Ole Børud
Ultra-tight Norwegian funk and West Coast soul with surgical precision. Shimmering guitars and gospel-tier vocal stacks for high-energy, feel-good moments.
Ultra-tight Norwegian funk and West Coast soul with surgical precision. Shimmering guitars and gospel-tier vocal stacks for high-energy, feel-good moments.
Ole Børud delivers a masterclass in high-fidelity groove, blending the sophisticated harmonic language of 70s yacht rock with the explosive energy of modern funk. His sound is defined by a relentless rhythmic pocket, where palm-muted guitar scratches and percussive slap bass lock together with mechanical accuracy. It is music that feels expensive, polished to a mirror shine in the studio, yet it retains a soulful, human warmth through its soaring vocal arrangements.
What truly sets Børud apart is his background in technical metal, which translates into a level of musical precision rarely seen in pop-oriented soul. The horn arrangements are punchy and sharp, the vocal harmonies are stacked with gospel-choir density, and the transitions are executed with breathtaking fluidity. He manages to channel the sophisticated cool of Steely Dan and the infectious joy of Earth, Wind & Fire simultaneously.
Start with the album 'Shakin' the Ground' to witness his transition into a solo powerhouse. It perfectly captures his ability to write massive, hook-driven songs that don't sacrifice an ounce of technical musicianship. It is the ideal gateway for anyone who loves virtuoso playing but wants to actually dance to it.
Ole Arnold Børud (born 6 December 1976) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer. He is known both for his solo recordings and as a member of the groups Arnold B. Family, Schaliach, Extol, and Fleshkiller. Børud, son of the gospel singers Arnold Børud and Anne Marie Børud, began performing music at age five as part of Arnold B. Family, a group which would compete in the Melodi Grand Prix three times. At age twelve, he released a Christian children's music album. He later ventured into heavy metal, first in the two-man project Schaliach and then in Extol. He also briefly joined the hardcore punk band Selfmindead. Since the early 2000s, he has also recorded several solo albums in West Coast, pop, funk, and jazz styles: Chi-Rho (2002), Shakin' the Ground (2008), Keep Movin (2011), Someday at Christmas (2012, in collaboration with Samuel Ljungblahd), Stepping Up (2014), Outside the Limit (2019) and Soul Letters (2022). He re-joined Extol in 2012, and in 2016 he co-founded a heavy metal side-project, Fleshkiller. Børud has also performed for Torun Eriksen and Sofian, and collaborated with Larvik Stroband and the Oslo Gospel Choir. In 2008, he contributed to the hymn compilation, Takk, gode Gud, for alle ting: 20 sanger fra Barnesalmeboka. He has regularly appeared on various Norwegian television shows, including Det store korslaget and Stjernekamp, and in 2017 provided backing choral vocals in Jowst's performance of "Grab the Moment" in the 2017 Eurovision contest.
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