Kronstad 23 are Norwegian friends who sound like Jerry Garcia and Coco Chatru on the edge of a wood, fjord, beach, naturalist camp with a perfectly 8-track album of Scandi-cool, 'Dødehavet' !
Batov Records have already treated us to Bolbec's' 'Foutu Félin' (see review HERE) earlier this month and end it with this "richly cinematic collection of instrumental music that feels less like a record and more like an imaginary film" that's jazzy, libarary, psych rock with a smattering of Scandinavian folk, global influeneces and summer heat!
They recorded the tracks live to tape at keys player Øyvind Arnodd Vie Berg's Bergen home studio, most tracks were captured in one or two takes using a 50-year-old console and tape recorder, with no post-production intervention - perhaps that's why it's got a Grateful Dead 'live' vibe..
The group's first two albums drew praise from Record Collector, Prog Magazine and Sweden's Lira; Dødehavet marks a step further into collective propulsion and rhythm, with jazz, soul, folk, Afrobeat and raga merging into what the band describe as a single, unforced language.
Tracks range from gospel-tinged soul ('Menigheten') and Latin-inflected rock ('Stratosfæren') to heavy Afrobeat ('Høytrykk) and modal jazz ('Bolverk'), all unified by a loose, improvisational feel rooted in collective instinct over rehearsal.
It is a tour de force and super cool, let it all hang out and be free.... but not too free.
BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Dødehavet | Kronstad 23
Artist: Kronstad 23
Title: Dødehavet
Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label: Batov Records
Cat. No: BTR137
Format: LP vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp
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