Musical Sanatorium by Stian Carstensen

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.

“Musical Sanatorium” is a conceptual album that explores the world of odd rhythms of Balkan music 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, Finn Guttormsen, Audun Sandvik, Atle Sponberg, Bjarne Magnus Jensen, Sidsel Walstad, Torbjørn Dyrud, Pål Hausken, Gabriel Carstensen Øien, Finn Guttormsen and Marinette Tonning-Olsen.

Stian Carstensen is the renowned multi-talented musician and leading light of the critically acclaimed band Farmers Market. He is actively involved in various musical genres and plays an increasing number of solo concerts, classical and jazz, and folk music worldwide.