“Ghosts return because we fear they will.”
ENGE STORE, meaning “vast meadows” in Norwegian and referring to the place where two out of three members of the band grew up, is a project that was started in 2014, from the three bandmates’ initiative to explore the vast horizons of acoustic-natured soundscapes. The listener may discern that the project is characterized in particular by a free and open experimentation with diverse influences. They cited the album “Kveldssanger” by ULVER as their quintessential influence, but also open doors for many other great names to be their primary musical influences; ranging from classical masters such as JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH and JOHN DOWLAND to ambient-master WILLIAM BASINSKI. Apart from the names just mentioned, they also stated a myriad of legends under diverse genre classifications ranging from experimental, avant-garde, krautrock, to shoegaze, with the influential names being POPOL VUH, SLOWDIVE, NICO, SWANS, and CURRENT 93. This atmospheric 3-piece project aspires greatly to uncover the many sides of desolate-sounding folk music through their romanticization of haunted places and remnants of things lost. On December 9th, 2022, the Oslo-based act released their debut full-length “Det høstes nå” via Eisenwald.
The album is an accumulated collection of subliminal experimental folk tunes created over 5 years and it mainly involves plucked guitars, pulsating percussion, aching strings, and mournful choirs – they have succeeded in creating a solemn, autumnal atmosphere in the form of distant hymns. All-around haunting and immensely magical, the album guides its listeners on a journey towards inner landscapes where truer light reigns. The sonic clusters they present lead us to a constant soul-crushing quest for impermanent faint light; it’s also an embodiment of tranquil autumnal days — the roaring echoes of this album speak greatly of nature and dark, haunted spaces. I also think that the poem collection Averno by Louise Glück is one of the inspirations that helped contribute to the creative process of this album, as they cited an excerpt of the poem book on their Bandcamp page. The line that goes along the lines of, “It grieves me to think / the dead won’t see them / these things we depend on / they disappear” in said poem book is especially relevant and congruent with the major themes of the album. As the melancholic strings play, we’ll contemplate, we’ll reflect, and we’ll immerse ourselves in the facticity of being and becoming.
I think that this album would be a catch for those who are into fellow Norwegians, SPURV, who play mostly instrumental post-rock, for the similar desolate vibes, similar ethereal tranquility, and similar string-laden types of sound. Overall, this debut full-length incorporates the pure experience of taking back nature and unravels the darker sides of the inner realm; definitely a must-listen.
Written by Ralka Skjerseth
Tracklist
1. Det høstes nå
2. Den tapte vei
3. Inn i en uskarp dag
4. Irrlyset
5. Dødehuset
6. Minneflimmer
7. Ulmebranner
8. Stjerneløse elver
9. Kom tilbake til jorden
Lineup
E. Rustad – Vocals, percussion
F. D. Svendsen – Guitars
T. Espedal – Violins
Label
Eisenwald
