Review: Kronstad 23 - Dødehavet (Batov Records)

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

Review: Ori Kaplan & Lihu Melamed - Reverie (Batov Records)

This is not 'A Forest' but a deep delve into a jazz/OST 'Reverie' by new best friends Ori Kaplan an Lihu Melamed on Batov Records!

 

A neat follow up to Batov Records' last two released albums; Bolbec's' 'Foutu Félin' (see review HERE), Kronstad 23's 'Dødehavet' (see review HERE), here's another in the leftfield jazzy, cinematic, libarary, glboal, folky psych!

Not surprising really as Ori Kaplan (a founding member of Balkan Beat Box and collaborator of Gogol Bordello) joins forces with engineer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Lihu Melamed for the debut album, 'Reverie'.

The cinematic elements come from "unhurried grooves" and "modal strings" whilst the jazz is where the tracks are lead by  baritone sax and flutey winds that can get you into late-night clubs, folky weddings and more that's been said to range form "Morricone desert soundtracks and Nino Rota's Rome to Mingus, Yusef Lateef, Klezmer modes, Middle Eastern textures and the psychedelic sweep of King Crimson and The Doors".    

'Amber' (featuring Itamar Zieger)' and 'Obelisk' are perhaps typical as it taps on many of the above but it turns out this combo came out of sessions for Balkan Beat Box's sixth album and includes drummer Tamir Muskat and contributions from Kaplan's own children and partner.

I wonder if there's any plans for a project with Kronstad 23 for a full Scandiavian forest whcih might be too much; but check out the cover image - shades of Edward Woodward/Britt Ekland in the original version of 'The Wicker Man'?  

Don't be scared off by the cover, this is a beautiful 11 track experience for any lost souls looking to be found (the track 'Lost Soul' features Yaron Ouzana on trombone).

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Reverie | Ori Kaplan & Lihu Melamed

Artist: Ori Kaplan & Lihu Melamed

Title:  Reverie

Release date: 12th June, 2026

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR134

Format:  LP vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp