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Abacus

by Bjørn Nes

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1.
1983 Overture / Element of Crime 04:44
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2.
Hotel Royale 04:24
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3.
Boy Bye (Superstars) 04:39
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4.
Othello and I 06:52
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5.
Guitar Quintet in F-Major, 1. Opening 03:01
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6.
Guitar Quintet in F-Major, II. Debutante 02:23
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7.
Guitar Quintet in F-Major, III. Lento 02:47
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8.
Guitar Quintet in F-Major, IV. Fughetta Fantasia 02:02
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9.
Shadow Self 03:48
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10.
The Phantom 05:18
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11.
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home 08:03
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12.
Maelstrom 06:03
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about

Abacus is roughly 55 intense, calm, strange, confusing, recognisable, fast, and slow minutes of music. It’s quirky, melodic, bluesy, arranged with total abandon, and guitar-driven for the most part: a musical cocktail of 70s power pop, blues rock, and baroque colored contemporary classical music. 
It’s a record that doesn’t strive to be defined but rather strives to reflect creative diversity, improvisation, and experimentation: from the fragile piano and linear story in “Hotel Royale” to the allegorical and rough “If I Die In a Combat Zone (...)”.



Guitar Quintet in F-Major, or the album’s intermezzo if you like, is a composition in which form is re-evaluated and the string orchestra re-invented. According to Bjørn he “set out to make the electric guitar a part of a whole; an integral part of the harmonic machinery, and move away for the a-typical guitar quintet that places the classical guitar at its centre of attention.”



Bjørn has written and produced Abacus himself on a minimal budget. But with a little help from both new and old friends. The record is mastered by Don Bartley, possibly Australia’s most prolific mastering engineer (Metallica, Nick Cave, INXS, ABBA and Beatles re-issues etc), and printed by Diger Distro in Oslo.


credits

released September 6, 2021

Band
Bjørn Nes: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass (1-12)
Robert A. K. Pedersen: piano (1-4, 9-12)
Erlend Omdal: drums (1-4, 9-12)

Horus Quartet
Gina Bordini: first violin (2, 5-8)
Nhi Phuong Do: second violin (2, 5-8)
Audun Klaveness: viola (2, 5-8)
Ema Grčman: cello (2, 5-8)
 
Additional Personnel: 
Ole Tobias Antonsen: percussion (3, 4, 9, 10, 11)
Augustus Clark: bass (9)
Toto Kruse: saxophone (4, 9)
Petter Smith Lien: trumpet (4, 9)
Mikkel Østhaug: backing vocals (1, 4, 9, 10, 11)
Silje North: backing vocals (1, 9, 10, 11)
Sara M. Berg Myrvold: backing vocals (11)


Art Direction: Bjørn Nes
Design: Espen Heiland
Photography: Eivind Lunde Tellefsen, Guro Sommer Værland, Oda Agnore Skattum
Collage images (CC) : Charles Howard Hinton (1904), Eadweard Muybridge (1987), T.Voekler (1999)




Bjørn Nes uses Fender guitars, Bareknuckle pickups, Maxon/Ibanez pedals & Fender amplification.

license

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Bjørn Nes image

Bjørn Nes Oslo, Norway

Hello! I like fun melodies, rocking guitars, and classical music. Thanks for listening :)

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