Norwegian drummer and composer Knut Kvifte Nesheim’s new album Graosido is more than just a jazz record—it’s a deeply personal and poetic reflection on the natural world, cultural identity, and the quiet power of musical collaboration. Composed for and performed by the adventurous Norwegian jazz orchestra OJKOS, this album weaves together musical textures, memories, and language into something that feels both grounded and expansive.
At the heart of Graosido lies a mountain—literally. The title refers to a real place: a distinctive mountain visible from Nesheim’s family farm by Lake Løna (Lønavatnet) near Voss in western Norway. “Graosido” translates to “grey side,” and from his childhood home, the mountain appears distant but reflected closely in the lake—an optical illusion that inspired the album’s theme of duality: near and far, constant and changing, firm yet fragile. It’s a metaphor that lives in every note of this album.
As captured on Sveinung Iversen’s striking album cover, the hourglass-shaped rock on Graosido’s ridge looks precariously balanced—almost as if it could fall at any moment—yet it stands unwavering. This striking image is more than a visual symbol. It encapsulates the feel of the music itself: delicately structured, emotionally resonant, and filled with subtle tension. Nesheim channels this energy into compositions that shift between stability and motion, form and freedom.
Every piece on Graosido is named using words from vossamål, the Voss dialect, rich with vocabulary describing weather, land, and nature. This deep connection to local language roots the music in place and gives each composition a specific flavor. Like the mountain, these words are constants passed through generations, still standing amid changing cultural and environmental landscapes.
OJKOS, the jazz orchestra that performs Nesheim’s work here, is not your average ensemble. It’s a rotating collective of composers, meaning that each project brings a fresh voice while preserving a shared identity. Nesheim, who’s been part of OJKOS for nearly five years, uses this collaborative structure to his advantage. While the music is unmistakably his in tone and vision, it’s brought to life through the interplay, interpretation, and improvisational skill of the group.
There’s an intimacy in how the musicians interact—like they’re painting with sound, taking cues from each other, leaning into silences, or erupting into bold, expressive statements. Nesheim’s background in both Norwegian folk music and jazz is felt throughout. His drumming isn’t showy—it’s textural and responsive, guiding rather than dominating, and always in conversation with the ensemble.
The music on Graosido is hard to pin to a single genre, and that’s its strength. It sits at the intersection of experimental jazz, folk-inspired melody, and ambient soundscape. Some tracks open sparsely, with delicate horn lines or abstract percussive gestures that echo the quiet of snow-covered hills or foggy mornings. Others build in intensity, reflecting storms rolling over the mountaintop or the warmth of sunlight breaking through clouds.
What unifies the album is its emotional clarity. Nesheim doesn’t compose to impress—he writes to evoke, to connect, to capture fleeting moments in sound. The arrangements are thoughtful and layered, often unfolding slowly, allowing room for improvisation while maintaining a strong compositional identity.
There’s also a playfulness in the writing, a reflection of the mountain’s seemingly precarious balance. Just when you think you know where a melody is headed, it twists slightly, reshapes itself, and reveals something new. These aren’t just songs—they’re topographical journeys.
Graosido is not a record to rush through. It asks for your attention, your stillness, and in return, it offers a rare sense of peace and depth. This is music for quiet mornings, long walks, or reflective evenings—times when you can really listen.
What makes Knut Kvifte Nesheim’s Graosido so special is how personal it feels without ever being exclusive. Even if you’ve never seen the mountains of western Norway or heard the vossamål dialect spoken aloud, the emotional truth of this album will reach you. It speaks to something universal: the need for anchors in a world of constant change, the power of landscape and memory, and the beauty of sound as a way to hold onto all of it.
For fans of contemporary jazz, Nordic folk, or anyone drawn to music that’s as poetic as it is musical, Graosido is a remarkable achievement. It stands firm—just like the hourglass stone—in a world that keeps shifting around it.
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