As a composer primarily for film, Jonas Colstrup has released several soundtracks, including two with the late Jóhann Jóhannsson who proves to be a key influence for his new album four years in the making. Unhurried by the rigorous deadlines associated with scoring, Colstrup was able to “dream big” as it were and take the time to follow the music in pursuit of the grand emotional complexity that unfurls across the eight majestic tracks that comprise At the Crest. Additional influences that inform the music are Ryuichi Sakamoto‘s score for “The Revenant”, British composer William Walton‘s Symphony No.1: III. Andante con Malincoia, and Arvo Pärt‘s “My Heart’s in the Highlands,”, the latter being an all-time favorite of Colstrup’s which featured singer Else Torp whose vocals also grace his new record.
The epic nature of At the Crest is also reflected the elaborate process by which it was made spanning multiple countries. There is an orchestra recorded in Budapest with conductor Peter Pejtsik, choir parts recorded in The Garrison Church by Paul Hillier’s Grammy Award-winning Theatre of Voices, and solo violin performed and recorded in Iceland by Viktor Orri Árnason while from Colstrup’s own studio we have woodwinds performed by Bon Iver collaborator Anders Banke and the solo soprano of Else Torp. All of these components were brought together and mixed in Copenhagen by August Wanngren to deliver a wide-screen cinematic journey for the mind on a monumental scale.
It was all about finding an intuitive and natural expression, hopefully tapping into an aesthetic of some kind of archetypical raw power. It’s about embracing complexity with no resolutions, and the consequent discomfort of unfamiliar emotions.
Jonas Colstrup
Bookending opening track “Rain from a Blue Sky“, which was premiered earlier this month, here is an opportunity to now hear “Two Suns”, the potent final coda of the album along with stunning visuals shot on location in Greenland. At the Crest will be released November 18, 2022 via the 7K! imprint.
Links: Bandcamp | 7K! | Jonas Colstrup
Stationary Travels 