Sturle Dagsland forged a fantastical sound and through ten track-counting album ‘Dreams and Conjurations’ captivated me and made me a fan of their otherworldly soundscapes.
Following their self-titled debut in 2021, Sturle Dagsland have returned with the release of witchy, dreamlike collection of tracks ‘Dreams and Conjurations’. Its title lives up to the expectations of these mesmerising and chaotic soundscapes that would seamlessly fit under a series such as The Witcher. Stunning vocal harmonies, incredible throat sounds and eccentric instruments come together to create an entirely new world, where folklore and futurism collide.
The Norwegian duo, made up of brothers Sturle and Sjur, fuse elements of Norwegian folk, electronica, extreme metal, experimental pop and a vast palette of vocal techniques. The album’s first single, ‘Galdring’, is a perfect entry point into their sonic world. With its thundering tribal percussion, mystical electronics and Sturle’s otherworldly vocals, it feels like a ceremony unfolding in real time. Inspired by Norse rituals and Sámi shamanistic traditions, ‘Galdring’ channels the primal energy Sturle experienced while living in a sled dog village in Greenland. The use of ceremonial Sámi drums, bones, harps and cow horns deepens that sense of ancient ritual reborn through modern experimentation.
Across ‘Dreams and Conjurations’, the duo explore a spectrum of emotions and musical textures; the ethereal ambience of ‘Windharp’, the lively Norwegian folk dance rhythms of ‘Hallingen’, and the phantasmal storytelling of ‘Kwaidan’, inspired by collected ghost tales. ‘Whispering Forest, Echoing Mountains’ radiates a rare sense of joy, while ‘The Ritual’ delves into raw, trance-like shamanism. Each track feels alive, shifting unpredictably between serenity and chaos, beauty and harmonic tension.
Sturle Dagsland’s performance, renowned for their intensity and unpredictability, mirror this same energy. Having toured from Shanghai to New York and beyond, the brothers continue to defy categorisation, conjuring a sound that is both ancient and avant-garde. With ‘Dreams and Conjurations’, Sturle Dagsland reaffirm their place as one of Norway’s most daring and visionary acts, crafting music that transcends genre and borders to awaken something primal and profound.
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