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Kalandra - mystical sounds from the far north
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The Norwegian band Kalandra is well on its way to becoming one of the most important bands in the Northern European music landscape. Their music impresses with profoundly poetic lyrics, a genre-bending diversity, and a unique, mystical sound that pleases alternative pop and folk fans—as well as metalheads.
In this blog article I will present you all the important facts about the band Kalandra and their musical history so far. You will get to know their most interesting songs, lyrics and videos. So open your eyes (and ears)! Let's go on a little journey into the world of this extraordinary up-and-coming band.
Table of Contents
- The most important facts about Kalandra
- Previous musical publications
- Kalandra – “Brave New World”
- Kalandra – “Borders”
- See Kalandra live
The most important facts about Kalandra
The band Kalandra is composed of four central musicians: Katrine Stenbekk as singer and songwriter, Florian Döderlein Winter on guitar, Jogeir Daae Maeland, also on guitar, and Oskar Johnsen Rydh on drums. Project-wise, other musicians are also involved in various pieces and performances.
Originally, the band members come from Norway and Sweden. However, Kristine Stenbekk has lived in England for more than five years, where she studied music, among other things. Kalandra is signed to By Norse Music—the label that also includes Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik, Sowulo and Wardruna. The latter have produced the soundtrack of the Netflix series Vikings, among others.
Previous musical publications
In 2017, Kalandra released their first EP titled "Beneath the Breaking Waves", which features six tracks. The title of the EP already suggests a mystical-spiritual impact and contains personal, biographical and fantastic-narrative elements. These already give a first impression of the artistic work of the band. The songs are mainly sung in English. But Stenbekk's native Norwegian can be heard, too.
In 2020, the band released their first proper album called "The Line", which contains a total of eleven tracks. There are some very exciting tracks on it, which are musically significant, and have now reached a worldwide audience with millions of clicks on Spotify and Youtube. Among them are songs like "Brave New World" and "Borders" (more on those later).
Finally, in 2022, Kalandra released another album in connection with the video game "Kingdom Two Corwns: Norse Land." This served as the musical soundtrack for the game and was subsequently prepared as an album by expanding and changing the pieces. The video game is set in the time around the year 1000 according to the chronology and harmonizes with the ancient-modern, Nordic folklore sound of the band. Even without knowledge of the game, the album is easy to listen to and conjures to mind images of mystical forests and river landscapes. In addition, the singer Kristine Stenbekk is involved in projects of the band Wardruna.
Kalandra – “Brave New World”
The most famous track, "Brave New World," has now been listened to over seven million times on Spotify and Youtube, making it the song with the widest reach to date (as of February 2023). It impresses with its dynamic build-up of initially angelic vocals—which become increasingly confident, powerful, and determined—as well as equally gentle guitar riffs that become increasingly harder. The musical preparation also underlines the theme of the song lyrics. At the beginning, this is about a deep, almost numbing sleep:
“Close your eyes and sleep
Ignore all the burdens that you keep”
On the other hand, the lyrics at the end of the piece postulate a combative attitude:
“A brave new world will rise
If we do not act upon its lies
Hold your tongues no more
Learn from all the ones who came before
Catch the wind and fight the storm
Through the fury we're holding on
Take your time but not too long
Make it worth the time you own”
As a source of inspiration, the band cites two influences: First, Aldous Huxley's eponymous novel of a negative social utopia and one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. Secondly, the poem "Du må ikke sove" by Norwegian writer and painter Arnulf Øverland (which translates to "You must not sleep").
Kalandra – “Borders”
The second piece I would like to present is called "Borders" and is of a more mystical, powerful and pictorial nature. What exactly it's about can't be said with certainty, as the lyrics invite only vague guesses and seem to address the pictorial and subconscious of the listener. See (and hear) for yourself:
“On the borders of safety
That's where I find peace
Where the black sand
Meets the raging seas
I see the forces
For what they truly are
Yet, I am reminded
Of my beating heart
Among the lonely rocks is where I lay my head
I hear the ocean calling, "Come with me instead"
She sings me songs of ungrateful souls
Who once thought gods could bring them home”
Both the lyrics and the music video are about the forces of nature and how they seem to speak to us humans. One of the people involved in the music video commented that it is about human vulnerability and exposure to the world. A world that can sometimes be experienced as merciless, formidable, and enormously challenging. Kalandra herself likes to leave the interpretations of her songs to the imagination of her fans and therefore reveals little about her interpretation of the piece.
See Kalandra live
Kalandra tends to take its time in the production and release of new tracks and albums. Nevertheless, there are regular performances and concerts. Currently (as of February 2023) Kalandra is on tour in Europe and among others also in Germany. If you are interested in concert dates, you can find all the necessary info and dates here.
Did you like the article and would you like to learn more about current newcomers? Then take a look at my article about the up-and-coming artist Schmyt. If you're interested in more articles about artists and musical topics, you'll find a large and growing selection of relevant content on our mukken blog. And if you're a musician yourself and want to network with other musicians from your area for a joint (band) project, you'll find what you're looking for quickly and easily here.
Originally published on May 20, 2023, updated on May 20, 2023
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