The quartet – violinist Tuva Halse, vibraphonist Amund Stenøien, drummer August Glännestrand, and Alex Ventling on piano and synth – first met at Trondheim’s renowned NTNU Jazzlinja and have since developed a distinctive ensemble identity. With its unusual instrumentation and focus on dynamic tension, Wavemakers functions as a “groove-organism,” where each instrument weaves into a larger tapestry of shifting rhythmic webs and evolving textures.

Recorded in Norway, the music draws on an array of influences, from chamber-music intimacy to Nordic jazz, from minimalism to impressionistic soundscapes. Each piece is carefully written and arranged for the individual voices in the band to unlock subtle blends and evolving waves of sound with a contemporary edge. 

Guest vocalist Sissel Vera Pettersen appears on Omaha, a track inspired by the New Zealand beach where Ventling learned to walk as a child, while Four Refractions showcases the quartet’s signature rhythmic shifts – a musical prism refracting light into new directions and colours. Live performance videos for these pieces, featuring visuals by Ventling and creative lighting by light-artist Pekka Stokke will accompany the release.

Ventling has built an international career shaped by deep musical training and wide-ranging collaborations. After studies in Basel, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Trondheim, he has established himself on the Norwegian and wider European jazz scenes with projects including The View (with Phelan Burgoyne) and In Orbit (with Hein Westgaard). His poetic, organic piano style reflects both his background in classical and contemporary jazz, as well as his practice of Vipassana meditation – a discipline that continues to inform his improvisational language. Beyond performance, he is also an active filmmaker and curator of the DUO Trondheim series.

Following the release, the band will embark on their most ambitious tour to date, including concerts in Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and a first international stretch across New Zealand, Australia, and Japan in early 2026