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About Vegard Lien Bjerkan

Album Review

Soft Ffog, a Norwegian jazz-prog quartet from Bergen, emerged with their self-titled debut in 2023. Led by guitarist Tom Hasslan, the band features keyboardist Vegard Lien Bjerkan, drummer Axel Skalstad and bassist Trond Frønes. With nods to 1970s giants like Camel, Focus Soft Machine and Mahavishnu Orchestra, they blend intricate prog rock with improvisational jazz, evoking a retro spirit that feels fresh rather than dated. Their 2025 sophomore album Focus sharpens this vision across four sprawling tracks, marking ...

Album Review

Soft Ffog: Soft Ffog

Read "Soft Ffog" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
October 15, 2022

Guitarist Tom Hasslan (Krokofant) drummer, Axel Skalstad (Krokofant) bassist, Trond Frønes (Red Kite, Grand General) and keyboardist Vegard Lien Bjerkan (WIZRD) debut on this new sub-label (It It Jazz?) by the venerable Nordic prog rock label Karisma. The musicians formed this unit back in 2016 but for various reasons took some time getting it together. Respectively, they have resided within the heart of Scandinavian progressive jazz, jazz rock and offshoot genres, also performing with the noteworthy ensembles noted above. Coinciding ...