KAADA IS AN ARTIST, COMPOSER AND SOUNDSMITH FROM NORWAY. SOMETIMES HE MAKES MUSIC FOR HIMSELVES, SOMETIMES FOR TV AND FILM. HE ALSO LIKES COFFEE & PLANTS VERY MUCH
Welcome to www.kaada.no! Here you’ll find a collection of the most relevant releases, sessions and filmmusic related projects. You will find details of some different projects Kaada has been involved in, embedded within this ever-growing section as well as the occasional internal perspective or story that may be associated with it.
Misinterpretations
(released March 5th, 2021 ) A SF newspaper once wrote “It seems like you can always count on some know-it-all from Europe to put an interestingly bent take on classically American music. “ about his debut album. This time, KAADA deconstructs pieces from the European classical piano repertoire on a Grand Piano where all the strings has been prepared with Putty Kit. Which leads to a different, less sustained, but a quirkier and more refined sound with a distinct character. Contemporary adaptations of classical piano compositions are nothing new, as reflected in the constant flood of recordings featuring canned arrangements of Classical hits by Chopin, Eric Satie and other popular composers. Yet this is exactly what “Misinterpretations“ leaves behind, dedicating itself to reharmonisation, instrument preparations and new interpretations of famous classical piano tunes [bandcamp]
KAADAs Closing Statements were released in 2018 and were a visceral fifty minutes centred on the subject of death. The spiralling arrangements feature Kaada’s deft layering of piano, orchestra, keyboards, guitars, electronics, although the distinction between the organic and electronic are intentionally blurred. . The titles were quotes and fragments from different farewell utterances… things that people said when they were about to die. Kaada : “There is a mysterious aim over the final words of the dying. What does these last words reveal about life, death and consciousness? These words give a glimpse into the individual’s overall feelings and experiences,” Kaada explains. “The underlying message of the album is that we have to listen to each other. In a modern world where people mostly don’t have the time or interests to get to know one another, we need to be reminded that we need to listen. At least… when somebody is about to say their last words.”
Norwegian composer Kaada and Mike Patton released Bacteria Cult in 2016, the pair’s first Kaada/Patton release since 2007’s Kaada/Patton Live DVD and the first album from the musicians since 2004’s Romances.
“Working with Kaada on this latest release was an honor and pure pleasure,” said Patton of resuming work Kaada. “His compositions have always resonated deeply with me and his orchestral arrangements for this project are harmonically dense and delicious! Each individual piece is so well constructed and inventively assembled that my vocal passages practically sang themselves. I’m hoping very much that we can seduce some eardrums and welcome listeners into this lush sonic ‘otherworld.’”
John Erik Kaada (or “KAADA” as he’s often called) is a recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Norway. KAADA has also enjoyed a string of critically acclaimed solo albums, collaborations, and many records and world tours as a member of the alternative power-trio, Cloroform. KAADA’s style is perhaps most easily defined by his unique sounds and penchant for eclectic instrumentation.