San Francisco-based ethereal artist AURSJOEN presents her debut 'Strand' EP, released via Stratis Capta Records and produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, Mephisto Waltz, Christian Death) at 13 Studio in Chicago.
AURSJOEN is the project of Ria Aursjoen, who is vocalist and keyboardist for critically acclaimed post-punk outfit Octavian Winters, whose 2023 debut EP 'The Line or Curve' was followed by 2024's double A-side single 'Nebula / Velveteen' with electronic legend Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated). A classically-trained singer and multi-instrumentalist, her musical past is steeped in genres ranging from Celtic and Nordic folk to darkwave and progressive metal.
This music is lush, layered and sweepingly cinematic. This dynamic slice of ethereal gothica is dark and light in equal measure. Octavian Winters bandmate Stephan Bryan Salit contributes atmospheric guitars on two songs. While Aursjoen’s voice and composition are distinctly recognizable and unique, the performances and sweeping arrangements somewhat recall Faith’s work with Faith and the Muse.
"The title 'Strand' holds two meanings, first being something that is spun or drawn off of something larger, like a strand of hair or a strand of a web. There is a sense that it is not only a piece of a larger whole, but also that it has its own emerging existence, reaching outward and beyond. The word “strand” also means beach in Danish. A beach marks the boundary of one’s defined world; it is a place to gaze out, to dream of possibilities and adventures to come, a point of departure for journeys to new places," explains Ria Aursjoen.
These ideas all relate to this collection of work as AURSJOEN, which heralds Ria Aursjoen’s emergence in a new direction, without leaving behind her ongoing work with Octavian Winters.
She adds, “This record is very special for me, as this is the first time I have had free creative rein to release work that is entirely my own. I have always enjoyed collaborating with other musicians, but I had built up a huge amount of my own material that had nowhere to go. This collection includes a piece written 10 years ago ('Apollo') and one written on the spot in the studio ('Strand'). It’s very exciting and fulfilling for me to bring all that together into one package. The listening arc of this EP represents many different times of life for me. William Faith and I have woven everything together with a recognizable sound that has continuity as well as variety.”
In the lead up to this EP, Aursjoen shared the second single 'For Want Of', offering a glimpse into her versatility as an artist and keeping with the cinematic orchestration found in her ethereal debut 'Nytår'. Sensual and mystical, both beauties nod to her Scandinavian ancestry. Both songs are accompanied by a haunting video created by filmmaker David Kruschke.
"What I really love is to create music that is more than the sum of its parts, where the interplay (either harmonically or rhythmically) between different motifs gives birth to something extra, something “meta” that you can’t predict or engineer. I think those two states of feeling did that in my life too… a different self, a new era was born for me out of that ice and fire," says Ria Aursjoen.
As someone who has synesthesia, a rare neurodiverse condition in which senses overlap, Aursjoen experiences sound as visual structures, colours and textures. As a child, she wrote her musical ideas down in a unique system of notation she created, based around her visual perceptions of music. Ria Aursjoen is also a published writer and visual artist, having won two national art competitions by the age of eight and illustrated a children’s book. She creates much of Octavian Winters’ artwork and currently works with inks and parchment velum to create palimpsest-style art.
As of November 15, the 'Strand' EP is out everywhere and is available for pre-order, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.
CREDITS
All songs written & performed by Ria Aursjoen
Arranged by Ria Aursjoen and William Faith
Guitars on 'Lilypad' & 'Apollo' by Stephan Bryan Salit
Produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago
Published by Airdaughter Music BMI
Released by Stratis Capta Records
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
'Nytår' and 'For Want Of' videos by David Kruschke
Cover artwork by Ria Aursjoen
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