In 2010, when Ingrid Helene Håvik met Trond Bersu at the Ytondheim Jazz Conservatory, the duo promptly began crafting shimmering and idiosyncratic pop tracks under the name of Highasakite.
By the time they’d released their debut album All That Floats Will Rain in 2012, Highasakite were operating as a five-piece… though now, the band’s two founding members have decided it’s time for a major mix-up.
Fresh off stripping back to their original two members, Norwegian outfit Highasakite are back doing what they do best: crafting shimmering and deeply addictive indie-pop tracks.
Since releasing that critically acclaimed debut album six years ago, the Norwegian duo have found themselves adored in Australia as much as their home country.
It was probably with the line “but no one has seen or heard from him since last Wednesday,” that most Australians were introduced to the band’s hypnotic sounds.
And it was this song, Since Last Wednesday, that earned them a slot in triple J’s 2014 instalment of the Hottest 100.
However, Highasakite traded in the clear and sharp, passionate sounds of their first two albums for a more politically charged release with Camp Echo.
Referencing a notorious Guantanamo Bay detention centre in their third album’s title was a bold move, and the music that followed was a dark, brooding detour from the band’s mesmerising synth-pop.
Though now, Bersu and Håvik are stripping things back to just the two of them… and with the change of lineup, is also a major shift in sound.
Highasakite’s two most recent singles – Out Of Order and Ecstatic State Of Mind – see the duo return to the bright and hopeful sounds of their early days.
The new song’s flaunt an addictive blend of indie-rock, folk, and pop that perfectly frame Håvik’s soaring vocals.
This is only the beginning of a new era for the Norwegian duo, but judging from what we’ve been treated to so far, I think we can safely expect more brilliant tunes courtesy of Highasakite.
Do yourself a favour and listen to the new songs above.
