as symphonic pop instead. If you like music that will make you think, you can find the songs from 'Gravity' as well as a few others online. Another option is to go see the band perform live if you're in Oslo.
The singer-songwriter who started the band is Eivind Johansen. He is the lead vocalist and writes most of the lyrics. Odd Gunnar Froysland is co-composer and arranger of the music and also plays guitar and keyboards. The third member of the group is Lise Lotte Agedal, who provides the vocal harmonies with her soaring voice.
Kosmoratik's sound is epic and at the same time meditative. Acoustic guitar, string quartet and oboe supplement the vocal harmonies provided by Eivind and Lise Lotte. Other instruments that help to add more layers to this landscape of sound include flutes, keyboards and synthesizers, especially the mellotron.
The band's influences are mainly first-wave progressive rock or prog-rock, especially bands like Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and Camel. They have also been influenced by singers and songwriters like Nick Drake, John Martyn and the Beatles. Eivind cites John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and the fourteenth-century Persian mystical poet Hafiz as his main influences for his introspective, poetic lyrics.
In May 2012, the record label Nordic Records released the band's debut album, 'Gravitation'. Recording of this album started in 2011 at around Easter. Drummer Bjarte Jorgensen as well as Arthur Kay Piene on piano, keyboard and minimoog, a type of synthesizer, joined Eivind, Lise Lotte and Odd in the studio to add more layers of sound to the songs.
What you hear when you listen to the album 'Gravitation' is a collection of moving, unforgettable songs. 'Veronica, go', the opening track, is a heartrending ballad sung mainly to acoustic guitar accompaniment. The other eight songs on the album are generally a little more upbeat, yet still create a sense of melancholy that sets the tone for the entire album.
The use of electric guitars alludes to the prog-rock influences in some of the songs. 'Cosmorama' and 'It's in my mind' are reminiscent of Pink Floyd when David Gilmour became the creative force behind the group. Electric guitars also feature in 'In spite of all (Life was grand)', 'Years ago, miles apart' and 'Lilac smile'. 'Nothing is static', with Lise Lotte singing lead vocals, evokes the Beatles. There is something folky about 'Unfinished journeys', while the jazzy 'Don Quixote' would not be out of place on a Roxy Music album.
Kosmoratik plays progressive rock but adds something unique and contemporary, so that many people describe their sound as symphonic pop instead. If you like music that will make you think, you can find the songs from 'Gravity' as well as a few others online. Another option is to go see the band perform live if you're in Oslo.
About the Author:
People curious about the band from Oslo can find out more about this band's sounds and goals at www.kosmoratik.com. They can explore why this band features distinct photography on its albums at http://www.kosmoratik.com.
