Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Harald Lassen returns with Rik, a vibrant and exploratory new album that picks up the threads of his acclaimed Balans - the album that earned him a Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy) - and weaves them into something stranger, softer, and more surprising. “It’s the little brother,” Lassen says. “Same blood, same environment, but making different choices.” 

Across seven tracks, RIK builds a world that is both cinematic and deeply intimate. The title, taken from the Norwegian word for “rich,” gestures toward multiple forms of wealth: personal, musical, emotional, ecological. Each track title points to this too, whether it's “Lite Sted” (Small Place), “Risset i meg” (Etched Into Me), or “No Aent” (Something Else). These aren’t just poetic abstractions; they’re coordinates on a personal map of meaning.

Lassen performs on saxophone, piano, flute, synth, melodica, glockenspiel, vocals and percussion. He’s joined by a versatile ensemble: Solveig Wang (synths, clarinet), Sander Eriksen Nordahl (guitars), Stian Andersen (bass, acoustic guitar), and Tore Flatjord (drums, percussion). Together they create a sonic landscape that moves fluidly between composed passages and open improvisation, always alive with possibility.