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Description:
New Age music is often described in terms of the landscapes it conjures. In
Raustol's case, that connection is quite deliberate. A denizen of Norway and
former resident of Bangladesh and Ireland, this multi-instrumentalist speaks of
how his blissful, jazzy melodies are formed as a reflection of these distinct
and vibrant 'terroirs.'
Far up north, in the quiet small country Norway; Norway with its still lakes,
its beautiful fjords, its steep impressive mountains, comes Kjetil Raustøl. His
music is influenced by this rigid and picturesque nature. The music is quiet
with a melodic centre. Kjetil has in recent years changed his style completely
to become a performer of a "simple" music: few notes often make more impact.
Beside the Nordic influence in his music he has also some elements of World
music, specifically Indian. He grew up in Bangladesh and brought with him some
of the musical impressions of these times. And he has later returned to this in
his MA thesis in Ethnomusicology (2004) from University of Limerick, Ireland.
His year in Ireland also had an impact on his music; the beautiful music of
Ireland. Kjetil plays many different instruments, his main being alto saxophone,
and second is guitar. But he also performs bass, percussion and different
flutes. Hope you like his music!
Education:
BA - English, Anthropology, South-Asia area study - University of Oslo, Norway.
MA - Ethnomusicology, University of Limerick, Ireland.
In need of web-design? - contact
History:
I grew up in the intriguing country
Bangladesh. Bangladesh is located in the south of Asia. It borders India and
Burma. The country is the most densely populated in the world, with 140
million/55598 square miles. Bangladesh is not a popular travel-destination, but
it is a great country: culture, music, the Bangla curry!!, friendly people,
nature.
I was born in Kathmandu, Nepal. Compared to Bangladesh, Nepal is more popular
with tourists. Lying in the middle of the Himalayas, it has wonderful views.
I came to Norway when I was nine, and have lived here since, with one exception:
Ireland (see below). Coming to Norway was not easy. Being multicultural has its
advantages and its downsides. As a child it was a bit confusing.
I turned to music when I was twelve. I decided on saxophone, which was not easy
to do. I come from a family with few musicians. And saxophone,
what!? But my mind was made up, and I finally got to borrow a sax from Askim
music-school (I've never said this: Thanks!!). I remember my first lesson, and
the first thing I was taught: "Son, you got the mouthpiece the wrong way."
About a year later I started playing the guitar as well.
Soon I joined my first band: Dus, later to become Pangea. We were all pretty new
to music (our bass-player had never touched a bass before...), so we started out
playing psalms in church. Later we turned to jazz-fusion, and became the band of
and for musicians: Pangea. We played together for about six years, and developed
a lot on that time. I've got a lot to thank these guys for, always pushing
eachother forward: Niklas Karlsen - keyboards, Tom Erik Roed - drums, Hans
Christian Hjort - bass, and Simen Birkenes - guitar. Simen, who has become a
great guitarist, and I still perform together on occasions.
During these years and later I've played with: Cloak (punk/rock/jazz), Token
(grunge), Bürgersteig (folkrock), different choirs, Blue Falls band: Simen
Birkenes - guitars, Peter Lillevold - perc, Karen Flesvig - cello, Hans Christian Hjort -
bass (jazz-pop), Igal Gabbay, Grode, Baunen, and many more.
The summer of 1994 I attended the greatest concert I've ever been to: Zooropa on
Valle Hovin, Oslo, Norway. I was right in front of the stage. It was amazing! U2
was, and is, an icon for what music is all about: Being true! Having a message,
a statement. Conveying a feeling.
After high school (1995) I took several courses in music, and I started going to
Petter Skretting for saxophone lessons. Petter was very important for my
development on the saxophone. These years I really focused on music.
Soon I bought my first portable studio and started recording songs. I turned
away from jazz-fusion (playing fast, perfect and technical), to more mellow
music. I was later to find out that this was very much in Nordic Sound tradition
in jazz (Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Aril Andersen). "The Nordic sound is linked
to the nature of the Nordic countries, especially to the fjords and the steep
mountains. The performers try to recapture this picturesque landscape in their
music. The sound that comes out of this is characterized as naked. Generally the
music is melodic and in minor mode. It is quiet and often slow in tempo. In the
improvisation the performers use long notes and ornament them giving a subtle
feel. Part of the Nordic sound includes use of traditional music elements in the
music, especially in improvisation. This is reflected in phrasing and
ornamentation." - Kjetil Raustol, Common Ground, 2004.
These recordings became the start of MYR. In 1999 I bought a new portable
studio, a digital Korg D-8. Now I rerecorded some of my earlier stuff, and I
recorded a lot of new material. In 2000 I released my first record: Blue Falls
(the photographer John C. House let me use his wonderful picture w/title on the
cover), on the new label: MYR. This also triggered my interest for graphic
design.
I put together the Blue Falls band, and had some gigs. The release was covered
by the national newspaper VartLand.
Later I released A Quiet Morning 2001, and Inner Landscape 2003.
After completing my BA at the University of Oslo, I started looking at possible
MAs. Ethnomusicology soon caught my attention. Here I could fuse my main
interests: the study of culture (anthropology) and music - specifically music
from around the world. I've always looked outwards (I love to travel - USA,
Ireland, South-East Asia, South-Asia, England and more). I was very lucky to be
accepted to University of Limerick in Ireland. I love Irish music! This was an
excellent opportunity to learn Irish music, as well as to learn about music from
around the world. My thesis became a representation of who I am, more than I
knew when I started writing it. I looked at the fusion of North-Indian classical
music and jazz (the Nordic Sound). See below for preface to thesis.
December 17th, 2005 I got married to Emilie! A wonderful woman from Kolbotn.
I completed a BA in IT at the University in Bergen. We
now live in Ski, suburb to Oslo.
I work with music: music teaching (saxophone and guitar), I've had a workshop on
Irish music, and I do graphic design jobs, as well as web-design.
contact
This is the abstract of:
Common Ground: The fusion of North-Indian classical music and jazz, UL - 2004:
ABSTRACT
Common Ground:
Fusion of North Indian classical music and jazz
by
Kjetil Raustol
Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology
University of Limerick, 2004
The contemporary musical landscape of the world is increasingly globalized.
There are fewer and fewer societies that have one prominent musical expression.
Most cultures and societies are affected by different traditions, from different
parts of the world. Expressions meet and are appropriated by performers, on a
common ground of shared music. The fusion expressions that emerge from the
interaction of the local and the global are varied. In this thesis I will focus
on the music that has come about through the fusion of North Indian classical
music with jazz/jazz-fusion. This expression is part of the multicultural world
music scene.
The world music genre is hotly debated. In short the discussion concerns how or
if the globalized music trends replace the local traditional expressions. I will
look at some aspects of this debate. My point of departure will be Gadamer’s
‘fusion of horizons’. I will try to show that the context of the world music
expressions have changed. That the meaning in the expression is not in the local
tradition, but in the interaction between the local and the global.
World music is very much tied to the record industry. Therefore my research
focus has been recorded music. The artists I have focused on are the Indian
tabla player Trilok Gurtu, and the Norwegian saxophonist Bendik Hofseth. Both
artists have done a lot of cross-cultural performances, and the songs I have
chosen reflect this. The songs are quite different. In this they mirror the
experimentation and innovation that is a common feature of world music. Both
artists explore the common ground of North Indian classical music and jazz.
My third musical example in this thesis is “Common Ground”. I recorded this song
during my research. My aim was to try out in practice what I studied. The title
of the song reflect this. The song is my exploration into a common ground of my
music and what I have picked up from North Indian classical music.
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Reviews:
Incredibly beautiful
This is incredibly beautiful. There really isn't much more I can say to describe
this.
It begins much like a David Sylvian track and almost reaches the border of the
Kenny G wasteland but then retreats, the saxophone solo playing remaining in
good taste throughout the track. This artist or combo pay a lot of attention to
the inclusion of silence and sparsity in their music. It adds a lot to this
track. Reviewed by: marchingband from Rehovot, Israel
This will take you to another world!
i love the intro. wicked mood created. i'm in a dark cave with herd of buffalo
blocking the entrance. now its more relaxing, soothing. the desert at night.
love the sax. its refreshing, innovative, different.
the percussion is just right. the guitar adds a nice rhythmic touch. what a mood
you guys create! amazing. took me out on an adventure of crazy desert scapes and
wind blowing through the grass. great job
Reviewed by: Shaw_Wychwood
Wow... this is really good!
I'm typically not a big fan of this style, particularly with the sax, but I
*really* like this song. The production is fabulous - what hit me first was the
emotion of it and that's always a good thing.
I like the guitar/sax mimic - it's a technique that adds a lot but I don't hear
very often. I also appreciate the competence of the sax player - one thing I
dislike hearing in wind players is an excess of air coming out around their
mouths - it's sloppy and it detracts. I can't hear any of that here.
Well constructed - solid melody, solid changes. These two play well together. I
like the chord progression in the middle section. It didn't go quite where I
expected it to, and I like that.
Overall I'd say call the local station and drop this track off. If they don't
play it they're fools.
Peaceful Tones
A bit of mellow acoustic jazz. The saxaphone has a nice tone and the acoustic
guitar is very fluid and relaxing. They really know how to use space and time.
Arrangement is excellent and performance is flawless. The overall sound of the
mix is very good and all these elements lead to a meditative atmosphere. Take a
break, put up your feet and tune in...
Reviewed by: Asheber from London, United Kingdom
Inspiration: U2, Bendik Hofseth, Sting, Michael Hedges, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Aril Andersen, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, John Mayer, Lunasa, Flook, Dar Williams, Maia Sharp, Mindy Smith, Natalie Merchant, Dixie
Chicks, Police, Clannad. Lokua Kanza, Ger Wolfe, Staind, King's X, Rage Against
the Machine, Øystein Sevåg, Jars of Clay, Kate Rusby, and many more.
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