New single release “Let Nothing Happen” 20th of January 2023.

Produced in collaboration with Tov Ramstad who provides Cello.

Written and composed by DN.

https://orcd.co/letnothinghappen

This is the second release from the album

«The Distance» on NXN Recordings (Naxos).

"The Distance Between Us" is the first single from the new album by Tov Ramstad and Django Novo. Their music is rooted in dramatic, cinematic rock from the past 50 years, and through patient studio work they present their compositions with excellence.

https://www.nxnrecordings.no/en/digital-release/distance-between-us

The album was released on CD and digitally 10.3.2023.

Music by Django Novo and Tov Ramstad.

Single cover art photo on "Let Nothing Happen" by Margarida Paiva.

"The Distance" Album cover art by Piet Kuiters. Design and concept by Django Novo

Mastering by Morten Lund.

Reviews:

★★★★★★★★ 8/10 - Eclipsed Rock Magazin (Germany)

«Django Novo and Tov Ramstad's duo project is more intellectual art than crude pop music. Ramstad's deep cello provides a delightful contrast to Novo's clear voice. But then a real ambient sound emerges, and the line "Let Nothing Happen For A While" is taken literally. One understands what the artistic goal is. "Unnamed Road" is introduced by a trumpet, cello, and synths lament, with unidentifiable voices in the background. You literally sink into this nameless ambient street. "Mirage" prepares a cinematic rock sound with electric guitar, harmonica, overtone singing, and voices like from an old blues player and from a film of the 40s you've never heard before. The equally spherical "The Distance Between Us", on the other hand, is almost pop. One often has the feeling of attending a play rather than a pop concert. Sometimes there is only space instead of music. There are still cool songs like the farewell ballad "Last Song" or the yearning "Time Travel". It ends with a "stolen moment": piano, double bass, and cello tones that sink into the sea of memories. Art.

★★★★ 4/5 - Ivan Rod (Denmark)

“The Norwegian duo - Django Novo and Tov Ramstad - is something quite special, which their new joint album, The Distance, confirms. Their cinematic, minimalist, almost theatrical music can be classified as a form of chamber music with distinct layers of electronic music and prominent elements of pop/rock and ethnic fusion. The two use multiple instruments - they have invited talented musicians to the studio playing the trumpet, keyboards, and harmonica - but the foundation is Django Novo's own vocals and Tov Ramstad's cello, along with electronics/programming. The expression is cinematic, simple, and often dramatic, yet carried by the melodious nature of chamber music that, for example, in songs like "The Distance Between Us" and "It's Too Late," spontaneously brings my thoughts to American Laurie Anderson. The lyrics are well-written, and the vocals and accompaniment are clearly intended as a whole - almost a performance. For the same reason, I could easily imagine a VJ having a central role in the live performances. It is very fascinating.

Top track: Let Nothing Happen.»

Ivan Rod is a journalist, critic, author, and editor.

Lark Reviews (Classical, United Kingdom):

"Spacey and relaxed, this recording brings a meditative soundscape that combines thoughtful songs and expansive instrumental landscapes together with some spoken word. A range of distinctive instruments is employed including lap steel guitar, harmonica, therevox, and accordion alongside more conventional flute, strings, piano, and percussion. Samples and electronic treatments also play a part in this dreamy offering."

Jazz-fun.de (Magazin für Jazz Musik, Germany):

"Until recently, pop and jazz were two separate and distant currents. In recent years, the fusion of these two genres has increasingly led to very interesting projects. An intriguing narrative and excellent compositions make this album a listening pleasure."

Jazz Thing Magazine (Germany):

"Django Novo plays guitar, piano, keyboards, and percussion, Tov Ramstad plays bass, cello, piano, keyboards, and percussion. Together, the two Norwegians create peculiar sonic worlds that sometimes evoke the ambient sound of David Sylvian, and at other times, the challenging electro-pop of bands like Neon Neon ("Mirage") or Laurie Anderson ("The Distance Between Us") - especially the spacey vocals of the latter piece owe much to Anderson's famous "O Superman." A whole army of guest musicians continually provides new perspectives to the duo's ghostly sound, including overtone singer Trygve Beddari, guitarist Morten Lund with a yearning lap steel on "Cayambe", and trumpeter Per Willy Aaserud ("Unnamed Road"). In the studio, everything works splendidly, but Novo and Ramstad still have to prove themselves on the stages of this world.

Text: Rolf Thomas, Jazz Thing, 22. Jun 2023."

Jazzmania.be (Belgium):

«Little information filter about the duo Django Novo and Tov Ramstad. The latter is a cellist. The archivist site Discogs informs about him some appearances within the groups Friland and Kitchen Party, of which we do not know more. As for Django, he mainly officiates on vocals.

The two men are in truth two great jack-of-all-trades… Guitars, keyboards and percussion complete their sound panoply.

And they are not alone: for this "The Distance", a dozen guests come to their aid, one with a harmonica, the other with his guitars, and still others with voices or brass instruments.

What for? Pop, if you want to describe this music that way. A delicate, cerebral, adventurous pop. In honesty, very beautiful. It is not forbidden to think of David Sylvian. And it's quite a nice reference.»

UKVIBE (The United Kingdom):

A beguiling combination of dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes and original songs are the order of the day for this latest release from Norwegian label NXN Recordings. Created by fellow countrymen Django Novo and Tov Ramstad, “The Distance” is a series of wistful compositions that combine a whole host of musical influences – from pop to blues to world to folk to jazz to cinematic to classical and back again – all wrapped up in a blanket of comforting ambience.

The thing I love about this kind of music is how easy it is to let the imagination run wild. It’s like listening to a make-believe film score, one where I can create my own characters and plot, through visual ideas and emotional input. To this end, I get the feeling that Novo and Ramstad are natural storytellers themselves, with their music incorporating all the key elements needed to let my imagination run free.

Django Novo performs vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, and percussion, with Tov Ramstad playing cello, double bass, electric bass, piano, keyboards, and percussion.

To further expand their sound and vision, the duo invited a selection of musicians to add trumpet, keyboards, harmonica, lap steel guitar, accordion, flute, strings, piano, percussion, and even therevox custom instrument. Samples and electronic treatments also play a part in this dreamy offering. Everything is pieced together with skilful aplomb, resulting in an intriguing offering for lovers of ambient / song-writing music.

Making music such as this is an artful craft in itself. It does however sometimes detract from a necessary prerequisite; that the compositions have an innate strength to them. In the case of “The Distance”, it’s a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. There are moments of brilliance – the fiercely distinctive “The Screen You Look Upon” and “Time Travel” being two cases in point – mixed with a sometimes slightly confusing set of songs/tunes. For me personally, the vocals work well on some tracks but leave me wishing they weren’t there on others. Overall though, the combinations of instruments and ideas work well together, and I can only tip my hat in appreciation to the two eclectic musicians who have put this album together.

Mike Gates