Swedish-Norwegian artist Karin Park released her EP “EVO” on 8 May 2026, the first part of a three-part cycle she calls “EVO-LUT-ION-(EN)”. In this Karin Park interview for Side-Line Magazine, she speaks with Karo Kratochwil about that record and the ideas behind it: evolution as a costly process, motherhood surfacing in the songs without sentiment, the anger she found inside “Explodera”, the everyday field recordings and pump organ woven through the tracks, her parallel work with the band Årabrot, and the pull of the painter Hilma af Klint.

Kratochwil first saw Park perform as part of Lustmord at the 2024 Wrocław Industrial Festival, the encounter that shaped this conversation. The two spoke over Zoom between family duties, Park waiting outside her daughter’s circus camp, a setting that sits deliberately against the record’s themes of transformation, darkness and spiritual pressure.

Karin Park interview

Karo: Now that “EVO” is out in the world, do you feel more understood, more exposed, or more misunderstood?

Karin: Good question. I really have not thought about that at all. When I think about it, I do feel more understood, because it was a while ago since I released my last thing, and I am very much in that musical place of this EP.

I feel like I get to show where I am right now, which is important, because when I come and play live, I feel people do not know exactly what to expect from me. I have done a lot of different kinds of live shows, but now with this live show I have incorporated my whole musical history in a more danceable way, because that is kind of where I am with myself right now.

More than anything, when I play live now, people get to understand where I am in my life right now. There was a period where I had really small children, I was super tired, and everything I did in the studio was super slow. But now I have a lot more energy and the live show is a lot more energetic. So I do feel, with the EP and the live show combined, that I get to show where I am right now.

Therefore, I feel more understood. But it is not an easy thing to understand me as an artist, because I am so many things, and people want to put you into different boxes: “Oh, she is like that,” or “she is like that.” I play loads of different instruments. I have so many different interests, musically and in art and different things. So I do not think it is an easy task to try to understand. But over a long period of time, when you look back on my career, it is going to be easier to see where it was. When you get it just piece by piece, it is harder.

Karo: Did any reaction surprise you?

Karin: It always surprises me when people who loved my first album also love my last thing, because I have done this for like 20 years now, and my first record was quite different from what I am releasing now. But people still like my records. The same people like my records. And I find that quite amazing, that people kind of grow with me in that sense. That always surprises me a little bit: people who have been following me through my whole journey and have not fallen off at some record.

Maybe it is less different than I would like to think, because I am the same person after all. But other than that, no, I am not too surprised.

Karo: You have spoken about needing a frame for this project. Once that frame becomes public, does it still give freedom, or can it start becoming something like a cage?

Karin: I think that I do not care enough about where people want me to be. I cared a bit more when I was younger. I did a pretty big turn from my first and second album into a more electronic vibe, and I think that was my biggest change. But now, when I make music, I cannot make anything that I do not like. I am very bad at doing things that I do not like doing. So I do not think I could make music just to please someone else. I have tried, because I have tried to please people so many times, but I just do not know how to do it.

For some people, they have always stuck to their guns and chosen to be really different. But for me, ever since school, I moved to Japan when I was a kid, and when I came home from Japan, I was like a different person from everyone else. I tried my hardest to fit in.

I would do anything to fit in, but I realized quickly that I just had no idea how to fit in, so I was going to have to go the other way. It was not really a choice for me. That is kind of what I have done my whole music career. I have no idea how to fit in, so I might as well just do my own thing until I die.

Karo: So what is the drive for you?

Karin: The drive for me is to create. When I create something, it does not matter if it is music, or if it is a little short film, or if it is something I am building in my home. I just love the action of: there is nothing there now, and then suddenly there is something there. The most amazing thing with music is that there is nothing there, and suddenly there is something out of thin air. It does not even take any space.

Where there was silence, there is now music. I think that is such an incredible thing. It amazes me every day when I am in the studio. I made this. How cool is that? And also on stage. I love, love, love being on stage. When I am singing, when I am doing my thing, when I play my synthesizers live in front of people, it is like I am truly the person I want to be. I do not think about anything else. I am totally in the moment. So those are the two things. That is why I get up every day. I love doing that.

Karo: You seem to be working from a very immediate place now. Do you trust your first instincts more now than before as an artist?

Karin: Yes, I think I do. I think I have learned to. When I start something, when I start a song, there is always a mental choir that goes: “Boo, boo, stop doing this.” In my head, it is like a very critical ensemble of mental ghosts that are always criticizing what I do: “Oh no, not that chord again,” “We have heard this before.” Things that you tell yourself. But I have learned that if I can just quiet those mental ghosts for a while and get on with my thing, then suddenly I get sucked into the project. Before, maybe I would stop doing something and listen to those voices.

But now I know that is just a mental thing that a lot of people have, and that I have, and that I just have to deal with it. If I can just quiet those inner critical voices, then I can get to something good. I trust more now that I will get over myself and get sucked into the song.

Karo: Motherhood appears on “EVO”, but not in a soft or decorative way. It feels loving, pressured, exhausted, protective, and sometimes almost violent. Did you want to resist the clean story people often expect around motherhood?

Karin: I did not think that I was even writing about motherhood. I think that I wrote the songs, and then I realized what they were about after I had written them. Sometimes I try: “Oh, I want to write about this.” But then when I make the song, it does not want to be about that. The creative process is put down brick by brick, and then I am like: “Oh, this song became a song about motherhood.” With the song “Explodera,” I did not even know what it was about when it was finished. I was like: “What is this song? I do not even recognize what it is about.”

But then, when I was making the video for it, I was in the process of doing a script for the video, and I was like: “How can I make a script for the video when I do not know what it is about?” Then I saw “Raging Bull” by Martin Scorsese, and I was like: “Oh my God, this song is rage. I am angry.” When I listened to the lyrics with that in mind, it was so obvious, but it is almost like you cannot see the forest for all the trees.

Sometimes I just write the lyrics that I feel should be in the song. When I try to write a lyric to a song and it is not right, sometimes I just scrap it entirely. Or if I want to write about a subject and there is resistance, it just does not happen. Then I am like: “Okay, it does not want to be about this. So what do you want to be about then? Show me.” Then I write word by word.

Sometimes I write it backwards. I write the end part first, and then I go back and feel my way into what the song wants to be about. In the end, it makes more and more sense. By the end of it, it is like: “Okay, there it is.” I always write the melody first, and parts of the music. I almost never start with the lyric.

Maybe just a line or something, but most of the time I let the melody decide what the song is going to be about. Sometimes it is stuff that I do not even want to write about, but I do not have a choice, because this song is about this and there is nothing I can do.

Karo: With “Explodera,” you recognized anger and frustration underneath what first felt like a love song. Do you think anger sometimes tells the truth before the conscious mind does?

Karin: I think the unconscious mind tells the truth all the time, and that is kind of where you dip in when you write lyrics. Does it feel true or not? The unconscious mind is always right.

Karo: The use of your children’s voices is powerful because family enters the record physically, not only lyrically. What was the role of those samples for you?

Karin: I just have a lot of samples that I had recorded on my phone, and there are a lot of different samples. I use samples of my everyday life all the time. It was not like: “Oh, now I am putting my sacred son’s sample in here.” It was more like: “Oh my God, it would sound great if my son was laughing in that little gap,” or: “I heard this thing on the radio and I recorded it, can we just put it in here?” It is more about the use of different sounds.

I actually do not think too much about whether it is my children. It just sounded nice. It is not any more sacred than that, really. Sometimes a horse is neighing, or loads of different things. I have gone through like 700 recordings on my phone of different sounds.

Karo: So there are traces of everyday life, church space, hymns, pump organ, electronics and darker club textures?

Karin: So many things. It is more like: I was at this party, and my uncle and his friends came in and they were playing the violin, and I was like: “This sounds amazing, let us put that into a song.” When my father’s ashes were buried, we sang this hymn in church, and I recorded that. That is also a texture. There are lots of different things that people do not really hear, but they are from my life in different settings. Or if I do the dishes and the glasses touch each other and it sounds cool, then I just record it and use that in the song.

Karo: What about the pump organ? Does it bring memory, faith, architecture, or is it simply one more sound from your life?

Karin: No, they sound really special. They really do. Especially when you mix them with more electronic music, they have a different soul. I also play the flute, and when I play the flute, it sounds so warm and so human. Sometimes in an electronic track, if I use the flute, it is just a texture and you do not hear what it is, but you feel something. It is almost like someone reaches out and touches you, because it is so human. I feel that with the pump organ too. It is such an organic sound. It brings a whole different texture of organic feeling to the sound, which I love.

Karo: Your melodies can be very beautiful, but this beauty rarely feels innocent. Do you trust beauty more when it carries a wound?

Karin: Yes. I think I am very drawn to the darker side of beauty somehow. Always. I do not know why, but it is just the way it is. My first record sounds more innocent, I guess, but I was also the same then, to be honest. It was just that I tried to make a song.

I was not in a grown-up enough state so that I could ask myself: “What do I really like? What kind of melodies?” I was just like: “Can I write the song? Okay. This is a song that I could hear on the radio.” That was kind of just my attempt to write actual songs. But now, when I feel: “How do I get touched?” If I hear a melody and I am going: “Oh, that is so beautiful,” then I can trust that more.

Because I know now that I can write a song. It is no problem. It is just: what kind of song do I want to write? I have developed more, but I have always been drawn to the darker side of the melody. I think that is something that runs in my family too.

I grew up in church, but when I listen to what kind of music my family made, the hymns, and my grandmother’s uncle, who used to write a lot of the stuff and was the organist in the church that I grew up in, his melodies are so melancholic. There is a more folky touch to it because he wrote folk music, but it is still so dark and beautiful in a way. I just think that runs in my DNA somehow.

Karo: You have both the solo work and Årabrot, and they seem separate but connected. Are those worlds still clearly divided, or has the border between them become useful because it leaks?

Karin: I think it has become very useful. The big difference between Årabrot and my solo project is that in Årabrot, Kjetil writes all the music. I do not write anything. He is always 30 songs ahead of me. He writes every day. The creative process in Årabrot for me is to arrange the songs and to produce them. So it has a lot of influence from my production over the years. We obviously work together and talk every day, so we have a lot of influence on each other. We are very different, but we have a lot in common as well.

I was a small part of what I wrote for many years, but when we decided to kind of front the band, both of us, it became more useful, because I could take a bit more space there and find my own personality in the band. Now I feel like it is two different sides of me that I get to show. I feel like they complement each other in a good way. When I am with Årabrot, I get to be the second opinion a bit.

I can look at it from an angle. It is not all about inside of me all the time. I can look at Kjetil’s songs with a bit more distance. It is also nice to be able to rock out when I am in Årabrot. I can crowd surf, I can play bass, and focus more on the production side of things and the live part of things. I do not have to put all my personality in it at all times, which is kind of nice.

Karo: Evolution sounds beautiful as a word, but real evolution usually costs something. What has this current evolution cost you?

Karin: I think I am too close to it now to know that. But I think it cost a lot. It always does. To evolve is my trademark. I feel like my whole life is kind of a quick evolution, and it does cost a lot to do that, but you also gain a lot. I think I will see it more clearly once these three parts are out.

But it takes everything. It takes all the energy out of me to do and release all of this. I do not think people who are not artists can understand how much we put into it. It is everything. Everything. I feel like it costs a lot, but it gives you a lot too. Sometimes I wish I would just not be interested in being an artist anymore, because I think it would be an easier life. It takes so much: the passion, how personal it is. I do not think music is necessarily that personal for everyone, but for me it really is.

I do not know how to describe it, but sometimes it feels like it destroys you. It burns a hole inside of you when you give this much. But on a good day, it feels cathartic also, to be able to do that. And as you said, you mentioned that I create in a very immediate way, and I have not really thought about that.

But I am going to be grateful for that, because I do. I take it for granted sometimes, but I should not, because I am very lucky that way. I can create exactly what I want. I do not have to take any expectations into consideration. I just release exactly the kind of songs that I want to release, and I have the power to do so. That is great. But sometimes to have all of that freedom is also daunting.

Karo: Is this trilogy about becoming someone new, or becoming less afraid of who you already are?

Karin: I think in many ways the journey is to be closer to who you really are. As close to who you really are as possible. I think that is the quest in life: to really allow yourself to become that person that you want to be. I do not want to become someone new, but I want to be closer to the person that I am. Sometimes I am in touch with that person, but not always. That is what I want. Sometimes I want to get closer to myself, and I want to remind other people of who they are as well. I feel like music can do that.

Sometimes you go for a long time and you feel like you have forgotten who you are. Then suddenly you get a glimpse of the real you, and then you remember. Especially when you get older, you can lose yourself. When you are a child, you know who you are, and then you get distracted. There are so many things in life that try to distract us from who we really are. That is the journey that we all are on in a way. And because “EVO” is inspired by Hilma af Klint, she was on a spiritual journey to also reach her higher self, which I can relate to.

About Karin Park

Karin Park was born on 6 September 1978 in Djura, Sweden, and began her career in Bergen, Norway. She works as a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose music moves between synthpop, electronic and darker, industrial-leaning pop. Her early full-lengths “Superworldunknown” (2003), “Change Your Mind” (2006) and “Ashes to Gold” (2009) preceded the shift toward electronics that defined “Highwire Poetry” (2012) and “Apocalypse Pop” (2015), both on State of the Eye Recordings. She also wrote “I Feed You My Love”, Norway’s 2013 Eurovision entry performed by Margaret Berger.

Later work moved toward sparser, more personal settings: “Church of Imagination” (2020) on her own Djura Missionshus, and “Private Collection” (2022) on Pelagic Records, which paired her voice with minimal pump-organ arrangements. In 2021 she released the collaborative album “Alter” with Lustmord, also on Pelagic, and performed the project live, including at the 2024 Wrocław Industrial Festival. Park is married to Kjetil Nernes of the Norwegian band Årabrot, where she plays keyboards and co-produces; as she describes above, Nernes writes the music while she arranges and produces it.

Park last spoke with Side-Line in March 2026, in an earlier interview about touring small and intimate venues. Her EP “EVO” arrived on 8 May 2026, trailed by the singles “Sing Your Sorrow” and “Explodera”, the latter released with a video. “EVO” opens the “EVO-LUT-ION-(EN)” cycle discussed in this interview, a set she describes as three parts still to be completed.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange / Size Records press release) Swedish electronic artist Karin Park shares her new EP ‘EVO’, set for release on May 8 via Size Records. The project marks the first instalment in a trilogy of interconnected releases titled ‘EVO-LUT-ION-(EN)’. Alongside the announcement, Park also unveils the video for ‘Explodera’.

Following the singles ‘Sing Your Sorrow’ and ‘Shadow’,  Park now reveals the full four-track EP. Inspired by the work of Hilma af Klint, ‘EVO’ signals a new creative chapter exploring transformation, freedom and artistic growth.

Written and recorded with French producer Anthony Belguise, the EP emerged through a fluid and deeply collaborative process. “It was like a love story,” Park says. “Sometimes a song would change almost completely from one day to the next. We had a flow through the whole process that I have never experienced before.”

Across its four tracks, ‘EVO’ moves between vulnerability and release. Opening track ‘Try’ captures the tension between self-destruction and devotion, centred around the idea of being a “good fuckup” while still trying to hold things together for love. ‘Shadow’, co-written with Joe Goddard, strips things back into a more intimate space, exploring loneliness in a way that feels quiet yet deeply present. Closing track ‘Sing Your Sorrow’, written for Park’s daughter, forms the emotional core of the EP and reflects a desire to carry someone else’s pain in order to ease their suffering.

Meanwhile, ‘Explodera’ arrives with an official video directed by Pål Laukli. Laukli says: “Bringing super heavyweight boxer Brage Lange and Karin Park together in Slakteriet Studio was a lot of fun. We didn’t plan much beyond feeding off the energy in the room, and I really like the outcome.”

The track channels frustration and the feeling of being held back by the very things you care about, while pushing toward escape and freedom. Park adds: “I didn’t fully understand what ‘Explodera’ was about until I rewatched Raging Bull. The anger and frustration in the song suddenly felt very clear, and I saw myself in the main character. I thought I was writing a love song, but my real feelings came through. That’s why the video needed to feel brutal and masculine. Pål brought me to a boxing gym in Oslo where we met Brage Lange, and that experience shaped the whole video. We later shot everything in Pål’s studio, improvising freely thanks to our long creative relationship.”

Karin Park interview

We also had a quick round of questions for Karin by mail this week.

Side-Line: Tell us about the new EP, the first in a trilogy?! 

Karin Park: The first EP EVO is the first in a trilogy called EVO-LUT-ION-(EN). It was inspired by a painting by Hilma Af Klint. 

I wanted to find a frame around the project so that I could be free in my creations but not lost. It was one of her paintings in the EVOLUTIONEN series that kicked the whole thing off and it even looks like a record. I can really relate to her personality too. She was an occultist in a Christian environment like me. Stubborn and obsessed with working on her mission but also fragile and doubtful. Full of questions. Always. The lyrics on the EP is all personal, about the struggle and frustration of being both a mother and an artist and trying to be a safe spot for someone else when you are really a bit all over the place yourself. But also the deep love I feel for my family. 

I made this in collaboration with Anthony Belguise who shares the love for analogue synths and beats with me. It was the best experience I’ve ever had in a studio. And we both share the attention to detail, so we really went deep with this one. We’ve used Moog, Prophet, modular synths, Lyra 8, Korg MS 20 but also pump organ and a lot of vocal samples from me and my children.  

S-L: You’re just back from LA – more songs were made there? 

KP: I made some new songs there, yes. They are all in bits and pieces, but it’s starting to crystalize. I will flesh them out in my studio this summer. 

I know a lot of people in L.A. who has also worked in my studio in Djura. So, it was about time to head over. Also, one of my best friends and long time collaborator on photography Thomas Knights lives there, so it was nice to catch up and get a bit of spring. I even went surfing one day. Not very goth. But mostly I worked in the studio. 

S-L: What’s ahead?

KP: I’m doing a show in Stockholm tomorrow, and I’ll be going to Great Escape in the UK to play next week. Then Falun and Berlin. There will be a bit of travelling going forward. I’ll also do a show in Oslo in August.

Playing live is really my favourite thing to do so I can’t wait! We are also finishing a new Årabrot album which sounds pretty cool now, so lots of things to look forward to. 

Also available on lot’s of other streaming services!

About Karin Park

Karin Maria Erika Park was born in Djura, Sweden, and began her recording career in Bergen, Norway. She debuted with “Superworldunknown” in 2003, followed by “Change Your Mind” in 2006 and “Ashes To Gold” in 2009. Her career then continued with “Highwire Poetry” in 2012 and “Apocalypse Pop” in 2015, marking the shift into the synth-driven and darker electronic work.

Later releases included the “Blue Roses” EP in 2018, “Church Of Imagination” in 2020, the collaborative album “Alter” with Lustmord in 2021, and “Private Collection” in 2022.

Outside her solo material, she co-wrote Margaret Berger’s Eurovision entry “I Feed You My Love” and has also been active with Årabrot, which she fronts alongside her husband.

Originally emerging as a guitar-led singer-songwriter, and as one half of the noise rock duo Årabrot, Park has evolved her sound into a rich blend of analogue textures and electronic influences spanning house, techno, synthwave and UK garage. While her production has expanded, her voice remains central to her identity.

Jan Ronald Stange

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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Swedish-Norwegian electronic artist Karin Park has released “Sing Your Sorrow“, the first single from her upcoming EP “EVO”, due on May 8, 2026 via Size Records. The single is out together with an official video directed by Simon Silverdahl.

Park says: “Sing Your Sorrow is about wanting to take someone else’s sorrows upon oneself to relieve them from suffering. I wrote this for my daughter Lydia.”

The upcoming four-track EP “EVO” will consist of “Try”, “Explodera”, “Shadow” and “Sing Your Sorrow”. The release was recorded with Anthony Belguise and is the first part of a trilogy inspired by Hilma af Klint.

About the videoclip director Simon Silverdahl says: “There’s a rare magic in working with a true artist where the ideas just flow. We took our local roots and turned them into a romanticized piece. It was effortless, inspiring, and pure joy.”

About Karin Park

Karin Maria Erika Park was born in Djura, Sweden, and began her recording career in Bergen, Norway. She debuted with “Superworldunknown” in 2003, followed by “Change Your Mind” in 2006 and “Ashes To Gold” in 2009. Her career then continued with “Highwire Poetry” in 2012 and “Apocalypse Pop” in 2015, marking the shift into the synth-driven and darker electronic work.

Later releases included the “Blue Roses” EP in 2018, “Church Of Imagination” in 2020, the collaborative album “Alter” with Lustmord in 2021, and “Private Collection” in 2022.

Outside her solo material, she co-wrote Margaret Berger’s Eurovision entry “I Feed You My Love” and has also been active with Årabrot, which she fronts alongside her husband.

A week ago, we already posted an interview with Karin Park.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Midgardsblot festival, held at Borrehaugene (old viking grave mounds), outside the city of Horten, Norway, is mostly known for hosting acts within the metal genre in addition to some folk and viking inspired music.

This year, the festival first caught our attention with the announcement of Bel Canto as one of the headliners, followed by Gåte, Seigmen, Karin Park, Ledfoot, and others—definitely worth reporting on for Side-Line Magazine. And who knows, we might even discover some new bands. We headed there in mid-August to check it out!

(By our Norwegian correspondent, Jan Ronald Stange. Photos by Einar Låker and Jan Ronald Stange. Additional Dwaal photos by Jon Julius Sandal @ helvetesindrekretser and Birgit Fostervold @ knipselyst)

Side-Line’s chief editor, Bernard Van Isacker, was supposed to join me for the festival, but couldn’t make it due to a family emergency. His replacement, Einar Låker, brought his cameras and joined me instead. Since we had to attend meetings and handle some work during the day, we skipped the tenting area and set up base at a nearby campsite in a mobile home borrowed from my parents (thanks, Sigrid and Carl Edvard!).

After settling in, it was time to head to the festival grounds, which required a short hike through historic Viking graves. We collected our passes and entered the blót, an ancient Norwegian/Norse sacrificial feast.

The first act we saw was Kalandra, a UK/Norwegian band blending Celtic and Norse folk with modern arrangements. They’ve been around for over a decade, gaining recognition with their cover of Wardruna’s “Helvegen”. Since then, they’ve released several albums and composed scores for TV shows and video games.

After Kalandra, we explored the rest of the area, visiting the trade section Kaupanger, the Viking tent area Folkvangr, and the indoor stage Gildehallen (the “Feast Hall”). It was a sight to see people fully embracing the chance to step back in time.

We wrapped up the first day by watching the Swedish Viking rockers Amon Amarth, who had their fans completely enthralled—even getting hundreds to sit down and row in the middle of a song! 😊

Thursday was a rainy day, so boots and jackets were a must. We caught a bit of the Norwegian thrash band Inculter and the Polish death metal band Vader before heading inside Gildehallen for something entirely different: Trio Oro, a Norwegian world-folk fusion group featuring flutes, guitars, and percussion. They delivered a diverse set with tunes from Irish, Bulgarian, Norwegian, and other traditions. It was original and unexpectedly entertaining!

One of the main attractions, Gåte, had to cancel due to a band member’s illness and was quickly replaced by Hindarfjäll & Peter Franzen, a Swedish project that uses modern instruments to recreate the ancient sounds and atmospheres of Scandinavian/Nordic folk music.

Next, we escaped the rain by heading back into Gildehallen, catching the last few songs from local thrash band Mortal Fear—three teenagers with the drummer’s father on vocals. It was very entertaining!

The day ended with thrash metal titans Testament from California, USA, closing out the main stage at Heiheim.

Day 3 was special, with two bands from my hometown, Tønsberg, performing. Seigmen headlined the Helheim stage, while newcomers Fabbrica 82 were about to play their first-ever show in Gildehallen. We spent an hour there beforehand, chatting with the band members, Knut Ove Hansen and Lars Anders Berg, before their soundcheck and concert.

S-L: How did you come up with the band name?

Knut Ove Hansen: We started high school in 1982, and we chose Fabbrica because we wanted a name that could be associated with new wave. We went with the Italian version because “factory” was already overused in English, and I have a personal connection to Italy.

S-L: What were your first attempts at releasing music?

KOH: One of my early bands made our first demo tape at the local radio station in Tønsberg in 1985—it was actually the first synth-related demo recorded in Tønsberg! We played three gigs the following year as the band Some Bizzare, named after the famous compilation album where Depeche Mode, among others, had their first track on vinyl. We also had a third member, Bjørn Arnesen, who now lives in Peru. Lars reached out to me several times, in 2020 and again in 2023, asking if we should give it another try. I was hesitant at first, but then we made “Darkness,” and we were back at it.

Lars Anders Berg: Over the years, I’ve composed hundreds of songs, and I always wanted someone to sing to my tunes. After years of talking about it, we finally made it happen. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’ve quickly released several singles!

S-L: Any album in the making?

KOH: Yes, it’s what we’re working on. We also got another gig in October in Tønsberg. This is not where we thought we would be just six months after our first release – feels quite surreal! All because of the word of mouth in Tønsberg’s small “synth underground”, and it also spread to Oslo where we’ve gotten good feedback.

S-L: What’s your inspiration?

Lars Anders Berg: I listen to a lot of music, not just old synth, but many electronic genres. So, the process of creating themes, melodies, and tweaking knobs is an inspiration in itself.

As the hall filled with people, we noticed at least a dozen audience members already wearing fan T-shirts, and the band was thrilled after their first show.

As we left Gildehallen, we caught a few songs from Nytt Land on the Valhalla stage—a Siberian shamanic act that blends the vocal traditions of Northern Europe with traditional Siberian throat singing. It was a stark contrast after a synth gig and truly highlighted the diversity of the festival!

The last show we attended on Thursday was Seigmen at the Helheim stage. It was a fantastic performance, featuring a new song with guest Espen Winther from the medieval/folk band Eldrim, playing his harp. It was magical—a gig that later received well-deserved praise in reviews!

The last day of the festival started off relaxed, with a stroll around, soaking in the sights and atmosphere under the sun. Then Ledfoot (Tim Scott McConnell) took the Valhalla stage. This goth-blues phenomenon was someone I’d been wanting to see live for a while, and he didn’t disappoint. He delivered a set full of raw emotion—soreness, anger, longing—and impressive guitar playing.

I had been in touch with him before the festival, and we agreed to try for an interview. However, due to his soundman’s tight schedule, they had to leave the area minutes after the show, so we exchanged a few words via Messenger a few days later instead.

S-L: How was your gig at Midgardsblot?

Ledfoot: The audience was great, and there was such a good vibe there 🙏

S-L: Did the show or audience differ much from your solo gigs?

Ledfoot: No, it’s the same everywhere—I do my best and hope the audience appreciates it.

S-L: More music in the works?

Ledfoot: I’ve started on my new record, and hopefully it’ll be out by the end of the year.
And I’d like to say a big thank you to the audience and all the people working behind the scenes.
Hugs!

Next, we went to see Bel Canto, the pioneering Norwegian electronica band, performing a set that spanned their entire career, including a few new tracks from their latest album Radiant Green. As always, they delivered a top-notch performance, and Anneli’s voice remains as impressive as ever!

Making Bernard envious by sending him live photos was an obligatory part of attending Bel Canto 😉

I also managed to spend a few minutes in Gildehallen to check out another band with a Tønsberg connection, though mostly from Oslo—the doom-sludge-ultra-heavy Dwaal. The hall was packed, with a queue outside, clearly hitting their target audience perfectly. I later caught up with lead singer Bjørnar Kristansen to ask about their experience.

S-L: How did Midgardsblot treat you?

Bjørnar Kristansen: Midgardsblot was amazing. Right after the show, we said it was one of our favorite gigs, if not our favorite. The crowd’s energy from the first riff to the last deeply affected us. I asked for a ritual, and we got a ritual for sure. A true catharsis, both on and off stage.

S-L: How does playing at a festival like this compare to club gigs?

BK: Festivals are different from club gigs because the crowd is a more varied mix of people—those who already know Dwaal and those giving us a chance for the first time. Not to say anything bad about the Norwegian audience, but it seems like international music lovers are more open to discovering new music. They come from far away and want to engage with as much as they can, even if they’ve never heard us before. It makes for an intense experience in the best way.

S-L: Did you explore the festival area, try the Viking activities or food?

BK: Our drummer Anders went on Friday and had a great time at the Blot. The rest of Dwaal arrived on Saturday, and we had some time to explore the festival. It’s an incredible event. Everyone makes you feel so welcome and included. A huge recommendation from Dwaal!

S-L: Any upcoming releases, albums, gigs, or other news?

BK: As 2024 winds down, we’re hard at work on new music, with some exciting projects that push us out of our comfort zone, which we love. Our last regular concert of the year will be at Apollon Tønsberg on October 11th, with Uaar as support. On December 14th, we’re playing the Caliban Sessions, a yearly mini-festival hosted by Ole Petter Andreassen of Black Debbath, Thulsa Doom, and Cumshots fame. It will be a fantastic end to a great year for Dwaal, marking our tenth year as a band. There are plans for a gig in Oslo in 2025, so stay tuned for that announcement.

We’re also in talks for more live shows in Europe, though nothing we can confirm just yet. And of course, if Midgardsblot invites us back, we’d love to play again!

The last show in Gildehallen this time around was the one that probably impressed me the most—Karin Park from Sweden. Alone on stage, standing between two tables covered with synths, computers, and modular gear, she sounded and performed like a full band, delivering an incredibly energetic set. Crown her the Queen of Synth already! (go to https://www.facebook.com/748210539/videos/1540166493571503/ for videos, several in the comments!)

The Norwegian band Emperor, regarded as pioneers of extreme black metal, closed the festival on the main stage, Helheim, in front of a devoted audience.

To sum it all up: a festival well worth visiting! As they’ve expanded the musical genres in their lineup, there’s now something for everyone without losing their core purpose or audience. This approach also increases the chance to discover something new, which is always a plus!

A big shoutout to Runa Strindin, the driving force behind the festival, and her entire crew for making it such a success! Hopefully, they’ll continue for years to come, and perhaps the 10th anniversary next year will be even more special?!

PS: As a food enthusiast, I must mention the excellent variety of food, ranging from handmade hot dogs to Thai, Mexican, elk burgers, and elk kebabs! Most impressive was the food from the Norwegian Chefs National Association, Vestfold branch (Norske kokkers Landsforening, avdeling Vestfold)—their hot-smoked halibut dish was to die for! 😊

Jan Ronald Stange

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… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Out in a little more than a week is the collaborative project between Nordic electropop diva Karin Park (Årabrot) and legendary electronic pioneer Lustmord. “Alter” is the pair’s first collaborative work and holds nine tracks.

You can already check out a first track “Hiraeth” right below. And for those unaware who these two excellent artists are, below we added some extra info.

About Karin Park

Karin Park made her debut in 2003 with the single “Superworldunknown”. After the release of her second album “Change Your Mind” (2006), the music developed in a new, darker and more synth-based direction. The third album, “Ashes To Gold” (2009), was produced by Fredrik Saroea, frontman of the Norwegian band Datarock.

Following this record, Karin has continued to develop a more experimental, beat-oriented sound. Karin Park is also a well known producer, who has done remixes for other bands and co-produced the latest Årabrot record “Who do you love” with her husband Kjetil Nernes, frontman in Årabrot.

Together with her brother David Park, Portsmouth based producer Barry Barnet and the Swedish producer Christoffer Berg (known for his work with The Knife, Fever Ray, Massive Attack and Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano), she made her fourth album, “Highwire Poetry” (2012). In 2015, she released her fifth studio album “Apocalypse Pop”.

Her new band project Pandora Drive is London based and released their first EP “Albino Heart” in 2018.

Aside from her musical career, Karin Park occasionally works as a model and an actress. She starred in the Norwegian horror film Hidden (2009) and her song “Out of the Cage” was the theme track to the film.

About Lustmord

Brian Williams is a Welsh industrial musician, sound designer and film score composer. He is often credited for creating the dark ambient genre with albums recorded under the name Lustmord.

Williams was raised in rural Wales, before relocating to London in his late teens where he befriended Throbbing Gristle members Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter, who urged him to make his own music. He started recording as Lustmord in 1980 before joining SPK in 1982.

Some of Lustmord’s most notable collaborations include Robert Rich on “Stalker”, Jarboe, John Balance of Coil, Monte Cazazza, Clock DVA, Chris & Cosey, Paul Haslinger, and Melvins on “Pigs of the Roman Empire”.

In short, an electronic music pioneer.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

All good things must come to an end! Since 1999 Oslo’s ElektroStat (formerly known also as Oslo Synthfestival) has been an active promotor and purveyor of great electronic music in the shape of small bands, big bands, small bands becoming big bands. This year’s ElektroStat will be the 17th running, taking place on November 06-07 2015, and unfortunately also the very last one. Yes, that’s right, ElektroStat has run its course and will be no more after this year’s edition.

But they will end in beauty as this year’s line up holds live performances from Dive, Leæther Strip, Tarmvred, Deutsche Bank, Schnodig, Distortion Six and Lurendrei.

Side-Line has been at the festival at several occasions in the past few years and it’s one of the few festivals where it was good fun being at with shows from Recoil, Kant Kino, Karin Park, Essence Of Mind, Marsheaux and many many more.

It’s highly recommended to already book your hotel if you plan to go as hotels tend to be rapidly booked around that period in Oslo. You can find a list of hotels available during this period right here. Make sure to choose a prolonged stay as Oslo has many exquisite corners to offer that will make your stay even more enjoyable.

Tickets for this year’s edition can be bought right here. You can check the festival’s official website for extra info too.

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank the team behind ElektroStat for the good collaboration over the past years and for the hospitality we enjoyed during our stays in Oslo. En stor kyss og vi vil se hverandre ganske snart !

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com