Lars Fredrik Frøislie – Gamle Mester (Karisma Records, 2025)
On Gamle Mester (“Old Master”), his second solo album for Karisma Records, Norwegian composer and vintage keyboard virtuoso Lars Fredrik Frøislie (of Wobbler fame) offers more than just a tribute to prog-rock’s golden era. Indeed, he crafts a meditation on heritage, endurance, and the creative spark that refuses to fade.
Rather than merely revisiting the past, Frøislie distills its essence. The album draws deeply from the musical vocabulary of 1970s progressive rock, channeling the legacies of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, but also reaches beyond music into literature, folklore, and the natural world. At its thematic core is “Den Gamle Mester,” an ancient oak tree in southern Norway’s Krødsherad region that inspired both the album title and a 19th-century poem by Jørgen Moe. As a living monument, the tree becomes a metaphor for artistic legacy: deeply rooted, weathered by time, yet still standing tall.
From the first notes of “Demring” (“Dawn”) to the twilight reflections of “Skumring” (“Dusk”), Frøislie creates a narrative arc as carefully structured as a symphonic suite. The music flows with intention, sometimes contemplative, sometimes explosive and fiercely virtuosic, with Frøislie’s arsenal of analog keyboards (Mellotron, Minimoog, Hammond organ, and more) leading the charge. Each note feels hand-carved, each transition purposeful.
The centerpiece, however, is the 12-minute stroke of genius “De tre gratier” (“The Three Graces”), a multi-movement epic named after the daughters of Zeus. Here, Frøislie blends mythological splendor with instrumental dexterity. Layers of expressive ad inventive keys swirl alongside Nikolai Hængsle’s agile bass lines, lyrical flute phrases, and percussive bursts that refuse to settle into predictability. The track exemplifies Frøislie’s ability to marry complexity with clarity, excellence with grace.
Ultimately, Gamle Mester is a master work that converses with the past. It evokes a sense of place not only through its inspirations, but also through its reverence for tradition and its refusal to treat nostalgia as an endpoint. By looking backward with fresh eyes, Frøislie manages to carve something timeless. This is outstanding prog-rock with roots, and wings.
Musicians: Lars Fredrik Frøislie on Ludwig drums, Paiste cymbals, vocals, Hammond C3 with Leslie 147, Mellotron M400, Minimoog Model D, Chamberlin M-1, Hohner Clavinet D6, Yamaha CP70B, William de Blaise spinet, Arp Pro Soloist, Arp Axxe, Solina String Ensemble, Tremoloa, Rhodes mkII, Wurlitzer 200, recorder.
Guests: Nikolai Hængsle on electric bass (Rickenbacker 4003, Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz Bass, Fender Telecaster Bass); and Ketil Einarsen on flute, recorder.
Track list:
- Demring (Dawn)
- Jakten På Det Kalydonske Villsvin (The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar)
- Gamle Mester (Old Master)
- Medusas Flåte (The Raft of the Medusa)
- De Tre Gratier (The Three Graces)
- Skumring (Dusk)
Buy Gamle Mester.