Concrete Nocturne’s first single ‘Ghosts’ brings dark synth intensity with an industrial edge
The new Norwegian project from Tarjei Krogh and Ismael Henriksen, Concrete Nocturne, released the digital single ‘Ghosts’ in late July.
Concrete Nocturne’s first single 'Ghosts' brings dark synth intensity with an industrial edge
(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange. Photos by Tarjei Krogh) A bit under the radar due to summer holidays and a (hectic) life in general, the new Norwegian project from Tarjei Krogh and Ismael Henriksen, Concrete Nocturne, released the digital single ‘Ghosts’ in late July. As we’re catching up and enjoying the song they also announced a new single to be online on September 12th named ‘Colder’ – and they have a lot more brewing!
The guys elaborate what they’re about in their press release:
“Concrete Nocturne is an art project born from years of collected observations, reflections, and lived moments. Both members trace their roots back to The Solar Temple, a performance art band that began recording in the mid-90s, where sound and vision were already fused into a single experiment.
The project moves like a series of scenes: neon-soaked urban landscapes, long drives through shadowed terrain, fast-paced echoes from a film noir, or the ocean rolling endlessly beside a memory of lost love. Each song feels like a still image—an attempt to capture something fleeting, something important, perhaps even impossible.
Art, like life, often resists explanation. Yet Concrete Nocturne strives to portray intimacy without cliché, to express longing and beauty without obscenity. It mirrors the way Damien Hirst distils chaos into structure, or the way Lynch reveals the surreal within the mundane—transforming fragments of reality into hauntingly vivid impressions.
The debut single, Ghosts, drifts through swaying wheat fields under a darkened sky, carrying the weight of a night when everything changed. It is a meditation on memory and loss, but also on how art allows us to relive, reshape, and reimagine life itself.”
It must also be added that for those who like (and misses?) the deep, sonorous voice of Andrew Eldritch (The Sisters of Mercy), Ismael may prove to be a worthy heir – listen and decide for yourself!
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About Concrete Nocturne
Concrete Nocturne is the new sonic project of two seasoned musicians, Tarjei Krogh and Ismael Henriksen, with deep roots in the industrial, electronic, and alternative music scenes.
Tarjei draws inspiration from pioneers such as Laibach, D.A.F., Severed Heads, Front 242, Depeche Mode, and Interpol. With a history in bands like Anstalt, Zomorodia, Beta Frequency, and Solar Temple, he was among the early adopters of sampling in electronic music. Known as a true multi-artist, Tarjei moves effortlessly between disciplines, always juggling multiple creative projects at once.
Ismael channels influences from Joy Division/New Order, A-ha, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Sisters of Mercy, Tears for Fears, and Skinny Puppy, among others. His musical path includes projects such as Atropine, Eternal Reward, Solar Temple, and Strict Machine.
Both musicians have been active since their youth, sharing a long-standing passion for art, film, industrial soundscapes, and synth-based explorations. Having collaborated since the late 1990s, their combined vision in Concrete Nocturne merges atmospheric intensity with driving electronics, creating a soundscape that is at once dark, cinematic, and forward-looking.
With Concrete Nocturne, Tarjei and Ismael continue to expand the boundaries of electronic and industrial music, crafting soundtracks for a nocturnal future.
Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉
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