[Thor Joachim Haga]

Winter seems to be thawing now, even up here in the Arctic. Pretty spring-like today, and no snow here downtown, some up in the slopes surrounding Oslo. Of course, I know March is a fickle month — winter can come back any moment. But still time for a few freezing scores to score our season.

Johan Söderqvist is a master at chilly landscapes. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a good example, but an even better example, IMO, is KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND (2010). Those string/cello fluctuations, gorgeous. It’s all very blue and bleak and frosty. (I actually did an audio commentary/Q&A for the Caldera CD release of this, as a bonus track).