On September 19th, Gabba returns with their new album Smestániá.
 

The album was recorded in the band’s own studio, Drengestua – (see video above) – and carries the title Smestániá. Here, tradition, celebration, sorrow and calm meet in a soundscape that is both grounded and explosive – this time more energetic and upbeat than the debut. The music is driven by captivating riffs, rhythms, and joiks that leave a mark.

Listen to the single Heajat, recorded during the album sessions, here.
 

Since their breakthrough in 2022, Sámi joik master John André Eira and the band have established themselves as one of the most prominent voices in both Norwegian folk and Sámi music. They have toured extensively across the country while also gaining international recognition. Tours have already brought them to India, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Scotland, all while continuously working on new music.

Producer and band member Ola Brandsnes Vårtun elaborates:

“On this record, we’ve captured the energy and feeling of being in Smestániá – our own world inside the rambling house of Drengestua in Oslo. It’s a place teeming with life: jamming in the studio, parties in the living room, barbecues in the garden, and birdsong in the trees. John André sits joiking in his armchair while the rest of us – his army of ‘Søringer’ – join in with our own musical backpacks, packed with folk music, hip hop, blues, and African rhythms, at times spiced with Indian flavors. This album is both more energetic, playful and youthful than our debut, while also showing how we’ve grown – the music is even more mature.”

The album release will be celebrated with a concert at Parkteatret in Oslo, September 20.

Selected Quotes

"The arrangements are strong, weaving together small melodies and riffs. A rich flora of instruments and sound effects appear throughout the album – from subtle, intimate sounds and creative use of synths, without overshadowing the raw, acoustic expression." – Torkjell Hovland (Ballade.no)
 

"The sound on this release is well above average, with crystal-clear reproduction and great dynamics. The only slightly ‘dirty’ parts are intentionally created by the musicians. I’m already looking forward to Gabba’s next release." – Karl Erik Sylthe
 

"Their music encompasses the expected Sámi moods of beauty, bleakness and longing. Eira’s vocals, so reminiscent of Native American chant, are captivating in their deceptive simplicity, and the a cappella numbers are wonderfully stirring." – Chris Wheatley (Songlines Magazine)

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"We’ve embraced the whole country in this music. I felt transported into nature somewhere out there." – Trond Viggo Torgersen

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"I’m very, very excited to hear Gabba. Few Sámi master traditional joik at the level John André does." – Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen

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"It’s pure joy for the ears. Tears come immediately. That was very, very good!" – Knut Folkestad