Perhaps best known in the European metal underground for his work with Norwegian trio, Draken, this March will see the official worldwide release of “Journeyman”, the brand new studio album by acclaimed drummer, composer and label founder, André Drage.
Inspired by ambient music, Norwegian folk and the music of Malawi, “Journeyman” was recorded over two session-packed weeks at Røffsound Recordings in 2020 with a cast of incredible players from Oslo’s jazz and experimental music scene.
“Working as a drummer in different bands, with different kinds of music for so many years, I have the luxury of knowing a lot of talented musicians”, he explains. “Oslo is quite small, but it has a concentrated number of talented people, and the goal was to make a prog record with a sound that would encapsulate a sense of Norway, Africa, and dreamlike electronica”.
To help him realise his remarkable vision, Drage, who himself has traversed various musical landscapes geographically was inspired to draft in musicians from various backgrounds to facilitate genre expressions. Writing parts for classical musicians using mallets, lead electronic melodies for jazz performers and incorporating exotic instruments like vibraphones and marimbas to achieve his desired sound. Recorded through the pandemic with people placed in isolated rooms, Drage himself fought hard through that strange and surreal time to make sense of his record, and the world around him. Eventually producing and mixing the album over several weeks, while aided and abetted by his very patient engineer, Vegard Liverød.
“He helped me realize my vision for this record. I had long discussions with Vegard and Petter Haukaas about sound and arrangements, scores, and rhythmical patterns. We brought in our close friend and film composer Wei Ting Zeng on cello, and I just knew I had to write more lead melodies for her unique musical voice, the moment she played her first note in the studio”.
Set to redefine genre boundaries and inspire listeners worldwide, fans of 60s and 70s outliers like Frank Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Soft Machine and Gong will find plenty to love in Journeyman’s vast progressive mix of world music and carefully orchestrated electronic/instrumental experiments.
With a commitment to showcasing a diverse range of musical styles, Drage Records, was announced in 2024 and detailed in this interview with It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine. Offering listeners music in multiple formats, including high-quality Vinyl, CDs, as well as digital releases and showcasing a diverse range of musical styles, “Journeyman” is released worldwide on March 14th, 2025.
“Lake Malawi” by André Drage is out now and can streamed here.
Tracklist:
1. Lake Malawi
2. Interlude
3. Purple Vision
4. A Soldier’s March
5. In Between is Always Forward
6. Taste of Bitter Fruit
Albums credits:
Cover artwork by Stein Are Kjærås Dahl
Layout design by Lasse Marhaug
Line-up:
André Drage – Drums, Shaker, Congas, Gong, Gran Cassa, Bells and Sampling
Petter Haukaas – Vibraphone, Chimes, Darabuka, Djembe, Tambourine, Shaker, Congas and Bongo
Anders Kregnes Hansen – Marimba, Taiko Drums
Christo Stangnes – Electric Bass Guitar
Audun Kjelldal – Melotron and Sampling
Håkon Nybø – Synthesizers, Effects and Sound Design
Wei Ting Zeng – Cello and Live Effects
Sigrid Aftret – Soprano Saxophone
Vegard Liverød – Space Echo, Tambourine and Additional Shakers
Weblinks:
andredrage.com
www.facebook.com/music.drage
