Mats Eilertsen Releases “Hymn For Hope”
Bassist Mats Eilertsen has returned with a new album called Hymn for Hope. The 13-track release spans a range of emotions with a “wide span of lyrical, thoughtful, melancholic, fierce, driving, swinging, playful music.”
Eilertsen is joined by tenor saxophonist Tore Brunberg, guitarist Thomas T. Dahl, and drummer Hans Hulbækmo. Hymn For Hope was recorded over two days in December of 2020 in Oslo. Dahl called it an “open pocket of freedom in the middle of the Covid pandemic.”
“After being locked in for almost a year, the feeling of just meeting people, hanging out, and even playing, felt extremely invigorating. A lifeline,” he wrote. “This recording was ‘The’ beacon of light for me during the pandemic. Because of the interaction, the music, and the feeling of freedom in the moment. So, I don’t care if anyone else likes it or not. Those two days were important to me. We needed some kind of release, and we got it.”
Each player gets a chance to shine on melodies and solos. Check out the band’s chemistry in this live take of “K”:
Hymn For Hope is available now through Bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon MP3.
Hymn For Hope Track List:
- Little Thug
- Oscuro
- K
- Sunrise
- Circle
- Hymn For Hope
- M
- Sunday
- August
- Chiaro
- Call
- First
- X
