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Trojka — Strobemørke
(Apollon Records ARP081, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-12-04

Strobemørke Cover art

Trojka’s third album is called Strobemørke, which Google Translate renders as Strobe Darkness. I’m not sure what that means, but “dark” is not one of the adjectives I’d use to describe this band’s music. Their sound is very reminiscent of Canterbury groups of the 70s, especially Caravan and Hatfield and the North. The group is now a quartet of Simon Kverneng (bass), Gjert Hermansen (drums), August Riise (keyboards), and Fredrik Mekki Widerøe (keyboards), with everyone except Riise singing. Widerøe is new to the band since Tre Ut (2019), but we’ve encountered him before in Seven Impale; his guitar adds a new dimension to the sound, at times gritty and at other times more ethereal. I don’t know if it’s due to Widerøe’s influence or if it’s where the band was headed anyway, but the music on Strobemørke seems more sophisticated, with more twists and turns, odd meters, and changes in mood. There are some outstanding vocal arrangements as well, and the track “Romvesen” stands out as a highlight. You never know where it’s going over 6:43, with sudden changes of meter, unexpected unison riffs, and unusual harmonies combined with outstanding singing. A few of the tracks feature additional strings and saxophone, though they’re not listed in the credits. The album finishes off “Satans Disko,” which is the longest track Trojka has ever recorded at over twelve minutes. And they prove worthy of the task, presenting a constantly entertaining progression of different sections that build to a satisfying conclusion. Trojka calls their music “prog-pop” but that might imply something less substantial than what they do, which is excellent on any level.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Trojka

More info
http://trojkabergen.bandcamp.com/album/strobem-rke

 

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