Fading Forward

Description

Big Crown Records is proud to present The Imprints’ second album, Fading Forward. Led by self-taught multi-instrumentalist and producer Morten Martens, this album explores mortality, escapism, and a multitude of love-related experiences. Martens made a strong impression with his critically acclaimed debut album Rêverie, released in 2023. Since then, he has built a loyal audience as diverse as his musical influences. He blends 60s and 70s soul sounds with doo-wop arrangements; draws rhythmic energy from hip-hop; and wraps it all in 90s and 2000s alternative vocals. But it's primarily his lyrics, the emotion he infuses into them, and his delivery that give his music its coherence and set him apart from his peers. The songwriting, with its communicative energy and pop sensibility, is executed with exquisite elegance and taste, lending The Imprints that immediate and rare charm that only intensifies with each listen. Hailing from Kristiansand, Norway, Morten plays almost all instruments on Fading Forward, produced and arranged the album, and, of course, sang. "It's soul music, but I don't really have a soul artist's voice," he humbly explains. "I do it my own way, with my own style." In the small town of Kristiansand, Norway, immense talent had long lived in the shadows. His signing with New York label Big Crown Records prompted Morten Martens to share his own music. The success of his debut album, Rêverie, propelled him onto the stage, encouraging him to push the boundaries of his art. Heights fully revealed in Fading Forward.