Steamdome II: The Hypogean Ola Kvernberg

• 1Arpy09:32
• 2The Vault01:41
• 3Get Down10:18
• 4Carbonado08:41
• 5Hypogean07:56
• 6Devil Worm14:10
• 7Diamondiferous09:19
• Total Runtime01:01:37

Info for Steamdome II: The Hypogean

On "Steamdome II: The Hypogean", Ola Kvernberg presents an even more souped-up crew than last time, still shamelessly mixing genres and with a newly-won desire to jolt you out of your home office and give you an hour of music therapy, free of pandemics and global disasters in general.

With The Hypogean, Kvernberg avoids travel restrictions by drilling down into the earth’s surface. Sometimes like a runaway gravity train, other times like a strong silent machine through echoing caverns. Destination? Earth’s glowing iron heart, for the last two years also the scene of Kvernberg’s private escape room, with no rules to the game and an extensive approach to what rhythm and harmonies can do with a club floor.

When the Steamdome thundered through the sound barrier three years ago, the praise showered down from the press and audiences. Sold-out concerts, several prestigious awards and a top 10 position on the list of Norway’s best-selling vinyl records later, the sequel is here. Where the debut album’s dogma was pure-cultivated, organic, percussive music, The Hypogean delivers synths, drum machines, prepared piano, arps, pump organ and vocals. With a jazz musician’s impatient DNA and a film composer’s flair for concept and drama, recycling his work is never an option for Ola Kvernberg. On The Hypogean, musicians step out of their usual roles. On occasion, Ola replaces his fiddle with a drum machine and synth bass, bassist Nikolai Hængsle picks up the guitar and Daniel Formo leaves his Hammond organ to set the soundscape aflame with homemade noise machines.

As one of Norway’s most versatile musicians and composers, encountering club music ultimately ignited the spark Ola needed to start the Steamdome train back in 2016. With several of Norway’s most influential musicians on board, the ball began to roll in earnest. The album quickly developed into the band Steamdome, and one of the most remarkable commercial breakthroughs for a Norwegian jazz musician became a matter of fact. Steamdome today consists of Ola Kvernberg, co-producer and drummer / percussionist Erik Nylander (Monoswezi, Liarbird, Mechanical Fair), drummer Olaf Olsen (Bigbang, Fra Det Onde), percussionist Martin Windstad (Kurt Nilsen, Todd Terje), bassist and guitarist Nikolai Hængsle (Band of Gold, Bigbang, Møster), Øyvind Blomstrøm (Orions Belte, Odd Nordstoga) and Daniel Buner Formo (Trondheim Jazzorkester, Kobert.) «Steamdome II: The Hypogean» was recorded by Dag Erik Johansen and Kai Andersen in the legendary Athletic Studio and mixed in Duper Studio by Jørgen Træen.

The Hypogean is a subterranean journey with musical nods to Gustav Mahler, Fela Kuti, John Williams, Luke Vibert, Kraftwerk, Caetano Veloso, yMusic, Billie Eilish and Squarepusher.

Ola Kvernberg, violin, guitar, synthesizers, piano, organ, percussion
Erik Nylander, drums, percussion
Martin Windstad, percussion
Olaf Olsen, drums, percussion
Nikolai Hængsle, bass
Daniel Buner Formo, organ, guitar, synthesizers, keyboards
Øyvind Blomstrøm, guitar, pedal steel

Ola Kvernberg
born 1981 is a norwegian composer and violinist. Although known to most audiences as a jazz musician, his works in recent years include numerous albums, movie scores and live projects spanning multiple genres, appearing both as leader and sideman.

Ola grew up in a musical family, playing the fiddle in the folk tradition of his mom and granddad, starting classical training at age 6. At 14, he was awarded 3. Price at 'Concorsi Internazionale di Musica - Città di Stresa' in Italy. At age 16, his father presented him to an album titled 'Two of a Kind', featuring the legendary jazz violinists Svend Asmussen and Stephane Grappelli. The discovery led him to an instant interest in jazz music, eventually joining a number of traditional jazz groups in his neighboring town, Molde.

In 2000, during his final semester at upper secondary school, he presented himself to Jon Larsen of Hot Club de Norvége backstage the annual Django Festival in Oslo. The renowned string swing ambassador instantly invited Ola to sit in on the next set. A few months later, he was invited to record with Hot Club and Manouche guitar virtuoso Jimmy Rosenberg. The much anticipated debut album entitled 'Hot Club de Norvége presents Ola Kvernberg & Jimmy Rosenberg' received a 6/6 stars review in Dagbladet (NO) by norways most significant jazz critic Terje Mosnes, stating '18 year old Kvernberg makes his debut with a display of technique, tone and an idiomatic confidence in his phrasing none less than sensational.' His collaboration with Hot Club resulted in numerous recordings and several tours throughout the following three years.

Aged 20, he began his studies at the Institute of Music at the University of Trondheim, Norway (NTNU). As he seemingly effortlessly blended into any musical context, he quickly became a highly coveted session player on the Norwegian music scene. He spent four prolific years at the University, appearing on close to thirty albums and numerous concerts alongside his studies. His first appearance as a member of the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra was with Erlend Skomsvoll & Pat Metheny in 2003. He is still an associated member of the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, occationally touring and recording with them.

This album contains no booklet.