I'm at a loss to explain all the great music coming out of Norway: maybe it's the water, or the lutefisk, or something.  Oberon, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from Stavanger, continues in the inspired tradition of Norwegian acts as diverse as Ulver, Borknagar, and Amethystium.  Like all these artists, his music is distinctive, difficult to categorize, and always sophisticated and well-produced.

Oberon's 1998 CD, "Mysteries," opens with "Nocturne."  This gorgeous, moody solo piano piece evokes Chopin, and sets the stage for "To Spring."  This operatic William Blake-inspired piece features more great piano work and reminds me of classical art-rock like early King Crimson.  The only fault I could find here is the drum machine: Bill Bruford or Jamie Giles could do for this what they did for "Starless and Bible Black" or "In the Court of the Crimson King."

"Do you Remember Me" and "Mysteries" feature some lovely acoustic guitar work.  I'm particularly struck by how well Oberon blended the acoustic elements with the synths in "Do You Remember Me" ... and worked in a nice oboe accompaniment.  I might have cut the reverb a bit - Oberon's voice is more than strong enough without it - but that is a minor quibble.

Oberon's stolid, Teutonic vocal delivery on "Anything" is charming (and infinitely preferable to the scenery-chewing favored by some lead singers) but can be a bit disconcerting at times.  I liked the electric guitar work here, and was again impressed by the production and arrangements, particularly the way in which the oboe line was used to give things a Middle Eastern/World Music flair.

"Tearing Me Apart" features some superb interplay between piano and synthesizer, once again  showcasing Oberon's classical chops.  THIS is why you should know how to play a piano before you start playing with synthesizers.   He knows how to put things together; it's not just "Whoa, that sample would sound bitchin' if we put a 130 bpm track behind it... "

"Mysteries," the title track, is gorgeous and sad, with beautiful clarinet work and strong lyrics.  It leads into the haunting "Garden of Flesh and Bones."  This is the best pop track on the album, arguably the best track period; I'd love to hear a club remix of this one!  Things close with "From the End of the World,"  another evocative and moody stunner.

While Oberon's 1998 "Mysteries" showed intensive care, craft and precision, his 2001 CD, "Anthem," was recorded as a "one-take" project.  The music here is freer and looser than on "Mysteries," and gives us an idea of Oberon's improvisational skills.  The opening track, "Anthem/Love-Light" features an electric guitar riff sampled and distorted until it sounds like a
muzzein's call to prayer.  The growling background synthesizers contribute to a creepy, unsettling feeling not found in Oberon's earlier work.  It's good stuff, as beautiful as his 1998 work if not so pretty.

The vocal arrangements on "Byzantine," the short but sweet second track, are particularly nice.  The standout track for me, though was "When All Is Sorrow" This one has big Bruckner-esque organ chords rise from the depths, a mournful swirling threnody, ghostly samples of mournful sighs - what more could you want?  I was reminded of the organ movement in Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Antarctica Symphony."  Things close with "Solaris," a nice ambient track with some pretty sitar-sounding samples.  It's a great piece of work, and one of the most interesting discs to cross my CD player in some time.

Keep an eye on Oberon: you're going to be hearing a lot more from him in the near future.

http://www.oberon-online.com
Official Site

http://www.mp3.com/oberon
MP3 site