Mysteries — oberon

MYSTERIES
BIG BROTHER / ANTHEM
(2CD, digipak, Prophecy productions)

"Mysteries" is Oberon's debut and was released in 1998 by creative mainman Bard Oberon on his own label. The by now sought-after work gets its deserved re-issue treatment with lush bonus material: The new edition of "Mysteries" comes as a double-CD in digipak format and contains the songs from the vinyl single "Big Brother" (2000), the very rare and experimental Oberon album "Anthem" (2001) as well as three so far unreleased tracks. The expanded booklet features extensive liner notes and copious photo material.

REVIEWS:

STARVOX
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.

CHAIN DLK Magazine:
Oberon is a one-man band whose melancholic, murky, and sad music would be filed by most under the generic Norwegian category, but whose style is difficult to define because it's such a symphony of moods and sonorities, ranging from dark to neo-classical, mysterious ballads to lonely suites. Melodic vocals, acoustic guitars, classical wind and string instruments and beautiful grand pianos are the chief elements of MYSTERIES (the title being taken from a novel by the Norvegian poet Knut Hamsun). What makes it a special album is his blending of musical and lyrical poetry with reverberated electric distorted guitars creating a great and majestic atmosphere (like in Anything, which somehow reminds of earlier Pink Floyd), or with well programmed electronic floor-sequences and beats (Do you Remember Me? has got cool basic patterns and liquid sequencing like the ones in Madonna's latest single with black crows and dogs in the desert - I hope Obern doesn't get offended by this comparison, but that Madonna song is great...). Beautiful atmospheres that you should consider...
Marc Urselli-Schärer

AMBOSS MAG
Der norwegische Künstler Bard Oberon liefert uns auf seinem 98'er Album dunklen romantischen Folk. Begleitet von Klavier oder Akustik Gitarre erzählt er uns mit warmer melancholischer Stimme Geschichten. So vertonte er mit "to spring" ein Gedicht von William Blake. Beginnend mit einer Klavier Ballade führt uns Bard in die Welt der nordischen Mythen und Sagen. Die Verbindung von ruhig gespielter Akustik Gitarre mit dem klagenden Gesang aufgebaut auf einem düsteren Keyboardgerüst und das Spielen mit norwegischer Folklore lassen die heimatlichen Wälder zu einem Bildnis der Schönheit werden. Die Songs sind allesamt zu einem traurigen Klagegesang der Melancholie geworden. In "Anything" ertönt dann auch mal eine Oboe. Hervorragend das balladeske "Mysteries", in dem Bard seinen Gesang noch einmal steigern kann und von einer Klarinette unterstützt wird. Ein tolles Album, für alle, deren Ohren für ruhige melancholische Musik offenstehen. Die Band schickte mir auch noch eine Vorabkopie ihrer in kürze veröffentlichten 7" mit, auf der neben einen neuen Song von Oberon mit "Big Brother" (So auch der Titel der Single) ein Song von David Bowie aus dem Jahre 74 gecovert wurde. Dieser wird mit dem folkigen Stil der Band zu einer traurigen Ballade.
- Andreas

POLAR LICHT #2, 2000, Germany
Melancholische Musik für ruhige Stunden an einem verregneten Sonntagnachmittag. Hier ist jemand am Werk, der sich um keinerlei Schubladen schert – Bard Oberon vermischt in seinem Werk Einslüsse aus Neofolk, Klassik, Wave und konventionellem Rock zu teils leicht poppig, teils minimalistich arrangierten Stücken, die jedoch nie ins allzu Seichte abdriften. Der Norweger hat ein Händchen für anrührende, teils hypnotische, niemals kitschige Melodien. Die Seele eines nachdenklichen Mensch offenbart sich in melancholischen Texten, u.a. einer Adaption William Blakes, vorgetragen von der folkigen, emotional und doch distanziert wirkenden, introvierten Stimme Bard Oberons. Die Musik ist nicht als ‘düster‘ im Sinneüblicher Gothic oder Darkwave Veröffentlichungen zu bezeichnen, doch läuft einem bisweilen eine Gänsehaut über den Rükken, angesichts der Verlorenheit und stillen Traurigkeit die in Oberons Kompositionen zum Ausdruck kommt.
- Mona

THE SENTIMENTALIST, New York, USA
A melancholy piano piece aptly entitled "Nocturne Op. 3" opens the Mysteriesalbum, first released in Norway in 1998. Piano figures prominently in many of Oberon's songs. Whether appearing in "To Spring" as a crystalline refrain over distorted synth sounds or as an elegant melody throughout the mainly-instrumental "Mysteries", such piano parts give us a glimpse of Oberon's skilled playing. "Do You Remember Me" is a gentle acoustic love song which swallows the loneliness at first, then allows it to rise to the surface in a grandiose finish. Neo-classical synth sounds create an emotional tempest which rages and gently falls in "Tearing Me Apart". The song "Mysteries" has an acoustic riff which again blends with the neoclassical, somewhat reminiscent of Sol Invictus if combined with the drama of Franz Liszt's romanticism. Live clarinet on this piece adds an innovative depth. The opening question "Can you see storms passing through dreams?" in "The Garden of Flesh and Bones" seems the perfect theme for the entire CD. All in all, the work is an emphatic testament, conjuring up an artist's vision of passion which dwells between reality and illusion.
-MVW

MUSIC & ELSEWHERE, Uk, September 1999
Really been looking forward to this one, been over two years since he debuted on M&E 396 with the imaginatively titled tape... er... "Oberon" (also on CD). That one made Bard [Oberon] one of my personal faves immediately. No change on that status with this release, class with a capital C! Classical style piano opens the album. Not only does Bard play everything ever invented, he plays them all brilliantly. Vastly over-talented musician, uncanny ear for melody and harmony as well. Past the classical opening, we get to track 2: echoey gothic electronica, bright hi-hats, big and powerful sound, majestic almost. The mainstay of the piece is gothic industrial, but what always gets me are the harmonies, well conceived and inevitably unexpected. All the invention of classic prog bands like Yes and Genesis, and then some. Not that he sounds like either, the music may draw influences from the last 350 years, but it's also very rooted in the 90s. "Do You Remember Me?" (if you're worried, don't make us wait 2 1/2 years for the next album!) starts with acoustic guitar and a dry folky vocal, the feint Norwegian accent works quite well too. Multiple vocal tracks bring the Moody Blues to mind, Bard has the same sense of pompous and pretentious as them, and he pulls it off par excellence. Where else would you find a Spanish guitar solo with industrial samples? There's some serious doses of melancholy in here, such a depth of feeling, and the production is exquisite to the point of artform. He may not be the world's best singer (which could be why he gets an excellent *** instead of perfection itself *****), but I dare say his talent glands were already full to the bursting point! He gets by fine though, his voice even suits the music. Expect to be surprised every so often. You'll still be surprised ever so often. Classical piano mixes with dry cosmic synth, Vangelis meets Debussy. Some Aladdin Sane avant garde melodramatis piano, some Into The Abyss guitars, darkly gothic melodies, proggy elements, vintage Tony Banks keys. "The End of the World"? No, that's just the melancholy an Oberon album brings. May he never discover Prozac! Genius.

DARK VELVET, Summer 99
Bard Oberon from Norway is the mastermind behind the band Oberon and his work is beyond words. It's probably best descrived as being like a beautiful gothic fairytale. He cleverly mixes classical piano, Spanish guitar, and more yet often times maintaining the medieval folk song structure often found in apocalyptic folk such as later period Death In June and current Sol Invictus. The variety here is astounding and the transition between songs even more so. The opening track, "Nocturne Op.3" gently sweeps you into the abyss, while the second track, "To Spring", grabs you with its straightforward dark rock style. All of the vocals are well executed and the lyrics invoke stunning imagery. Clearly this isn't goth like the Sisters of Mercy, but it isn't exactly Projekt label fare either. I was not familiar with the work of Oberon prior to receiving this disc and I'm glad I've had the pleasure to hear it. I really can't say enough good things about this disc and I strongly encourage everyone to investigate the work of this original and talented musician...

BLACK MAGAZINE, Germany, April 1999
Der Norweger Bard Titlestad ist mit Leib und Seele Musiker, ein hervorragender Komponist und hat ein gutes Gespühr für feinfühlige-melancholische Texte und klassische Arrangements. Bereits dir Debut-Mini-CD, die man hier in Deutschland über PROPHECY RECORDS erhalten konnte, brachte ihm viel Lob ein und nun knüpfte er mit "Mysteries" nahtlos an diesen Erfolg an. Knapp zwei Jahre hat es gedauert, bis uns OBERON neun weitere musikalische Juwelen präsentieren konnte, aber das Warten hat sich gelohnt und bereits der Opener " Nocturne, Op.3" läßt erahnen, daß sich OBERON diese Mal fast ausschließlich mit klassischen Arrangements beschäftigt hat. Bard ist ein Allround-Talent und ein sehr begabter Pianist, der sich auf "Mysteries" von zahlreichen Gastmusikern (z.B. Oboe, Snaredrums und Klarinette) unterstützen läßt.Herausgekommen ist dabei eine Mischung aus Klassik, Neofolk und Modern Rock, die sich hören lassen kann, aber nicht unbedingt typisch für unser Genre ist. Doch die Grenze innerhalb der Musikbereiche sind seit einiger Zeit längst nicht mehr so eng abgesteckt, so daß es dem einen oder anderen Hörer nicht schwerfallen sollte, sich für diese Art von Musik zu begeistern. Insgesamt ist "Mysteries" sehr ruhig und romantisch ausgefallen, aber Bard stellt auch immer wieder gerne seinen Hang zum Dramatischen unter Beweis, so daß es einem nie langweilig wird, sondern immer wieder gespannt darauf sein kann, was einen als nächstes erwartet. Zu meinen persönlichen Favoriten zählt hier neben "To Spring"(mit einem Text von William Blake) und "The End Of The World" vor allem das treibende "The Garden Of Flesh And Bones". "Mysteries" ist ohne Zweifel ein Kleinod und eine durch und durch lohnenswerte Anschaffung, allerdings nur für die Hörer unter Euch, die offen für Neues sind und über den Tellerrand hinausschauen können. Ein Lauschangriff lohnt sich allemal.

SONIC SEDUCER, Germany, April 1999
Von OBERON hat man nun auch schon einige Zeit nichts mehr gehört, um so mehr kann man sich nun über das Fultime-Album "Mysteries" freuen.Denn die neun auf der Veröffentlichung enthaltenenen Stücke stecken voller Geheimnisse.Neoklassisch geht die dunkle Reise mit dem Opener "Nocturne.Op.3" los, um bei dem Wiliam Blake inspierierten "To Spring" in fast poppige Gefilde abzutauchen und dann akustisch-bombastische Wege einzuschlagen und mit dem atmosphärischen "The End Of The World" schimmert dann letztendlich doch ein kleines bißchen dessen durch, was optimistische Menschen den Sonnenstrahl am Ende des Tunnels nennen.

ZILLO, Germany, April 1999
Nach einer 1997 erschienen Mini-CD auf dem Prophecy-Label legt der norwegische Musiker Bard Oberon mit "Mysteries" sein Full-Time-Debüt vor, das durchaus für berechtigtes Aufsehen in der Neofolk- und Dark-Wave-Szene sorgen könnte.Eingeleitet von einem schönen Piano-Instrumental, entfaltet Oberon auf "Mysteries" ein musikalisches Vokabular, das zwar auf der einen Seite das traditionelle Neofolk-Arrangement aus Akustikgitarre, Drums und Piano bzw. Keyboard bemüht, aber gelegentlich von diesen Setup loslöst, um wie bei "To Spring" dem ein Text von Wiliam Blake zugrunde liegt, einen flotten Electro-Groove ins Zentrum der Komposition zu stellen. Doch in der Regel wird man schon an den Sound von Bands wie Death In June oder Sol Invictus erinnert, wobei Oberon selten so sperrig klingt wie viele seiner Kollegen.Stets harmoniert der eindringliche Gesang mit den zarten Akustikgitarren , den warmen Keyboardklängen und Flötensounds auf eine Weise, die "Mysteries" schnell zu mehr als nur einem Geheimtip machen könnten.

Scream #47
Norwegian one man band Oberon is back with a new album, and as usual it's high quality melodic, symphonic, wonderful music. Hard to describe, but easy to like. Like an oasis in a desert, Oberon delivers the goods like no one else.
- Bjørn Nørsterud

S.S.M.T. (Satan Stole My Teddybear), USA, 1999:
In my review of Oberon's self-titled EP, I expressed my hope that this character was still at it somewhere. As it turns out, he certainly was and was kind enough to provide me with Mysteries, his latest offering from his creative endeavours. I also learned that up until very recently, Bard hadn't heard Pink Floyd so for this review I'm forced to entirely scratch that out as a possible influence. Trust me, it's rough being a record reviewer when you aren't allowed to use stock references. Mysteries is a much more realized album than its predecessor. Considerably more lush, alive and sweeping, the album guides the listener through some very pensive and sullen soundscapes. Bard displays a wide range of compositional skills with his ability to weave in picturesque and smartly placed instruments, including very warm keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, oboes, clarinets - the works. Various sections, including the opening "Nocturne, Op. 3" and the long entrance to "Tearing Me Apart", are exceptional piano compositions that are strongly evokative. That, in result, builds to a quietly climatic but very spine chilling peak in "Tearing Me Apart". Lyrically, Bard nods his head to William Blake (as many seem to be doing these days, ie: Ulver) in "To Spring". His own text is introspective and fitting for the mood of the music. Some hope is expressed in the words: "When this candle has burned down/Another dream/Another life..." from the title track suggest that through all the misery, there still is hope. Bard's vocals have also improved since the self titled EP and are capable of properly conveying the emotion necessary for the words and music. Needless to say, this album is a grand improvement from the quite good EP. I can picture fans of latter day Anathema, Tiamat or even the Projekt Records roster finding quite a bit to enjoy here.

E MIX, August 1999
A short album of prog rock influenced ballads by Bard Oberon, accompanied by a little percussion, echo guitar, clarinet, oboe and the words of William Blake from "To Spring" on one track. The opening "Nocturne" is a piano solo, not very typical of the album which soon goes into a series of rock ballads reminiscent in their prog/symphonic leanings of the Moody Blues in the '70's. Bard's voice is not unlike Justin Hayward's, if not so steadily pitched, and "Do You Remember Me?" has particularly impassioned flangey vocals. "Reveries" opens with solo acoustic guitar but "Anything" introduces a bit of screaming electric as well, and there's some strong echoed electric guitar elsewhere. "Tearing Me Apart" is more or less a piano solo with a little doomy vocal tacked onto the end, and the closing "The End Of The World" is pretty doomy too. Overall a short but odd album in a style which is pretty unusual these days. They say the suicide rate is very high in Scandinavia, and while it wouldn't be fair to suggest that this album may be a contributory cause to that fact, it may well be a product of it.

GLASNOST MUSIC
Der melancholische Norweger bietet auch auf seiner zweiten Veröffentlichung sanfte Balladen zwischen Darkwave, Neofolk und Klavierkitsch. Natürliche Songs, die aus einem verträumten Herzen kommen und keiner Klischees bedürfen. OBERONS stimmungsvolle Oden verströmen Wärme und Ruhe. Das einsame Piano, Oboe und Klarinette, sowie die konventionelle Klampfe zeichnen die Konturen der Bilder, die der Barde mit seiner Stimme ausmalt. "Garden Of Flesh And Bones" ist das eingängigste und auch am fülligsten instrumentierte Stück. OBERON sollte ein bißchen mehr Mut zu volleren und pompöseren Arrangements zeigen, denn er beweist hier eindrücklich, daß er die perfekt harmonisierende Abmischung wohl beherrscht. Auf Dauer wirkt der Minimalismus der Songs trotz aller beschaulichen Schönheit leicht einschläfernd.

ANTHEM

STARVOX
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.
-Review by Kevin

LEGENDS MAGAZINE
Norway finds itself as home to indie label Incidental Music, a driving vehicle for the experimental music of Oberon. One of Oberon's latest releases, Anthem, is a seven track recording that explores the hypnotic effect of music, moving beyond mere "mood altering" into a much more eclectic realm. You'll find elements of horror movies, subtle chord lapses and haunting melodies throughout the body of work.

Anthem, according to Oberon, takes influence from Ayn Rand, novelist, and Kenneth Anger (Lucifer Rising), while not being pure adaptations of such. You'd be hard pressed to find these influences, besides titles themselves, but I don't care where it comes from - the final product is nonetheless mesmerizing. Stepping about as close to "garage band style" as an electronic/experimental outfit can get, Oberon recorded the album in one simultaneous sweep. The result? The pure capturing of the hypnotic moods rather than just a rehearsed adaptation.

Synthesizer melodies used in Anthem (track 1) are slidingly haunting. As more tracks play, it's apparent that Oberon wishes to retain this haunting quality throughout Anthem, although at times, such as during Byzantine (track 3), the static background chords can get repetitive. When All Is Sorrow also uses a similar static background from the get go. Much of Anthem relies only on subtle manipulations of pitches to drive you, wearing minimalism like a badge on its breast. Dreams of the Sun takes a new tack, utilizing what sounds like a hammered dulcimer. Some of the dulcimer strikes sound like it's being done with a two ton anvil, giving some of the notes a powerful arrival. Later it once again moves to a mostly static and growing, windy chorale.

To the typical listener, Anthem is definitely bland. But those of us that appreciate the subtleties of nature with wonderment will find much to enjoy within Oberon's work as it takes you on a dream-inducing and hauntingly hypnotic journey. It's one of those albums that will have a different meaning for different people - and different meanings for one person sometimes I'm sure. And this is a testament to Oberon's "capturing" of a mood instead of a bad, rehearsed "rendition" of one. Says Oberon, "Keeping it pure."
- Marcus Pan

SATAN STOLE MY TEDDYBEAR
The latest foray from Norway's Oberon is a bit of a surprising departure from his last two releases. The music has been dissolved down to a more ambient, soundscape oriented type of project, with nearly all the tracks being very quiet, atmospheric and ambient collages of sound, quite far away from the more standard music of his past. The very first track is probably the most fleshed in terms of achieving anything close to his previous music. From there, the short release takes one through a variety of quiet, contemplative passages often comprised of sparse keyboard playing and brooding sounds. "When All is Sorrow" is aptly titled, sounding like a funeral dirge on very sad sounding organ notes.

This release is a good EP to pt on headphones late at night perhaps while reading or perhaps drifting with the lights off and your eyes closed. Fans of slightly musical soundscapes should definitely check this out. As a teaser for an upcoming full length, Anthem definitely is a good teaser.
-John Chedsey

Original CD artwork. The cover photo was taken by Wim Neefs in Leuven, Belgium, 1998.