Nattefrost has become quite a “household” name in serious electronic music. On record but also on stage, Bjørn Jeppesen knows what he is doing. Therefore it is not a strange thing that there was a lot of demand in seeing this versatile musician from Denmark live on a festival in The Netherlands. This took place on the “E-Live festival” In Oirschot at October 9 and was a big success. Just prior to “E-Live”, Bjørn released a new CD on the Groove-label, “Dying Sun/Scarlet Moon” and, not surprisingly, many of the material from that album was played during the concert. Bjørn likes to take challenges in working with other musicians. For instance, amongst others, he has worked with Robert Schroeder. On “Dying Sun/Scarlet Moon” also some interesting people are present (physically and/or digitally). He is accompanied by Matzumi (a.k.a. Kathrin Manz) on “Die Kinder Der Erde” and Synth.nl (a.k.a. Michel van Osenbruggen) on “Close Encounter”.

Bjørn is known as a musician who tries to mix different kinds of influences into his music and than puts his own “sauce”, so to say, over it. This “sauce” is a Scandinavian atmosphere. An somewhat “colder” version of Jean Michel Jarre perhaps? More than is the case on other albums, the melody is very important and present on “Dying Sun/Scarlet Moon”. Bjørn has the ability to compose tracks with impressive sequences, fine melodies but all the time with this Scandinavian feel to it. That makes his music special.

It already starts with the first track “In Natura” that has a great sequence. Sometimes, the music is also slightly danceable. “Draconian” is a piece where the great Jarre himself would certainly to be ashamed of (in contrary…). “Die Kinder Der Erde” has a wonderful sequence and a greatness to it that can be compared to the best times of Tangerine Dream. “The Swan”, which was already on his live album “Live In Germany”, is an adaptation from the great French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Its is a nice interlude on the album. A highlight on the album is “Close Encounter”, the encounter with Synth.nl. It has some excellent melodies and sequencer lines. The last piece “My Wake Up” is, indeed a nice piece to wake up with. Just as his famous predecessor Jarre sometimes did, it is a quite comic composition with an ancient drumbox.

With “Dying Sun/Scarlet Moon”, Bjørn proves that he is growing as a musician but also as a composer. Hats off.