Ojkos featuring Andreas Rotevatn - Alea Iacta Est [Odin Records]

Scheduled for release via Odin Records on August 21st, 2k20 is "Alea Iacta Est", the new full length live album by Andreas Rotevatn-led project Ojkos which can be described as a Jazz-informed orchestra formed by composers instead of sole instrumentalists. Drawing inspiration from Contemporary Jazz as well African rhythms, Soul greats and even recent electronic club music created by the likes of Avicii or Daft Punk the album starts with the intense, brooding and spine-tingling "Innsegling" which transfers the intial Jazz vibe into a massive Synth fest whereas the subsequent double feature "Breidablik 1" / "Breidablik 2" dabbles with classy Easy Jazz / Easy Listening - with the first one heavily gravitating towards electronics whilst its successor coming in on a more natural, swinging and light-hearted Jazz vibe and even introduces a hint of Funk in its ever present synthesizer lines. The follow up "Elegi Karmosin" is as deep, inward looking and emotional as it gets on this longplayer, "It's South African Time" and "It's West African Time" obviously embrace African influences and sweet, uplifting rhythm signatures defo pairable with sweet fruit cocktails on a hot summer evening whereas "Dikt Til H" harks back to electronically dubbed out Ambient Jazz territories. Furthermore "The Khorovod Prayer" brings forth solemn, tender beauty in Jazz whilst building up towards multi-layered melodic heights, "Helter Skelter 2" finally hits the dancefloor like a gazillion dancing dervishes with its hounded, highly dramatic uptempo feel and twisted breakdown sequence which turns the tune into an instant favorite within seconds and finally "Snow In Treschow" waves goodbye in a friendly, almost folksy manner, catering more naturalist beauty for followers of panoramic PostRock and PopAmbient.

Album artwork on Instagram!