Optical Substance Productions

About Kjetil Husebø - Piano Transformed - Interspace (2025):

Kary Persson, Jazzporten:
“He may not be the most well-known Norwegian musician, but he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting. Just recently, he released a double CD that will definitely be on my end-of-year list. Piano Transformed – Interspace is nothing short of a dazzlingly beautiful masterpiece. Ten out of ten.”

Chris Monsen, Klassekampen:
“With Piano Transformed — Interspace, Kjetil Husebø’s years-long exploration of the piano’s sonic potential culminates in a double album that ranges from the pleasant to the unsettling, from meditative to fierce — but above all, it is fascinating.”

Monica Gullini, Off the Topic:
“An innovative and unsettling interstellar journey, once again stunning with its fusion of styles. Here, classical and modern, sacred and profane, past and present coexist. His Steinway paints cold backgrounds and warm palettes, weaving through electronics and haunting noise. It’s an ambitious work revealing great sensitivity and mastery. Everything unfolds with precision, yet feels innate and spontaneous. Being and obligation engage in perfect dialogue, balancing rawness with formal structure.”

Fred Grand, Jazzjournal:
“With an uncanny ability to sense the inner workings of his instrument, sounds that might otherwise remain hidden are drawn out, amplified, and woven into richly textured soundscapes. (…) The real magic lies in Husebø’s mastery of re-composition. If you enjoyed Jon Balke’s Skrifum or Alva Noto’s work with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Piano Transformed – Interspace is essential listening.”

Audun Vinger, Jazznytt:
“Husebø is certainly not alone in expanding the possibilities of the 88 keys — but he does it in a way no one else does. Perhaps it could be called sensual intellectualism — music that makes you perk up your ears and lean back at the same time.”

Eyal Hareuveni, Salt Peanuts:
“Husebø extends the natural palette of the grand piano with live sampling and subtle electronics, crafting abstract, minimalist soundscapes and fleeting melodic motifs. On Piano Transformed – Interspace, he also experiments with more challenging, provocative textures.”

Reviewed: Kjetil Husebø | Lampen | Pericopes+1 | Jenny Scheinman - Jazz Journal Ever since the first jazz musician entered a recording studio or found the need for amplification, the music’s long and sometimes controversial relationship with technology was sealed. This month’s quartet of recordings is fairly representative of the ways in which today’s musicians are harnes...

The first Optical Substance album Sub Luna (2005) is now available! This album has not been available for several years!

Sub Luna, by Optical Substance 9 track album

Today's album: Skyggespill - Morphing Between Spaces and Phases (2014). “Skivan har en konstnärlig tyngd som genrens dilettanter blott kan drömma om", Tidningen Kulturen.

Morphing Between Spaces and Phases, by Skyggespill 4 track album

Kjetil Husebø featured in the latest Jazznytt Magazine.

https://jazznytt.jazzinorge.no/magasin/jazznytt-258-var-2021/

Get a 40% discount in our Bandcamp store to the end of December!

Discount code: ospdecember2020

Kjetil Husebø Kjetil Husebø is a Norwegian composer, producer, keyboard player and a classically trained piano player with a background from such varied musical landscapes as jazz, improvisation, electronica, ambient, contemporary, house, pop, crossover and folk music.