When Chris Bartels chose the name for his Elskavon project he formed a neologism from a pair of Icelandic words – elska meaning “love” and von meaning “hope”). It was not only a message he would weave into his compositions, but a nod in the direction of Sigur Ros, one of his key influences when he started to write ambient music. All of this comes together in a very direct way in this video premiere of “Offers of Peace” from his upcoming fourth album Skylight. Love and hope would no doubt be foremost among the emotions Bartels feels toward his children and the song is specifically dedicated to his second child Oliver (whose name actually means ‘offer of peace’). The Icelandic connection is reinforced by some truly gorgeous video footage provided by friend & filmmaker Ryan Gates to accompany the music.
“It’s difficult not to be inspired by Iceland. Such foreign beauty and uniqueness in the landscape. I got to spend a week traveling throughout the country with my girlfriend. It was hard not to want to capture everything, the whole country arrests your attention so completely. I especially loved getting to experience the country while listening to new Elskavon album as we were driving throughout Iceland, they just pair so perfectly together. So I’m grateful to team up with Chris for this song.”
Ryan Gates
The video underscores Bartels’ message that Skylight is really an album about moments in life – the huge ones, like the birth of a child, or the seemingly small ones that take on greater meaning later. It is full of connections to people, memory, and natural surroundings. The album will be available for digital download & streaming on January 26 (links below).
“I really believe memorable moments that we relive over and again are so incredibly valuable, and reminders to not miss the potential in the making now – these are gifts we can never fully get back, so really living these moments is important.“
Chris Bartels
Links: Offers of Peace (streaming options)| Skylight on Bandcamp | Elskavon
Stationary Travels 