- -- Release information ----------------------------------------------- -- -
Artist : Hanne Kolst°
Album : Forever Maybe
Genre : Electronic
Year : 2014
Label : Jansen Plateproduksjon
Cat# : JANSEN042
Source : CDDA
Bitrate : avg. 256kbps
Size : 79,32 MB
Runtime : 43:33
URL : http://hannekolstoe.com/
- -- Tracklist -------------------------------------------------------- -- -
01. Blanko 05:48
02. Synnecrosis 03:26
03. We Don't See Orseles 03:32
04. Nothing to Talk About 03:53
05. The Urge to Repeat 03:39
06. Forever Maybe 04:39
07. All is Contagious 03:24
08. True Story 03:37
09. Rooftop 03:43
10. What is This Meant to Mean 07:52
- -- Release notes ---------------------------------------------------- -- -
Norwegian songstress Hanne Kolsto is releasing her fourth
album in as many years, the mesmerizing Forever Maybe. The 10
song collection of glacial synth pop finds the musical trapeze
artist again swinging high above the musical world performing
various vocal twirls and spins. Kolsto has been compared to
Lykke Li and Nicki and the Dove, but with more underlying
uneasiness. Hanne is a confident musician who has two prior
Norwegian Grammy nominations to her credit, a hyperactive
songwriter whose goal is to release five albums in five years.
Her last album Stillness and Panic received excellent reviews
and much deserved notice. She is scheduled to play SXSW in
2015.
Forever Maybe was produced by Oyvind Rosrud Gundersen and
Kolsto. Morton Martens collaborated with Hanne as a backup
musician and producer. He is best know for his work with
Thelma and Clyde, and produced Love:Fi and POST with Kolsto.
The songs on Forever Maybe are ambitious and come across like
she is working with a musical army. The intuitive sense of
melodies lures you into her world of dark personal lyrics and
flourishes of creativity.
The first track BlankO provides an enervating soundscape with
Kolsto's icy vocal floating over top. It is a fusion of both
techno and pop, and reminds me of Portishead and Ultraista.
The lyrics create this feeling of numbness, "I don't want to
feel anything, I don't want to think anything." The song is
certainly anything but boring. Synnecrosis takes a twist on
the word's meaning, by definition an interaction that is so
mutually detrimental that it results in death. Kolsto likens a
dying relationship to the process of Synnecrosis, with each
party fatally killing off the relationship. The song is very
organic sounding; overdubs and voiceovers abound but never
overwhelm the track.
We Don't See Ourselves An introspective song about how we
never will see ourselves as others see us. The song suggests
that trying to get an impression of ourselves is never easy if
it can be done at all. This introspection plays out over a
bouncy accompaniment. Nothing to Talk About is a great
Alternative Rock Chanteuse song. The bass line is a feature
and gives a catchy and engaging backbone to the song. The song
Urge to Repeat has a more punk feeling than any other track on
the album. The lyrics deal with making the same mistakes over
and over while desperately trying not to repeat those
mistakes.
Forever Maybe the title track has an ethereal feeling, with a
definite European flavor. The wide soundscape allows Kolsto's
voice to float in the ether. "Forever Maybe" is a song that
will stick with you, and the most addictive track on the
release. All is Contagious is my favorite on the disc. The
lyrics of the song are dark and moody, but you would never
catch on unless you listen carefully to the lyrics. "At least
I figured out that all is contagious, nothing can save us."
The general feeling of the song is numbness from being
overwhelmed by the world that surrounds us.
The songs True Story and Rooftop both showcase Hanne's wide
vocal range. She pulls out all the stops in her bag of musical
tricks. The songs are both eclectic and engaging. The final
song What is this Meant to Mean is a long song with a lot
going on, from vocal loops to Vox Humana. There are glorious
tonal vocals that soar over the accompaniment. Just when you
think the song is over there is this funky duet that closes
the song.
Performer and poet are just two words to describe this multi
talented artist. The amazing thing that Kolsto accomplishes
with this release is her ability to go in many different
directions both in tempo and style. That being said she never
seems to flail or make it seem chaotic. It is to be seen if
she can break into the UK/American music markets. Here is
hoping her creative and engaging work will gain a broader
audience. She certainly has the chops to earn a further
listen.
- -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ -- -
KLV is a division of KALEVALA, focusing on all things non-finnish.