Andre Bratten is one of the innovators of the Norwegian electronic scene. From his debut album Be a Man You Ant to his sophomore double album Gode and his recent epics Pax Americana and Silvester – Bratten is always changing and never standing still.
Eschewing the darker, more abrasive elements of most recent LPSilvester, Picture Music features some of Bratten’s most accessible and melodic music to date – a shift in outlook no doubt expedited by the isolation of multiple Covid-19 lockdowns. These minimalist compositions ruminate on how the past two years have forced people to reconsider the concept of “normal life”, as well as the birth of Bratten’s second child – an experience he describes as “like death in reverse”.
The album title is taken from a compilation on the legendary Sky Records, a label that has been an enduring source of inspiration for Bratten along with that of Klaus Schultze’s Innovative Communication. But rather than mimicking the work of these electronic luminaries, Picture Musicsees him forge his own path: one that uncovers beauty in the simplicities of everyday life.
Norwegian electronic artist André Bratten released his debut album Be A Man You Anton Prins Thomas’ Full Pupp label in 2013. He has since released three albums on Smalltown Supersound, and more recently produced Cracks, the acclaimed project from avant-garde saxophonist Benedik Giske. This month Bratten returns with fifth studio album Picture Music.