{"id":154383,"date":"2026-03-13T15:45:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/?post_type=records&p=154383"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:45:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:45:49","slug":"the-setting-the-setting","status":"publish","type":"records","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/records\/the-setting-the-setting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Setting – The Setting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a writer, I always need background music, and that music usually needs to be instrumental. Post-rock, cosmic jazz, ambient, and artful cinematic vibes are usually my go-to, and this debut self-titled album by The Setting is all three wrapped in one delicious bow. The Setting is a three piece of multi-instrumentalists, Eivind Opsvik (double bass, drum machine), Elias Stemeseder (synths, piano, Wurlitzer, and lute-harpsichord) and Will Graefe (acoustic guitar and other electronics). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Setting <\/em>also doesn’t contain any real drums, giving every song an airy and uplifting quality. The music is also never rushed and takes its time to introduce a whimsical theme, as with the opener “Corner Song” and build upon it. It’s very Boards of Canada and Brian Eno soundscape-esque (Another Green World<\/em>), perfect for getting lost in. “By the Light of the Moon,” with its oscillating synth work and minimal bass piano, feels like stepping in and out of a dream. “I Will Have to Whisper This” feels very bardic and Nordic with the light acoustic arpeggions and dirge-like strings. It wouldn’t feel out of place in The Witcher <\/em>video game universe. This feeling is probably thanks in part to Opsvik, who is now based in New York but hails from Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The album’s more experimental turns are equally rewarding. “Hold On Tight to Your Music” leans jazzy and strange \u2014 likely the lute-harpsichord at work \u2014 blending Latin-inflected guitar scales, understated bass, and trilling piano before a sci-fi synth gradually emerges from the fog. It’s all about the slow build. The lone stumble is “Sivilisasjon i Rommet,” three minutes of buzzing alarm-bell tones that, while intentional, undercut the album’s prevailing breezy atmosphere. Closer “The Big Yard” more than recovers: a six-minute slow-burn in which Graefe’s guitar shimmers like a harp, layered acoustic themes shift and stretch, and the bass lays a quiet foundation for the piano to flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Setting<\/em> is a rare find\u2014music that enriches whatever you’re doing without demanding your full attention, and rewards it fully when you give it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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