With his new four track EP Heimr, Danish producer Kasper Bjørke returns to ambient territory, unveiling an expansive sonic journal composed amid the elemental grandeur of Iceland. Set for release on his own Sensitive Records imprint on October 10th, the EP reflects Bjørke’s continued exploration of site-specific sound – a dialogue between place, memory, and the porous boundary between inner and outer worlds.
The Icelandic word Heimr, borrowed from Old Norse, holds multitudes: it can mean “home” or “world,” both intimate and infinite. That tension – the pull between rootedness and the unknown – runs through the record like wind threading a mountain pass.
Composed during a summerlong journey across Iceland’s raw and remote northwestern coast, Heimr is Bjørke’s second ambient work for Sensitive Records, following last year’s contribution to the Sensitive Friends compilation, his track “Skogsbostigen” (010324).
On Heimr, nature is more than a backdrop; it becomes a collaborator. Field recordings made on location – wind, sea, waterfalls, silence – emerge not as adornments but as vital co-narrators, grounding each composition in specific geographies while hinting at something universal. In an era increasingly shaped by AI-generated creations, Bjørke’s organic, human approach feels quietly radical: sound not synthesized, but discovered in conversation with the land. Each site is also depicted in the accompanying artwork, shot by Kasper on analog film, while on the road in Iceland.
“Búðir” (the first single out September 12th)
“Búðir was born from a pivotal (re)union,” Bjørke says, “a return to a place I first visited 15 years ago.” Tucked between lava fields, mountains, and a storm-battered coastline – overlooked by the ancient glacier Snæfellsjökull – the site evoked a powerful sense of completion, of homecoming. “I tried to channel that emotion into the music, while honoring that special moment,” he explains. After completing the track, Bjørke shared it with composer Henrik Lindstrand, his most recent collaborator, who spontaneously contributed a delicate piano theme. “That completed the piece,” Bjørke adds. Búðir is a quietly moving meditation – simultaneously cinematic and intimate.
“Dynjandi” (the second single out September 26th)
Anchored by the awe-inspiring Dynjandi waterfall, located at the end of a secluded, rugged fjord in Iceland’s Westfjords, Bjørke’s on-site field recordings serve as the track’s spine, allowing the cascade’s sonic energy to dictate pace and texture – a natural drone of rushing water and reverberating stone.
“Eyjafjörður”
Named after a serene bay on Iceland’s north coast, where snow-draped mountains cradle still waters that shimmer beneath the midnight sun. Bjørke spent time immersed in the calm, and the resulting track captures its weightless, dreamlike atmosphere. It also incorporates fragments from an earlier, unreleased work created in collaboration with Langstrakt, Bjørke’s partner in the Kasper Bjørke Quartet, who have released two ambient albums via Kompakt Records.
“Flateyri”
Named after a small, remote village nestled among the dramatic peaks of the Westfjords. “The journey to Flateyri is long and difficult,” Bjørke notes, “and it feels like a place that could be completely cut off in winter.” Yet the music doesn’t dwell in isolation. Instead, it conveys the quiet harmony of a community living in rhythm with its surroundings—rolling mountains that resemble sound waves. The track’s subtle textures and melodic restraint reflect the quiet dignity of both the landscape and its people.
With Heimr, Kasper Bjørke carves out a contemplative space where music becomes memory and landscape becomes language. It is a work that invites us to listen more deeply – to the world around us, and the world within.
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