Populus by Skjold & Peder

By fusing hip-hop heritage with melancholic melodies, Skjold and Peder explore the realm of Nordic jazz and Trip-hop, bridging the gap between the classic and the modern.
The collaboration began at Peder's studio, where they initially met up with the aim of experimenting and creating some wonky hip-hop beats, but then they unexpectedly - and almost by accident - composed three of the album's first tunes. There was no denying their synergy, and they quickly realized they’d stumbled upon a sound that resonated deeply with them both.
“At our first session I’d made a folder called Nordic Idiots as I thought we would be making some stupid hip-hop beats for fun, but something happened and suddenly this dubby Nordic jazz-funk sound emerged... It turned into a super fun and nerdy recording process, and we ended up inviting a handful of friends and old colleagues to join the project.” - Peder
Peder, with his extensive background as a vocalist and prominent music producer, brought a rich understanding of melodies and production techniques to the table. His experienc in creating moody soundscapes and working in a variety of genres influenced and helped shape the atmospheric layers of their music. Meanwhile, drummer and beatmaker Skjold (aka Shield) brought his deep love for breakbeats and unique drumming style to the project, layering in complex rhythms, broken beats, and plenty of improvised piano. By merging their specific talents, they laid the foundation for a debut album that seamlessly blends their various musical backgrounds.
The duo is joined by vocalist Samantha Mercano, who lends her unique voice to several tracks. Though initially meant to be a purely instrumental collaboration, Samantha’s intuitive approach to writing beautiful and introspective pop melodies elevates Skjold and Peder’s sound and adds another layer to the project.

Peder started out as a scratch D.J. and household remixer for the Beastie Boys.
Now he’s a singer that makes dusty 50’s prom music from your sweet nightmare and a filmcomposer with music featured in Breaking Bad and not to forget a director featured at Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Directors Showcase
He has won a Grammy, DMA and a Steppeulv (the critics award) amongst others.

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pederandasgerbaden.com
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