Hem Øystein Skar

• Øystein Skar (b. 1985):
• 1 Skar: Runa 03:40
• 2 Skar: Stok 04:16
• 3 Skar: Stonne 01:39
• 4 Skar: Snog 03:51
• 5 Skar: Blug 05:27
• 6 Skar: Levva 04:42
• 7 Skar: Spring 02:42
• 8 Skar: Hem 02:38
• 9 Skar: Ljos 03:56
• 10 Skar: Bleinkje 04:16
• Total Runtime 37:07

Info zu Hem

Hem marks the debut solo album from renowned Norwegian pianist and composer Øystein Skar. Best known for his contributions to the award-winning band Highasakite, Skar reveals a new facet of his artistic expression with this deeply personal release. Combining his classical piano foundation and jazz studies under ECM pianist Misha Alperin, Skar has developed a distinctive musical landscape. His compositions merge the lyrical beauty of piano with the dynamic energy of electronic music, resulting in a fusion that is both innovative and compelling.

Hem was recorded during the cold winter months of 2023 in the peaceful solitude of Skar’s home in a densely wooded area outside Oslo. “Hem” in his local dialect means “home,” and throughout this album, a feeling of returning to something familiar—whether that be self, person, origin, or idea—is tenderly sewn into the fabric of this work. Home, for Skar, is represented and thought of in many ways throughout this collection, which explores feelings of gratitude, self-discovery, isolation, ways we hide in plain sight, connection, and resolution, in addition to remembering the people who impacted his life in profound ways.

'Hem' moves from delicate, intimate piano pieces—recorded on Skar’s old Steinway upright piano—to bold, electronic-driven works where analog synthesizers and mellotrons create a raw, rhythmic, and monumental sound that is totally original. Both a homecoming and a new beginning, Hem is a stunning debut that will resonate with fans of instrumental and pop music from beginning to end.

Øystein Skar, piano

Øystein Skar
is a Norwegian pianist and composer.

Starting classical piano lessons at the age of six, Øystein honed his improvisational and compositional skills under the guidance of Misha Alperin at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where he studied jazz and improvisation. After completing his studies, he spent years touring and recording with various projects and bands, primarily in the realms of jazz and experimental music, before shifting his focus towards experimental electronic music, pop, and studio work.

Skar then spent over a decade in the pop industry, touring extensively around the world with the renowned band Highasakite and earning multiple Norwegian Grammys and platinum albums. He collaborated, toured, and recorded with pop artists like Aurora and Sigrid, as well as key jazz figures such as Jon Eberson. With Highasakite, he sold out the Oslo Spektrum, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert, and toured alongside bands like Of Monsters and Men and London Grammar. His work has encompassed both national and international projects, contributing to over 40 releases. As a composer, he has collaborated with many of Norway's leading dance and theatre companies, scoring music for television and creating commissioned works.

In 2023, Øystein supported Dutch pianist Joep Beving in Oslo in collaboration with Live Nation, and in 2024, he completed his new album HEM, which means "Home" in his dialect. This album marks his debut as a solo pianist under his own name.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet