Norwegian ambient/experimental artist Karsten Hamre, now based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is back with two releases. The first one is under the Defraktor moniker with the album “From the Netherworld” for which he has started to perform live with a forthcoming live appearance on the 13th of May in Sofia Bulgaria. The next that was just put up on Bandcamp is Karsten Hamre’s new instalment in the ‘Through Alien Eyes’ series: “The Veil Between Worlds: Echoes of The Past”.

You can order both releases below. The first is Karsten Hamre’s new instalment in the ‘Through Alien Eyes’ series: “The Veil Between Worlds: Echoes of The Past”.

And this is Defraktor’s “From the Netherworld”.

About Karsten Hamre

Hamre has created music across various genres such as dark ambient, drone, neoclassical, and experimental electronic music. With more than 25 years of experience in the music industry, Hamre has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential artists in Norway. He is also a visual artist and has created a number of striking album covers and artwork.

Hamre’s musical journey started in the early 1990s when he formed the experimental music project, Penitent, which released the debut album “Melancholia” on the legendary Cold Meat Industry label. With Penitent, Hamre explored the darker and more atmospheric side of music, incorporating elements of industrial, neoclassical, and dark ambient music to create a unique sound that would later become his trademark.

Count to that his work under aliases and in groups such as Arcane Art, Beastus Rex, Defraktor, Dense Vision Shrine, Veiled Allusions, Museum Of Transient Lights and The Flux Komplex.

Here’s part of his large discography:

• “The Beauty of Pain” by Penitent (1997) – Released by Draenor Productions.
• “As Life Fades Away” by Penitent (1998) – Released by Draenor Productions.
• “Roses By Chaos Spawned” by Penitent (1999) – Released by Memento Mori.
• “Through The Corridors Of Time” by Veiled Allusions (2000) – Released by L.S.D. Organisation.
• “The Cursed Artist” by Arcane Art (2000) – Released by Memento Mori.
• “A Curious Dimension” by Veiled Allusions (2000) – Released by Bestial Records.
• “Visions Of The World” by Veiled Allusions (2001) – Released by Counter Attack Productions.
• “Reflections Of Past Memories” by Penitent (2001) – Released by Counter Attack Productions.
• “Songs Of Despair” by Penitent (2002) – Released by Beyond Productions.
• “Split” by Vinterriket/Veiled Allusions (2002) – Released by Neodawn Productions and Regimental Records.
• “Rosenkranz” by Veiled Allusions (2002) – Released by Dragon Flight Recordings LLS.
• “Litanies Of Desire” by Dense Vision Shrine (2003) – Released by Beauty And Pain.
• “Dream A Little Dream” by Museum Of Transient Lights (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “A Shapeless Beauty” by Penitent (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Themes For The Lunatic” by Defraktor (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Lost Illusions” by The Flux Komplex (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Deserted Dreams” by Penitent (2004) – Released by Beyond Productions.
• “Nightly Terrors” by Arcane Art (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Die My Illusion” by Dense Vision Shrine (2005) – Released by Einzeleinheit.
• “Broken Whispers” by Karsten Hamre (2005) – Released by Flood The Earth.
• “A Voyage Of Imagination” by Dense Vision Shrine (2006) – Released by Epidemie Records.
• “Unwinding The Inside” by Dense Vision Shrine (2007) – Released by Rape Art Productions.
• “Placenta World” by Karsten Hamre vs. Kenji Siratori (2007) – Released by Hypermodern.
• “Among The Sleepless” by Penitent (2007) – Released by Hydra.
• “A Hole In The Void Of Time (Part 1 & Part 2)” by Defraktor (2007) – Released by Lona Records.
• “Time Lost In Oblivion” by Dense Vision Shrine (2009) – Released by First Fallen Star.
• “Magic & Mystery” by Dense Vision Shrine (2012) – Released by NeoKunst.
• “When The Gods Die” by Arcane Art (2012) – Released by NeoKunst.
• “Compendium II” by Karsten Hamre (2014) – Released by Black Mask Media.
• “When Darkness Descends (Defraktor Remix Session)” by Veiled Allusions (2014) – Released by Black Mask Media.
• “Through Alien Eyes Volume I” by Karsten Hamre (2017) – Released by Wounded Hearts Productions.

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