Overseas IV, a sweepingly epic collection that marks the fourth release in a near decade long series of recordings that includes Overseas I (2003), Overseas II (2005) and Overseas III (2008).

Opsvik infused the first three Overseas projects with a variety of progressive rock, classical, ambient and electronic influences—from Neil Young to Brian Eno to Messiaen. On Overseas IV, he takes a more cinematic approach that is less concerned with pure ambience and more open to full on rocking—when it’s not tapping into such whimsical muses as the spirit of baroque operas (as on the opening track “They Will Hear The Drums – and They Will Answer”) and the old call and response patterns of prison chain gangs (“Youth Hopeth All Things, Believeth All Things, ”).

Another new inspiration that is an integral part of this record and Overseas’ ever-evolving sonic palette is the harpsichord, which keyboardist Jacob Sacks adds to an arsenal that includes farfisa organ and piano. Opsvik had the sound of the harpsichord in mind when he wrote the music for IV. “In many ways,” he continues, “it all came together and set the tone for IV’s overall theme that draws culturally from the late 1700s and the 1800s. A time period I’m fascinated by. The album is a new chapter in our continuing story and definitely different from the first three. It's about energy and unique moods rather than virtuosic soloing and complexity.. On this record I was also going for a more raw and alive sound in the recording and mixing process. Perhaps the best way to describe Overseas IV is ‘experimental cinematic music.’”

The Compact Disc is beautifully packaged and comes with a fold-out poster. It was designed by Yokoland and Michelle Arcila did the photography. There will also be 2-song 7" vinyl (includes full album download)

01. They Will Hear the Drums – and They Will Answer
02. White Armour
03. 1786
04. Silkweavers' Song
05. Men on Horses
06. Robbers and Fairground Folk
07. Michelle Marie
08. Nineteen to the Dozen
09. Det Kalde Havet
10. Youth Hopeth All Things, Believeth All Things

All music written and produced by Eivind Opsvik

Kenny Wollesen - drums, cymbals, timpani, vibraphone, marching machine
Jacob Sacks - harpsichord, farfisa organ, piano
Tony Malaby - saxophone
Brandon Seabrook - electric guitar, mandolin
Eivind Opsvik - bass

Recorded by Tom Schick at The Magic Shop in New York City on
August 3rd and 4th, 2011

Mixed by Eivind Opsvik at Greenwood Underground in Brooklyn, NY
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Avatar Studios in New York City

Cover design by Espen Friberg at Yokoland
Photography by Michelle Arcila

Press:

All Music Guide:
"The prominent harpsichord helps make Overseas, Vol. 4 a unique-sounding album that's also an unqualified success thanks to Opsvik's vision and a great band".

Foxy Digitalis:
"While the disc is grandiose and ambitious, Opsvik’s ensemble never hesitates to remind you that jazz music presents a great opportunity to seriously move.."

Free Jazz Blog:
Record of the month (April 2012)
"Overseas IV is a multi-dimensional recording that demands repeat listens. It's a complex soundtrack and a fascinating compositional statement. For what it's worth, I highly recommend giving it a listen" *****

About.com:
"Incredibly, one of the greatest accomplishments of bassist and composer Eivind Opsvik's newest album, Overseas IV, is its ability to transport the listener to another time and place, creating a cinematic experience that goes beyond the average “jazz” record."

Downbeat:
"Eivind Opsvik's new opus belongs to a unique musical universe. But Opsvik's project is no novelty act."

Time Out New York:
"The depth and almost feverish strangeness of the new Overseas IV still comes as a pleasant shock. Part harpsichord-accented chamber jazz and part snarly postprog rock, it's some of the freshest work we've heard this year.."

Jazzwise (UK):
"the bassist creates a sense of tension between old world and new on this excellent recording."

Something Else Reviews:
"His music lives firmly in the present scenes of the progressive fringes of both rock and jazz, accentuated with touches of ambient and electronica. As clever as that might be, these stylistic blends and odd instrumentations are in the end just vehicles for Opsvik’s compositions, which are full of dramatic build ups and releases of tensions."

Bird is The Worm:
"1786 ends with the band flying off into the setting sun, the sound of their music receding as they fade from sight. It’s the highlight of the album, and arguably, one of the highlights of 2012 thus far."

JazzTimes:
"Opsvik widens those horizons to encompass centuries."

Jazz Alchemist:
"I daresay it's one of the most "new ear" releases of the year."

Milk Factory.co.uk:
"Overseas IV is quite a departure for the ensemble, even compared to their previous sonic excursions, and it is also quite a complex and at times demanding piece of work, which requires some time to unlock its intricacies. ... yet it also seems to capture the formation at a key transitional moment, leaving the future of Overseas wide open"

All About Jazz:
"One of today's most compelling musical statements, Overseas IV is a fully realized effort whose equitable blend of folksy melody, neo-classical harmonic sophistication, and avant-garde improvisation transcends the limitations of genre" (Troy Collins)

Chicago Reader:
"Though the performances make use of jazz harmony and improvisation, the compositions and arrangements draw from all kinds of musical traditions."

ShanleyOnMusic:
"Eivind Opsvik is charting a new course for this music that is more accurately described for the images that it can evoke than for what kind of category it belongs to."

PopMatters.com:
"Opsvik's latest constructs a strange path that's as rewarding as it is surprising" 8 out of 10

Gapplegate:
"the music of Overseas makes its own absolute SENSE. Brilliant! I say brilliant! "

Wyattandstuff.blog:
"You get beat and style changes by the pound, and a fine mix of jazz, free jazz, prog and baroque (!?), all molded into a close to perfect whole."

No Treble:
"Entirely written by Opsvik, the album brings together styles for an eclectic sound influenced by the 1700s and 1800s"

Nordische-Musik.de:
CD of the month! (june 2012)
"der famose Track »1786«, der uns über knapp zehn Minuten in eine im besten Sinne exzentrische Reise durch bislang unvereinbar geglaubte Zeiten und Genres entführt"

Cuadernos de Jazz:
"Esta música hecha de instantáneas, volúmenes y contrastes crea un estado perceptivo que poco o nada tienen que ver con las fuentes que lo originan. Inspirado tal vez por Satie, no es música de mobiliario la del bajista aunque juegue con el término en su portada. Una bella y singular paradoja."

Noiself:
"Una bella y singular paradoja.o"

Chimes:
"Confessing this will make me appear reactionary, which is not the impression I want to give, but I admit that I think the harpsichord sounds much better than the piano"

Enola.be:
"Het knappe is echter vooral de manier waarop ze ongedwongen uit elkaar kunnen voortvloeien. Wat aanvankelijk dan ook een wat vreemd probeersel lijkt, groeit na een grondigere kennismaking uit tot een zeer ge(s)laagd album dat op soms virtuoze wijze verschillende werelden bij elkaar brengt."

Orkester Journalen (SE):
“Opsvik och gruppen Overseas har skapat en känsloladdad och mycket stark platta, där just subtila och oväntade förskjutningar och förflyttningar i ljudlandskapen kan ge stora utväxlingar."

Tom Hull:
"A-"