Illusions has been my pet project for the last 3 or so years. Every time I wrote a piece of music I felt was a little more special than my usual output, I would put it aside for this album. I wanted to create a musical soundscape that transcended all ethnic boundaries, combining traditional western orchestras with folk music culture from around the world.
The purpose was to bring all the wonderful musical wonders of the world together in a big collective hug. That is why you can hear traces of folk music, from my Norwegian heritage, to the mystical voices of the middle east, to the ethereal voices of the Bulgarian people, to the amazing lyrical woodwinds in Armenia. The list goes on. The amazing technology of today could not be overlooked, so I incorporated a lot of organic synthesized sounds into the music. It is the year 2011 after all, and I wanted to acknowledge that and pay my respect to the musical advancement in the technological field as well. In the end, though, it is the wonderful voices from around the world that really glue Illusions together. These girls have inspired me so tremendously. I truly could not have done this without them.
Illusions has taken me three years to complete and has been a long journey that has required more patience than I thought I had in me. I spent so much time searching around the world for new unique ideas, musical instruments and most importantly inspiration, but little did I know that it was the truly incredible vocalists that I would encounter in my venture that would shape the musical outcome. To everyone of you, I am proud, blessed and eternally grateful for your amazing musical contributions. I could not have done this without you.
Music is all about expression. To me, music theory is an obstruction. I love composing music because it liberates me from social conventions and authorities. It is pure freedom to me. The last thing I want to be doing is follow academic guidelines and rules that directly inhibit my creative freedom. Music is my sanctum and theory has no access. Illusions reflects this 100%.
Artwork by Jesper Krijgsman
