A bit of silence, and the ability to know that when you know that you’ve turned the lights off, they don’t flicker back on. That’s what most people of this modern world are seeking naturally, as if being drawn to an ancient call. But, in our time, getting more is nearly always what you’ll receive when you ask for less.
It’s no wonder that over in Europe, there are people so drawn to Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. As a frequent loiterer in the Lofoten islands and such, I can tell you that the Nordics are one of the last civilised places on Earth where man finds the wholly essential things required for one’s survival: silence, space, and, if you’re seeking it hard enough, peace.
It’s no wonder that there’s such a growing fascination with it. And, this Summer, whether you’re journeying that way, or merely trying to soak up some of the natural wonder of these places, if you’re looking for a place to roam, if only in your mind, The Quiet North is happy to deliver an apt soundtrack, the album “Stillness is a Sound.”
Norwegian Electro-Folk and the Search for Peace
Ambition is a rare thing in modern music, where formulas get repeated, rehashed and repackaged so often. But real ambition is, also, most often rewarded by listeners demanding something courageous, something that speaks to their deepest needs.
Fredrik Kristiansen is an artist driven by ideals. The Norwegian producer is the one-man creative force behind The Quiet North. His work carries an almost prog-rock appetite for innovation and experimentation, bringing together the pleasant melodies of bands like Coldplay, the indie-rock cleverness of Arcade Fire, and the pop melancholy of Scandi heroes like a-ha, potentially one of the greatest bands of all time.
Kristiansen’s musical project, however, doesn’t just embrace the public’s general fascination with all things Northern European for marketing purposes. This is not, after all, black metal, a style that my Norwegian friends have, nearly all, assured me that very few in Norway actually listen to regularly, but which, nonetheless, has drawn on the mythology, look and feel of the place for its own commercial sake.
No, Kristiansen’s idea is that beyond the postcard-perfect Norwegian wilderness filled with fjords, towering mountains and rolling valleys, there’s a spirit that defines the area. Just try and find it by zapping over to Oslo for a day, and you’re very likely to come back with nothing.
Instead, it encourages you to meditate on this spirit, allowing yourself to become part of the landscape for a while. “Stillness is a Sound” offers a travel route to anyone wishing to access this magic without having to purchase the plane fare.
And, the approach is already catching on. Not only does this release benefit from collaborations with artists from places as diverse as the US, the UK, Spain, and South Africa. The Quiet North’s appeal is growing in places like London or Sydney.
Indie Pop as Music for Healing
The Northern Lights play an important role in the album’s imagery. But do you know what else is required to see them, besides the appropriate geographic coordinates? A near total absence of light pollution, something that has always impressed and thrilled me about Norway.
That absence of distracting factors, of the artificial working to steal away energy from the organic, is what stands at the heart of these songs.
Just listen to the opening track, “Pause,” where steady, calm vocals murmur over an arrangement dominated by a resonant acoustic guitar and serene strings. Do is your queue to breathe in and out slowly, to forget about life’s endless chores for a while.
But simply finding a way to cool down without focusing on the right emotions, on the things that made you want to seek out this tranquillity, is to miss the point. “Tremble”, with its modern, pop-friendly vocals, has the potential to be a great sing-along, sure. But it is also an anthem about self-discovery and about how when we stop inventing ourselves, we risk losing our essence.
Yes, “Stillness is a Sound” is something of a conceptual indie-rock album, one focused on a single mood. However, there’s no absence of musical variety across the record. “Borrowed Light” utilises sparkling country-like acoustic guitar arpeggios before settling on a hopeful chorus that invites the listener to clap and sing along. Meanwhile, on “Fading Daylight”, the mellow sounds of a slide guitar accompany the vocal harmonies whose style is reminiscent of contemporary indie-folk.
All of these help to create the right expectation for one of the album’s essential tracks, “Somewhere in the Static”, featuring the talents of UK singer Ollie Wade, who brings a confident, smooth delivery to the mix and, certainly, helps to increase the album’s commercial potential.
Of a similar calibre is Thom Hell’s tender, emotional singing on the closing track, “Stille,” a song in which Nordic pop and Americana coalesce into something resembling a modern hymn.
Where does this all leave us? Hopefully, less anxious and not as much in a rush as before. The Quiet North is an appropriate title. The extreme reaches of Scandinavia have remained, for the most part, wild and untampered with, and all of this has happened for our sake. On “Stillness is a Sound,” Fredrik Kristiansen invites you to try and reconnect with the natural world, and, in this way, with yourself.
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