KNUT
Biography KNUT
Knut Bjørnar Asphol
With more than 20 years of experience as a professional musician, music producer, mastering engineer and song writer, Knut Bjørnar Asphol has worked with numerous bands and artists within a variety of genres. Unparalleled knowledge and insight into music production and the music business has enabled him to contribute his own productions to the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as other nationally televised events, film scores and TV series. An ever-growing resumé includes participation in several hundred released albums, production duties on the Dreamworks movie “How to train a dragon 2”and release of solo albums in the ambient jazz genre to mention some. He recieved Spellemannsprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) in 2017. In 2021 he will release his tenth album. He is working for the passion of music 24/7.
Born in Molde, Norway, Knut Bjørnar wasted little time to begin his journey with music. First playing the guitar at the tender age of 5, it was not long before he had written and recorded more than 80 songs on a cassette recorder for his nearest and dearest family members - and all before his 13th birthday. Early on, he was heavily influenced by bands such as Kiss and Deep Purple, and spent the majority of his time practicing scales, chords, solos, and mimicking his heroes' stage moves in front of the mirror. The town of Molde annually plays host to one of the world's most celebrated jazz festivals - the Molde International Jazz Festival. This festival proved to be a key ingredient in Asphol's development, and a significant channel for him to explore great musicians and provided an open door for the discovery of improvised music. Soon Knut Bjørnar found himself shifting influences from Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jimi Hendrix to the improvisational genius of players like John Scofield, Pat Metheny and Terje Rypdal.
In 1998, Asphol completed his Masters Degree in Music from the University of Oslo. His main dissertation was based on his research in the development of the distorted sound. This essay, entitled "Exploring Distortion", was a new direction for subject study within the University. Staffan William-Olsson and Eivind Aarset, two of his guitar teachers and advisers at this time, guided Knut Bjørnar to embark on his journey into these previously uncharted waters. Eventually his work and life as a freelance musician provided the perfect platform to start Masterpool Studio, where he began to record and produce music for other artists. Then delving even further, Asphol established a world-class analogue mastering studio. In 2003, he participated in the Norwegian Eurovision Final with his band (Monopole) and as a composer. Knut Bjørnar then joined the band Postscriptum in 2005. Two years later, 2007 saw the release of the group's widely acclaimed album "Prophet Deny". Postscriptum then embarked on a heavy tour schedule throughout Norway and the rest of Europe in support of said album. In 2009, he decided to end his relationship with the banddue to his increasing demand as a producer and mastering engineer. ...
