Solstodur

Mikael Mani Asmundsson - Electric guitar & compositions, Pierre Balda - Double bass, Floris Kappeyne - Grand piano. When Icelandic jazz guitarist Mikael Mani Asmundsson was studying in Amsterdam he noticed how people from different countries experienced music in different ways. There he met Floris Kappeyne and Pierre Balda, and in them Mikael found people who had different musical perception and experiences to draw from; working together they each found their unique place within it. The album like the band is called Solstodur, which is the Icelandic word for solstice. The album used an old school recording technique with the whole band in one room with only four mics so the songs on the album are essentially live. The music is a melting pot of many different styles which is easiest to define as chamber-jazz. Although the songs are composed by Mikael, all the band members arrange the music together from the ground up so everyone's voice comes through the tune. The result is a sincere and melodic album that uses the whole emotional spectrum created by three friends.