After years of sonic exploration with guitars and electronics, Håvard Volden has returned to his main instrument with renewed curiosity. On this album, the guitar takes center stage, with alternative tunings and an exploratory approach forming the foundation for a new musical direction.
The music is rooted in jazz but also draws inspiration from early tape music—think Joe Meek, and Luc Ferrari—as well as folk traditions from all over, new age, and the raw energy of experimental rock, like Velvet Underground. The result is a collection of instrumental compositions where guitar, synthesizers, bass, and drums interweave in dynamic interplay. At times, the pieces are loose and expansive; at others, they are rhythmically precise and compressed—like instrumental pop songs with an open structure.
With music that thrives on dynamics and improvisation, most of the album was recorded live in the studio.
This album is an exploration of the guitar’s potential, where echoes and tape machines extend the instrument’s rhythm, resonance, and tonality. A playful, dreamlike, and uncompromising record that embraces the power of collaboration.
- 1. Seedling
- 2. Soaring
- 3. From Dirt
- 4. Small Lives
- 5. Dog Happy
- 6. Oryzae
