If you haven’t discovered Kalandra yet, you’re missing something genuinely special. The Norwegian/Swedish quartet creates absolutely stunning music, full of atmosphere and deep emotional connection that gets under your skin and stays there.
Their latest offering, ‘Hymna til Blåfjell’ (Hymn to Blue Mountain), is the band’s take on one of Norway’s most beloved songs from the classic NRK Christmas TV series. For those unfamiliar, Blåfjell is the mythical home of the Blånisser, the blue elves of Scandinavian folklore. The title alone carries weight for Norwegian listeners, wrapped in decades of childhood memories and winter wonder.
There’s a phenomenon in Norway called Blåtimen, the blue hour, that fleeting moment between sunset and true darkness when snow covered mountains glow in deep shades of blue. It’s this exact magic that Kalandra have captured here. The lyrics paint Blåfjell as an idyllic realm, the purest place on Earth with crystal blue air, streams running with pristine water, and the whitest snow imaginable. The refrain asks who lives in this paradise, answering with the blue elves themselves.
The track appears on the recently released Mørketid EP, alongside ‘Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker’, ‘Till The End’, and ‘Ghosts’. It’s a collection that balances reimagined covers with original compositions, showcasing the band’s ability to honour tradition while making it unmistakably their own.
The band themselves describe it as revisiting a piece of their childhood, capturing the sense of wonder they felt watching the series and translating it into Kalandra‘s signature sound. Whether you’re Norwegian and feeling nostalgic, or discovering this for the first time, there’s something universally enchanting about their approach.
Catch Kalandra on their Australian dates through November 2025, or mark your calendar for their 15th anniversary show at Rockefeller, Oslo on 18th February 2026, their biggest Norwegian headline show to date, with Sylvaine and IBEN supporting.
Mørketid is out now via By Norse Music.