Askjell Jon Reigem Solstrand, known mononymously as Askjell, is one of Norway's most desired producers. He has produced for artists like dePresno, Sigrid, AURORA, Kjartan Lauritzen, Iris Caltwait and Naaz. He grew up in Bergen, the second biggest city in Norway, and was introduced to music from an early age. Askjell's dad had ragga, ska, and dancehall records shipped over from the UK from the 80s to the 00s. Then UK garage. Then dubstep. Their house is the kind where there are rooms literally dedicated to records rather than living space. But Askjell was young; he liked computer games instead (was on the national team for Team Fortress 2) – a crucial component in his development since their soundtracks often lean toward the classic side of things.
Being the inquisitive boy he was and a self-confessed 'nerd', Askjell bought a Casio keyboard and became addicted to music theory, and "figuring out the equation" you could say. Somewhere along the way he also picked up the bass guitar, found himself in a Metallica cover band, before his journey into fuzz, leather jackets and Converse led him to a very different place.
In addition to being a critically acclaimed producer, both in his home country Norway and abroad, Askjell started his solo project and began releasing music under his first name. His sound can be described as moving between an electronic and a modern neo-classical sound. One of the musicians he regularly works with is Fredrik Svabø. He has incidentally joined Aurora on tour, playing synthesizer and keyboards.
On September 24, 2019, Askjell released the song "To Be Loved", featuring AURORA, which was included on his synonymous debut EP. Askjell and Aurora collaborated again, joining with Iris for the single "Sofia", released on June 11, 2021. The track is included on his debut album, Everything Will Be Ok (stylized in lowercase), which released on June 24, 2022.[1]
Discography[]
- To Be Loved (2019 EP)
- Everything Will Be Ok (2022 album)
Works with Aurora[]
As a lead artist[]
- Askjell feat. AURORA - "To Be Loved"
- Askjell - "Her Name Is" (features vocals by Aurora)
- Askjell feat. Iris & AURORA - "Sofia"
- Askjell - "Nietzsche Was Right" (features vocals by Aurora)
Songs remixed by Askjell[]
Songs co-written by Askjell[]
Songs produced by Askjell[]
- "A Different Kind of Human"
- "All Is Soft Inside"
- "Animal"
- "Blood in the Wine"
- "Dance on the Moon"
- "Daydreamer"
- "Forgotten Love"
- "Gentle Earthquakes"
- "In Bottles"
- "Infections of a Different Kind"
- "It Happened Quiet"
- "Mothership"
- "Sofia"
- "The Seed"
- "To Be Loved"
Songs arranged by Askjell[]
Live performances with Aurora[]
Askjell has toured with AURORA as a band member, but on the following events Askjell and Aurora appeared both as artists.
- 9/15/2018 at Den Hemmelige Festen
- 9/24/2019 at The Waiting Room
- 5/31/2021 at Festspillene i Bergen
Trivia[]
- Askjell appears in the documentary Once Aurora.
- He was a featured artist in the Exist for Love Sessions, a livestream organized by Aurora.