Stian Carstensen releases the musical masterpiece "Musical Sanatorium"

Listen to "Musical Sanatorium" here

Drawing inspiration from the wild hills of Carpathia, the endless dark forests of Hyperborea, the ruin-strewn plains of Thrace to the rugged Anatolian plateau, noted multi-musician and composer Stian Carstensen has created a remarkable album that truly reflects his unique and versatile talents. The musical masterpiece "Musical Sanatorium" is out now.

Stian Carstensen is the renowned multi-talented musician and leading light of the critically acclaimed band Farmers Market. He is actively involved in a variety of musical genres and plays an increasing number of solo concerts, classical and jazz, and folk music at festivals all around the globe. He is a multiple prize-winning recipient of music industry awards and has collaborated with several prominent artists on numerous projects. He was recently nominated for the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize 2021 based on "Musical Sanatorium". Musically he is recognized for groundbreaking work blending different styles and traditions to push the boundaries of what is considered feasible.  

Stian is a fifth-generation accordion player from the constitutional village of Eidsvoll in Norway, where he learned to play by older fiddlers and accordion players as a child. Stian has traveled far and wide to pursue musical stimuli for the past 25 years, especially in the Balkans. His musical expertise and inventiveness are unprecedented. 

"Musical Sanatorium" is a conceptual album exploring the world of Balkan music's odd rhythms with the tonal language of European classical music with exclusive original compositions. The instrumentation is a vast smorgasbord consisting of different guitars, ocarinas, bassoon, French horn, choir, accordion, pedal steel guitar, organ, bagpipes, kaval, analog synthesizers, strings, harp, timpanis, drums, and bass. The overall sound of this album is monumental, evoking 70s music and classic film scores.

As a renowned "style-bender" of reputation, Stian naturally attracts a distinct caliber of musical collaborators, and contributing artists include talents such as Mike Patton, Ola Kvernberg, Jacob Collier, Todd Terje, Jarle Vespestad, Audun Sandvik, Atle Sponberg, Bjarne Magnus Jensen, Sidsel Walstad, Torbjørn Dyrud, Pål Hausken, Gabriel Carstensen Øien, Finn Guttormsen, and Marinette Tonning-Olsen. 

Stian Carstensen released the single "Hippocampus Serenade" from the album on May 21st. The single was released alongside an epic music video that premiered on Norway's National TV channel NRK on the esteemed show "Hovedscenen". It is a cinematic piece of art straddling the liminal boundaries between dream and nightmare. 

"Hippocampus Serenade" video: https://youtu.be/KgXi6WNC920

Quotes:

"Farmers Market is my favorite band on the planet." 

• Michael Brecker

"Stian Carstensen is reinventing music." 

• De Volkskrant

"Stian is a world-class musician." 

• Fiona Talkington, BBC

"Stian is a musical genius." 

• Mike Patton