‘Colder’, the 2nd single from Concrete Nocturne, hiding a darkness beneath a sunny façade
'Colder', the 2nd single from Concrete Nocturne, hiding a darkness beneath a sunny façade
(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange. Photos by Tarjei Krogh) Concrete Nocturne, the new Norwegian project from Tarjei Krogh and Ismael Henriksen, follows up their debut single ‘Ghosts’ with the track ‘Colder’, out today September 12th. Being a somewhat lighter and dreamier track on the surface, it still has something darker lurking in the shadows.
The band accompanies the track with a backstory, read it while listening!
“In the blinding summer heat of the French Riviera, two lovers drive from Antibes to Saint-Tropez, chasing a fleeting sense of freedom. The road shimmers under the weight of the sun; the air presses against their skin like a second layer. Cannes drifts by in the windows, all smiles and sunlit façades, but beneath the warmth lingers the quiet knowledge that this is one of their last moments of peace.
At the marina, boats lie stranded on the shore, like abandoned monuments to lives already lived. It is a journey framed in memory — a love story caught between heat and inevitability, captured in the stillness before it fades.”
I managed to interrupt lead singer Ismael with a few quick questions when writing this article:
Side-Line: So, after reading the above text, I wonder which one of you that had a memorable vacation on the Riviera?!
Ismael Henriksen: St. Tropez is beautiful this time of the year, so I took the car and drove along the coast with my ex-wife. Well, she did the most of the driving.
S-L: How has the feedback been after the first single, ‘Ghosts’?
IH: We have a handful of avid fans, but like expected it hasn’t been an earth-shattering experience yet.
S-L: More releases or other plans for Concrete Nocturne in the near future?
IH: We have a lot more songs to come, I’m in the studio recording vocals right now actually.
| Spotify | Tidal | Apple Music | Amazon Music | Deezer |
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 career 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.
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… 😉
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
