OLE TEIGEN – Skjebnevæven

Leave it to Gymnocal Industries (Norway) to release hauntingly evocative records such as this one, which sees the skilled composer Ole Teigen (Superlynx, ex-Den Saakaldte, ex-Dødheimsgard) weaving gentle and reflective piano motifs together to great effect. As with his introspective and somber Aske and Jord LP from 2021, Skjebnevæven is very much meant to be consumed and digested in solitude, and its melancholy spirit and classical music leanings add a nocturnal atmosphere to the proceedings that is occasionally disquieting, but more than anything, these eight superbly crafted pieces possess a prominent sense of elegance, yearning, and beauty. Quietly brooding at times (check “Sommerfugl and Flaggermusvinger” out) yet never anything but sophisticated, tasteful, and emotive, this elegiac and meditative record is most definitely worth investigating as there is plenty to admire and love about the riveting and soul-stirring musical odyssey that it presents.