It is not always the case, especially when it comes to art, but sometimes one can sense the meaning of a friendship – everything one doesn’t need to say, but that has been there, unsaid, for years. «Between Hotels and Time» marks the friendship between three outstanding artists.
The result is a timeless and divine album with 18 original songs. The three exceptional Norwegian artists are masters in their fields. Coming together creatively in this release, really enhances their different strengths and complement each other.
The record consists of slow and atmospheric songs both blue, sore and heartfelt but also tasteful, nifty and rhythmic tunes like in songs like “The Pawn Shop Band” and “Theif”. The more dark and melancholic side of the album shines through in tracks like “The Finder” and “Serbelloni Memories”. The musical landscape is at times dreamy and mellow, making the listener become almost nostalgic.
Anneli Drecker is known to most for being the singer in the electronic dream pop band “Bel Canto”. On this record, it´s a different kind of musical expression, with only clean piano as accompaniment. Dreckers voice is full of contrast – sometimes light and airing, and sometimes grounded and warm. Like in the song “Name”, she has a pure and almost angelic voice while her voice is dark and supportive in songs like “Winter Drama”.
The Norwegian writer and poet Lars Saabye Christensen has been acknowledged both in Norway and abroad for his texts, but he also has a strong passion for music and has been a musical lyricist for many years.
It´s been 44 years since Ketil Bjørnstad met Lars Saabye Christensen for the first time, and together they´ve created music before, with Anneli Drecker on vocals. “Suite Of Poems” was released in in 2018, and there´s no doubting their collaboration has been and still is a success.
Ketil Bjørnstad says this about the process of making “Between Hotels and Time”:
– All art arises from experience, from dreams, from a lived life, grief, loss and fear. And nevertheless we find our way back to art, again and again, to gain new comfort and new insight. Lars and I barely exchange a word while I was setting these poems to music, which was both disquieting and consoling. This is the way it has always been between us. A few brief sentences. Mutual agreement. Always trust. Never upsetting discussions. When I was finished with the songs, they were accepted by Lars. That was the way it had to be. There was never any doubt that we wanted this song cycle to be sung by Anneli Drecker.The authentic feel comes from the live recording and with a trust between the artists, Ketil Bjørnstad explains:
– We recorded the album live, without a rehearsal, without any other practising than what we had done on our own, each in a different part of the country, and with the enthusiasm that arose from hearing these songs emerge in the space between us. We recognised how well we knew each other. I knew exactly how she was going to phrase a melodic line seconds before she did it. It was perhaps the most remarkable studio experience I have had in my life. And Lars was at home, in quarantine with Covid, and had complete faith in both of us. This is how the spirit of our friendship is.
