Soft Ffog: Focus

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 a striking evolution in their collective voice. The record builds on their distinctive fusion, delivering a more dynamic and exploratory soundscape, filled with refined arrangements and exhilarating instrumental passages that push their progressive jazz ambitions further.

Each composition reinforces their gift for elaborate writing, weaving together shifting rhythms and soaring themes. Yet the closer "Oh Jimi" commands the spotlight with its ten-minute odyssey. A sly wink to Jimi Hendrix, it erupts with rollicking, muscular riffs that hit like a polar vortex, driven by a rhythm section tighter than cheap jeans. Hasslan's guitar coils through unexpected turns, while Bjerkan's echo-drenched keys spread a cosmic haze over a handful of thundering choruses. The jam slides into the keyboardist's shadowy and menacing build, which morphs into the band's reinvention of the main theme, as if Jimi's ghost were smirking, "Not bad, Vikings." Wild and electrifying, "Oh Jimi" crowns Focus as a prog triumph that leaves you compelled to hit replay.

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