Runar Netland - Release Concert "First, Everything"

Drummer, composer and musician Runar Netland debuts with his first solo album First, Everything – a cohesive and sensory work that explores rhythm, structure and improvisation with an organic approach to jazz. The album is presented live at Kulturkirken Jakob on 4 November. First, Everything is built as a journey. The music develops from the simple to the complex, from silence to movement, through contrasts and change: from mono to stereo, from optimism to pessimism, from loneliness to community, from feeling despair to finding hope. The result is an expression that balances calm and transformation, inspired by nature's rhythmic patterns and the endless cycle of our surroundings. With drum kit, piano, synths, drum machines, percussion and electronic elements as a starting point, Netland has developed a distinct and personal musical language. The philosophy behind the music is rooted in a simple, pure presence – before everything else builds upon it. The album's structure and rhythms mirror this way of thinking and give room for both free improvisation and meditative calm, while the music draws on nature's dynamics and constant change. The album invites the listener to be present, listen and feel – in tune with both nature's pulsating rhythms and the inner calm that mindfulness can provide. First, Everything is intended both as an immersive listening experience and as a musical travel companion: on the train, on the plane, on the run, the mountain hike or the ski trip. Large parts of the music are inspired by Runar Netland's many ski trips in Nordmarka in Oslo - a place that has become a kind of second home. The album was recorded together with a star team of musicians, who will also join him on stage this evening: Andreas Ulvo (keys) - Mathias Marstrander (pedal steel, guitar) - Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet), Sunniva Lilian Shaw Of-Tordarroch (cello) and Martin Ulltang (double bass). Espen Høydalsvik on sound. First, Everything is composed and produced by Runar Netland and is the result of his master's studies in music at NLA Staffeldtsgate. The album is an invitation to slow down, listen more deeply and move gently – from start to finish. Photo: Helge Brekke