"Pulse" Ambient/drone release

 

This release embraces the beauty of long-form listening.

"A Dream Within A Dream" is a meditative, deeply tranquil ambient piece that invites stillness and reflection. "Pulse" explores darker territory—a rich, evolving drone with a melodic core that keeps it alive beneath the surface.

Together, the two tracks form a kind of Yin and Yang: Light and shadow, weight and space, silence and pulse.

Created with a desire to remain timeless and true to the traditions of ambient and drone music, this release invites you to leave the sense of time behind and simply drift into a quieter world.

credits

released July 3, 2026

Composed, arranged, performed, mixed and mastered by Tom Ståle Engebretsen
Photo and artwork by Tom Ståle Engebretsen

I also made cassettes on this release! Only 25 copies. Really exclusive. Go to my bandcamp site here to order

XUXU PROJECT

 

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Xuxu Project is my moniker for the more experimental side of the music I create. It includes genres such as ambient, art music, drone, IDM, EDM, and experimental electronic music.

The project emerged as a natural part of my own musical development. I strongly felt the need to move into something different… whatever that might be. It started as a side project to the stronger brands I have built. From the very beginning, I envisioned a decade consisting of 10 releases. They would be numbered from 1 to 10. The entire series was titled Opus. The first four releases have been published on Bandcamp. The first, Opus 1, came out in 2019, followed by Opus 2 in 2020, Opus 3 in 2021, and Opus 4 in 2022.

Xuxu was the name from the start. The name originated from my hikes in Nordmarka at the time. X meant a walk around Sognsvann. Y meant a walk to Ullevålseter. I checked them off on a personal tracking sheet throughout a year.

It was on that sheet that I noticed the combination XUXU as a name in itself. Later, I discovered that Xuxu (pronounced “shoo-shoo”) means high or intense intensity — which, in a way, fits the music quite well.

Now, in 2026, I have made all these releases available on streaming services — whether you are on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, YouTube, and so on.

Because many others are already using the name Xuxu, I had to add “Project.” Therefore, Xuxu Project is the name that will follow these releases. The 10 albums I intend to create are not necessarily a limit to the project — just to clarify that. What unites the first 10 releases, however, is the cover artwork. I already have them ready. They were photographed in Bosa, Sardinia, Italy. Together they form a cohesive series with exciting, minimalist visual expressions — few colors per image and slightly graphic in style.

There are also several videos I have created for tracks from Xuxu Project. In my mind, the entire project is just as much an art video project as it is a music project.

Xuxu Project is therefore my artistic and personal voice expressed through sound and images. It is niche and perhaps somewhat inaccessible. But there are melodic gems as well.

What is certain is that I have no rules for what Xuxu Project should be. It is part of my development. And the reason I am writing this now is also that Opus 5 is ready — set for release as soon as the practical matters are in place.

På norsk:

Xuxu Project er min moniker for den mer eksperimentelle biten av musikk jeg lager. Herunder er det genre som ambient, art music, drone, IDM, EDM, experimental electronic. 

Prosjektet kom som en naturlig del av min egen musikalske utvikling. Jeg ønsket sterkt å gå inn i noe annet.... Hva det nå enn skulle være. Som et sideprosjekt til mer sterke merkenavn jeg har bygget. Allerede fra start tenkte jeg en dekade på 10 utgivelser. Og de skulle nummeres fra 1-10. Hele serien ble kalt for Opus. De 4 første utgivelsene har vært utgitt på Bandcamp. Den første Opus 1 i 2019. Deretter er de lansert: Opus 2 i 2020, Opus 3 i 2021 og Opus 4 i 2022. 

Xuxu var navnet fra starten av. Navnet har utspring i mine Nordmarka turer den gang. X betyr en tur rundt Sognsvann. Y betyr en tur til Ullevålseter. Jeg krysset av på et eget skjema gjennom et år. 

Det var på dette skjemaet jeg så kombinasjonen XUXU som et eget navn. Senere skulle jeg finne ut at Xuxu (Uttales «sjû-sjû») betyr høy/mye intensitet. Noe som forsåvidt stemmer bra med musikken. 

Nå har jeg i år, 2026, gjort alle disse utgivelsene tilgjengelige på streamingtjenester. Enten du er på Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Youtube osv. 

Da måtte jeg også legge til Project. Fordi altfor mange bruker allerede navnet xuxu. Dermed er Xuxu Project blitt navnet som heretter følger opp utgivelsene. For de 10 albumene jeg ønsker å lage er ikke nødvendighvis noen limit på prosjektet. Bare så det er sagt. Men felles for de første 10 er coverbildene. Jeg har de klare. De er tatt på Bosa, Sardinia, Italia. De utgjør en fin serie med spennende og minimalistiske bildeuttrykk. Få farger pr. bilde og litt grafiske. 

Det finnes også noen videoer jeg har laget på låtene til Xuxu Project. I mitt hode er hele prosjektet vel så mye et kunstvideo prosjekt. 

Xuxu project er altså min kunstneriske og personlige stemme med bruk av lyd og bilder. Det er smalt og kanskje også litt utilgjengelig. Men det finnes melodiøse godbiter også. 

Det som er sikkert er at jeg ikke har noen regler for hva Xuxu Project skal være. Det er endel av min utvikling. Og når dette nå skrives er det også fordi at Opus 5 er klar! Som en nyutgivelse så fort det praktiske er på plass. 

Så høres vi plutselig.

Tom S.

"Lost Signals"

FAWM 2025: February Album Writing Month. New music composed. Also more research and into AI making music videoes. Based on own photographs, developed with AI generators. Learning by doing.

"Year of the Snake"

Ok. Song from FAWM 2025. (February ALbum Writing Month) Also more into making video with AI. I am already a little into it, and it developes fast. The mix in this song is still a pre production. Not used in any projects yet. But the title indicate something accurate: Year of The snake. I am borned in 1965 and if one should belive in chinese horoscope, this is my year again. 12 years cyclus. My time now! And I feel 2025 is gonna be exactly that.

Spiritwalker 2 Video

Ok. Last post was about my video commitment and the use of black and white. And now... Something completely different. And with this video I introduce a brand new world. It is made using AI. But it is more to it than that. First of all I wanted to have control about the landscape this visuals move into. Using already AI generated pictures, that I have been working on for a long time. I do create my own world here.

And it is named: OLVENION. An earth like planet, and from my fantasy. This is going to be a music album in the future. I have used the named Olvenion on an earlier release. You find it here: Olvenion. But that time it was an experiment, and the artist name is all wrong today. But I like the Olvenion concept about this planet, so there will be more. (But another artist name on the release.) And of course it has developed a lot. I have been working on the music of course. But there is an era in the pictures too. They will be presented on a later stage. Maybe as an exhibition and book. Using some of these photos (AI) to make this more alive in a music video. It is my first attempt on doing video using AI. To get better quality I have to pay too much. I sure hate when you have to sign for subscription. I paid the cheapest one for now. But so it is. In this video I also use some Olvenion portraits of me. They who know me, probably recognizes me. 

Anyway: This is way to early to announce this project. But I was really inspired when I made this video. AI is funny. But it sure is a challenge to get it within the design profile I wan`t. But the cost are all together low, and to make this video would have been impossible otherwise. So there is something good about it too. 

"Spiritwalker" at Røros

Spiritwalker was really fun to make. But walk like this in Røros was a challenge. People stopped me, and asked what I was doing. Not easy to tell. Putting up the camera on tripod and walk like this. The song is made as part of February album writing month. I was at my cottage in Rendalen when I did this song. A short trip to nearby Røros is mandatory.  #fawm2024 What to do with the song I don`t know by now. Thanks to #freddysdinerandbar Røros. 

TROLLHEIM

New amazing album from Tom Ståle Engebretsen: Trollheim

ALBUM HERE https://tapethesound.bandcamp.com/album/ts-engebretsen-trollheim

This journey start at the winter, and all trolls are sleeping. But slowly and surely they open they`re eyes. Well... some off the trolls has only one eye. And some got three eyes. And even some trolls has two heads or more. You have to be an expert to know all the differences of troll.

Troll is a myth and legend in Norway. But they are alive I can tell you. Some people can see trolls. You are troll-eyed they say. I am. I can see things. And even better: I have been into a troll cave. The most exciting things I have ever done. It`s here mostly of my field recordings are done. You can hear it. From the sleeping winter troll, to the real party going on in "Trollene drikker mjød". This music describes Trolls the way I know about them.

credits

Composed, arranged, performed, mixed and mastered by Tom Ståle Engebretsen
Also performed by different Trolls in Norway. They are not aware of beeing on this album. That would be dangerous.
Bonus track: "Danser mellom fjellene" is mixed and mastered by Tore Stabell.
Photo and artwork by Tom Ståle Engebretsen

XUXU: Black Liquid

Here is the brand new video from Xuxu: Opus 4 "Black Liquid"

CD!!! Xuxu: Opus 4

...  And they are available here on tape the sound bandcamp site.

No 4 in this collection intended to be 10 cd`s all with motif from Bosa, Sardinia, Italia.

Cd`s are in clear plastic wallet. Fabric made in the U.K. 

And soon there will be a video from the song: "Black Liquid". 

XUXU : Opus 4

 Opus 4 is available on Bandcamp! Follow this link: www.tapethesound.bandcamp.com/album/xuxu-opus-4

Xuxu project is developing very well. More melodic. Less noise. There is an aura of some epic tunes now. Still into some deep darkness, but more lightened anyway though. The none word SOUNDGAZM tells a lot... This is sounds for listening mood. Relaxing and meditative. And the music floats into a deep river of poetic mood.

credits

Composed, performed, mix and mastered by Tom Ståle Engebretsen

Change of cover to the last Warpness album

I just changed the cover for the last Warpness album. I don`t know why I did it different in the first place. This cover was made only for this purpose, but I changed it in the last minute when I release this album in 2020. Been regretting ever since. Well. No I think it was time to do it right. Here it is. 

The album you can find here. Only digital on Bandcamp. And also the last album using the name Warpness. That is a story you can read about here. 

XUXU: Opus 3 on CD and Cassette

 Of course: This is an album that really is an extraordinary work. 

You can read more about this here. 

I love to make design on this things. Front cover is from Bosa in Italy. 

And to listen and purchase this lovely items go here: https://tapethesound.bandcamp.com/album/xuxu-opus-3

Xuxu: Opus 4 "Evening"

One shot video from my album Opus 4. Just relax and enjoy this beautiful scenery of a winter landscape. Filmed in Hvervenbukta, Oslo, Norway.

XUXU: Opus 3 Out now!

Listen to the album here!

Starting with "A Day In Eternity" you find some delicate sounds and laidback drone ambient. Almost with an early Pink Floyd feeling.
The journey on Opus 3 gives a lot of highlights. Introducing the genre "Slothcore" Invented on Fawm 2021 (February album writing month. Web community) Slothcore is music between 20-40 BPM. Described as a lesson you listen to, but are too tired to hear. And suddenly, when you almost fall asleep.... You wake up.
"Anomaly Republic" and "So Tired" are Xuxu contribution in this genre.

The epic story about family "Jensen" is actually made on a steel wire on a Webster Chicaco. This was probably recorded in early 60`s or maybe earlier. The voices you hear are the parents of a good friend of mine; Tore Hauk Jensen. A huge thx for this stunning recordings that he has taken good care of. I have put it in the context of art music.

This is an album with a deep dark mood. But also melodic and dramatic at times. An epic journey to strange and dark music. Xuxu are developing a own kind of magic and sounds. Opus 3 is ear candy.

credits

released July 22, 2021

Special thanks to Tore Hauk Jensen. It`s awesome!
Equipment used: Omnisphere, D.R.A.R.T. Wavedrum, Sparks drum machine, Guitar, Morphwiz play
Composed, arranged, performed, mix, mastered, art photo and design by Tom Ståle Engebretsen
Klangfabrikken, Oslo, Norway 2021

license

all rights reserved

Warpness 2016-2021

 

Warpness 2016-2021        

The moniker WARPNESS had come to an end.

From the beginning this name was a tribute to ancient relatives I remembered as child. My great grand mother name was Charlotte Varpness. I have good memories of her two sisters: Ingrid and Ellen Varpness. They were really a part of my childhood. William, Lolle and Marie emigrated to America.  

Varpneset is a place just outside Namsos in Norway. This was the place you went with the ferry to the island Otterøya. In 1977 the bridge “Lokkaren” was opened and the ferry was not needed anymore. Varpneset become a sort of hidden pearl. (Warpness was the old name, before changing with the “V” letter.)

Memories are fading away. So does the history. But I do remember that we do pottery from the clay at the beach. I also remember the old white house where there was a kiosk managed by my ancient family.

“Aunt” Ingrid and Ellen was really 2 very different persons. Ingrid was the gentle and kind person. Ellen was the angry sister, and sure had her own opinion about everything. But kind in her own way. I loved them both!

Charlotte I can not remember, but I use to call her “Olde” as a very little child, before she died. Charlotte is mother of my grand dad Ståle Øistein Davidsen, who died when I was only 15. That was a sad loss I still think a lot of.

Because of my relatives I called myself Warpness to keep they`re name alive.

 

Musically it became a diversity.

At one side it was ambient and quiet music. Album such as “One Note”, “Atmosphere” and “The Wind”. These are sort of aunt Ingrid. But I doubt she would understand this kind of music.

At the other end Warpness became experimental, dark ambient and noise.

“The Labyrinth” is an EP that came to life during the invitation from Unexplained Sounds Group; Raffaele Pezzella.

“Mørkerom” is a personal favorite. I had to challenge myself a lot for this album. Be a better musician. Be better on technical stuff. Mix. Mastering.

The album was made in Flatdal, Telemark, late autumn 2017. It became very dark. But I learned a lot during this process. Maybe this was aunt Ellen after all. I still see this as an important album in my career.

 

Discography Warpness:

“One Note” 2016 album (MC)

“Atmosphere” 2017 album (CD)

“The Labyrinth” 2017 EP (CD)

“Mørkerom” 2018 album (CD)

“The Wind” 2020 album (Digital only)

 (Click link to visit)

But it all come to an end. Warpness moniker still is a tribute to my relatives on my mothers side. I know that music was a great interest in my ancient family. The times are changing and a synth was not and instrument back in those days.

My problem is that Warpness is not me.

I must admit that I hide myself behind this moniker in fact that I was not a good musician yet. Maybe I still not am, but I think it is time to stand up for myself now. Even my years have changed a lot, digging into making music. I better take the next level on my musical journey.

 

Tom Ståle Engebretsen Aka Warpness

XUXU: Opus 3 - A Day In Eternity

From album Opus 3. Release: 22.7.21

This amazing rock you find in Mølen, Nevlunghavn, Norway.

As always on my Opus serie: One long shot!

XUXU : Eternal (From OPUS 2 album)

Elrox: Era (album)

ERA ALBUM IS OUT NOW!




5 years in the making. This is probably the album I always wanted to do. Inspired by TD and Krautrock. And now it is here! Era of Berlin School music. But in my own style and sound.This is an album that require listening from beginning to end. A journey into arp. seq. and old keyboard sounds. With some melodic and epic suggestions. I must admit that I am proud of this album. Long time in the making, but it had to be that way. I really hope you can enjoy the listening.

It is perfect on repeat.
... and repeat.
....and repeat.

Elrox aka Tom S. Engebretsen 2020

credits

released May 15, 2020

Composed, arranged, performed, produced,
mix, mastering, art photo and design:
Tom Ståle Engebretsen

Track 2: Ole Frøslie on guitars

Recorded in Flatdal Studio, Telemark, Norway between 2015-2020.
Mix and mastering done at Klangfabrikken, Nesodden, Norway

Thx to Helene Fjell, and all Berlin school composers.

CD DESIGN:

Pictures are from Nordstrand and Husum in Northern Germany. Taken with pinhole boxes as camera, and loaded with Ilford paper. Edited with colors. Only 50 copies made so be quick if you want one. This is really a beauty!

Warpness: The Wind (album)

This album continues were "Atmosphere" end. Beautiful small sounds and melodic as a new quiet. Warpness have proved his taste for the easy and solid work. (Even with some influences from the album Elrox ambient session: Tralfamadore.) "The Wind" got some edge to it all. A beautiful ambient album.

The voice of the wind whispering in you`re ears Slow down. 
I am here Close you`re eyes and see. Sometimes disturbing but mostly quiet.
I tell you a story about me, the wind. You have to listen, listen carefully: 
Can you feel the moist, and the breeze on you`re skin? 
It is my breath connecting my nature with you. I am the wind. You are the free spirit. 
You can`t see me, only what I do. The presence of nature, within you. 
Listen. 
Then listen again. 
Then you expose the picture from fantasy and behind. 
And you are there, in the middle of it. Open you`re eyes again, whenever you are ready.


released April 5, 2020 Composed, arranged, performed, mix, mastering, art photo and design by Tom Ståle Engebretsen Studio Flatdal, Telemark, Norway

XUXU : FAITH Official Video (From Opus 2)

From this amazing XuXu music project by Tom Ståle Engebretsen, comes this production with music and a "slow-tv" movie. Picture are from the Lake Garda in Northern Italy. The music is composed at Flatdal Studio, in Telemark, Norway. Together they make an extraordinary experience with ambient music and relaxing movie. The album is available from april 2020, only on https://tapethesound.bandcamp.com/album/xuxu-opus-2