Johan Tobias Bergstrøm - Nova (2024) [Hi-Res]

The initial spark for this project came in 2020 when I got a gig playing for the Norwegian and Jordanian royal families in Jordan. While I was there I soaked in the sights and sounds, heard music on the radios in the taxis and in the coffee shops, and when I came back, the stringed sound of the oud was bouncing around in my head. I decided it was time to make a fusion project; one combining the Django Reinhardt-style music I play and the Arabic music I’d newly discovered. The next step was to meet a real oud player, so I got on the bus to Gothenburg and took lessons with Ahmad Al-Khatib (a player I had listened to heavily) and was officially introduced to the musical tradition. As I progressed towards my goal, however, more influences began to seep in: I have always loved African music - especially the music of Richard Bona - and was inspired to bring these sounds into my writing. I wrote the tune Solaris in the style of an Irish jig after returning from trips to Worcestershire, UK for lessons with guitarist Remi Harris.

This is my debut solo album after 15 years of experience writing, recording and performing music. I’ve released five albums of Django Reinhardt-style music, and though this was going to be a fusion debut, it ended up being much more of a world music debut! The constellation of the songs on Nova come from different areas of the musical universe.

A heartfelt thanks is owed to my bandmates: Jørgen, Håkon and Thomas who helped make this project what it is, and to Aleks Sjølie for producing this with me, recording and mixing. Thank you, Losen Records, for taking the project on. To my teachers, Ahmad Al-Khatib, Niclas Knudsen, Remi Harris I am very grateful, and to my friends and family who cheered me on - Ferdinand Bergstrøm, Sebastian T. Overskott, Bård Helgerud and Nicolai Bülow Rousting - here it is!