Stein Austrud & Anette Askvik – Stille Natt: A New Beginning

Stein Austrud and Anette Askvik’s ‘Stille Natt / Silent Night’ is out now on Klangspot Nu Contemporary. Released on 6 November 2026, the Norwegian interpretation of the Christmas carol marks both the first release on our new label and the first single from Austrud’s forthcoming album, December. We are proud to begin this chapter with two artists whose collaboration gives a familiar song a new setting—and especially proud that we will be releasing the album on 4 December.

Silent Night, sung in Norwegian

Some songs arrive with memories already attached. ‘Silent Night’ may recall a church, a family gathering, a school concert or a voice heard long ago. Its melody connects people who do not necessarily share a language. The German title ‘Stille Nacht,’ the Norwegian ‘Stille Natt’ and the English ‘Silent Night’ all point towards the same familiar song, while the words give each version its own cultural setting.

For this recording, Anette Askvik sings in Norwegian. That choice places her voice and language at the heart of the interpretation. Listeners who know the carol in English or German have a recognisable melody to follow, while the Norwegian text offers another way into it. There is no need to understand every word to recognise the song, but hearing it in another language can draw attention back to something habit has made almost too familiar.

On the album, the recording appears as ‘Part Six: STILLE – Stille Natt/Silent Night.’ The chapter title connects this first single to the larger sequence of December. Released on its own, it is also an introduction to the partnership between Austrud and Askvik: two established musical identities meeting around a piece of shared repertoire.

Stein Austrud: an existing connection with Klangspot

This is a new label, but our relationship with Stein Austrud is already established. Klangspot listeners may know him through Klangspot Nu Jazzical, where ‘Light’ and ‘Breath’ led into Landscapes of the North – Five Piano Miniatures Part One. That EP brought together ‘Silence,’ ‘Awakening,’ ‘Flow,’ ‘Breath’ and ‘Light,’ giving listeners five concise perspectives on his piano writing.

Austrud also contributed ‘Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Det hev ei rose sprunge)’ to In A Nu Jazzical Christmas Mood. That recording provided another connection between a widely known Christmas melody and Norwegian musical tradition. ‘Stille Natt’ continues that engagement with seasonal repertoire, now with Askvik’s vocal performance central to the project.

His work extends well beyond these releases. As a musician and producer, Austrud has worked with artists including Mari Boine and Rebekka Bakken. His experience across different musical settings helps explain why a piano EP and a collaborative Christmas album can both belong within his catalogue. For us, December is an opportunity to share more of that artistic range with listeners who first discovered him through Nu Jazzical.

Anette Askvik: a musical partnership with its own history

Norwegian singer, composer and producer Anette Askvik brings a distinct background to the recording. Raised in Stavanger, she describes the ocean and the natural surroundings of her childhood as important influences on her work. Across her catalogue, electronic and organic sounds meet in music shaped by her voice and interest in the world around her.

Her debut album, Liberty, was made with producer and pianist Øystein Sevåg. It has since found a particular audience among hi-fi enthusiasts, becoming a familiar recording for demonstrating audio equipment. Her later work includes Multiverse, With Every Cell and Lyden av Snø, showing different sides of her approach to writing and production.

According to Askvik’s official biography, her collaboration with Austrud began after she discovered his album We Meet, We Touch, I Am. That background gives ‘Stille Natt’ a context beyond the usual seasonal pairing of two names. It belongs to an ongoing artistic relationship, with an existing interest in each other’s music behind this shared recording.

The first release on Klangspot Nu Contemporary

Choosing the first release for a label means choosing how to introduce it. A name and a visual identity can suggest a direction, but the music gives listeners something concrete to connect with. We wanted Klangspot Nu Contemporary to begin with artists and a project we believe in.

‘Stille Natt’ gives that beginning a personal connection to our existing work. Austrud is already part of the Klangspot family, and this collaboration allows us to accompany him into a different setting. Nu Jazzical remains part of that story. Nu Contemporary opens another space alongside it, welcoming music that moves between contemporary composition, acoustic performance and electronic production.

We are delighted that Austrud has entrusted us with December. There is a real sense of responsibility in helping an artist bring a complete album to listeners, and a particular pleasure in doing so at the beginning of a new label. This first single is our introduction to that work.

December arrives digitally on 4 December

December will be released digitally on 4 December 2026. Its twelve-part sequence brings Christmas repertoire into Austrud’s musical world, with arrangements, recording and production by Austrud and mixing shared with Roald Raasberg. ‘Stille Natt,’ the album’s sixth chapter, is the first opportunity to hear part of that larger project.

The album will also be available on 180g audiophile vinyl (DMM Mastering).

For now, the single stands on its own: Stein Austrud, Anette Askvik and a song that many listeners have known for years, sung in Norwegian and shared at the start of our new label’s story. We are proud to welcome both artists to Klangspot Nu Contemporary, and we look forward to sharing the complete album in December.

Listen to Stein Austrud & Anette Askvik – Stille Natt / Silent Night