Robert Solheim - Vest LP

Aquavit BEAT co-founder Robert Solheim is next up on his own label with the first of a two-part album release that is very dear to him. The second part arrives closer to summer, and in between the two will be an EP with remixes from Ryan Sullivan, Terje Saether, DJ Samer, Porno Poltergeist and new up and coming hard techno artist Oyhopper from Norway.

Norway born artist Robert Solheim is a producer who, as well as being a fine solo talent, has been at the heart of some diverse and exciting collaborative projects over the years. He’s held down a DJ residency in Spain for a decade as well as playing everywhere from Rough trade in London to Oslo’s Elefant club.

Sasha and John Digweed, Nick Warren and Herman Cattaneo are fans of his work which takes in dark electronic pop as well as electronic grooves, and he is never far from heavy Radio 1 play. This new double album project, he has worked on for the last couple of years and is something of a flashback to his first project, Current, which was more ambient, downtempo, ambient and melodic-house, in his own words:

“The album(s) are inspired by the ever changing weather, storms, rain, sunshine breaking thru the clouds, thundering waves breaking in from the sea, the silence in the woods and strolling around rural roads and beaches on Averøy on the West coast of Norway where I grew up. I didn’t want to rush it, because I wanted it to perfect in the sense of that it had to reflect the feelings from my hometown.”

This most immersive listen starts with the beautiful melodic elegance of widescreen house cut ‘Innevær’ before the super slow motion ‘Pille Eska’ has glowing pads stretched out over languid beats. It’s gently rhythmic melancholia makes way for the more upbeat ‘Veien Hjem’. Just as multilayered, intricate and glistening, it has exquisitely glassy, icy synth lines that stretches up to the heavens. The perfectly pensive ‘Regn Regn Regn’ has a warm lead pad and percolating bassline that sink you into a thoughtful state of mind, and the superb ‘Utmark’ resonates with a sense of subtle joy that comes from the rich synth layers and gurgling bass. ‘Magisk Sopp I & II’ completes this adventurous and emotional journey with sixteen minutes of always evolving and blissful synth work.

The final track, like the album overall, perfectly captures the sense of ever changing weather that inspired Solheim throughout the writing process. It leaves you in the knowledge that you’ve really been taken somewhere, and leaves you more than keen for the second part to come.

Tracklist:

1.Innevær
2.Pille Eska
3.Veien Hjem
4.Regn Regn Regn
5.Utmark
6.Magisk Sopp I
7.Magisk Sopp II