Video Premiere: Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge ‘Godthåb’

When you think of environmental activism, Scandinavia and youthful enthusiasm, Greta Thunberg would be a name that springs to most people’s minds right? Well stop right there as serious attention should also be paid to Norway’s expansive instrumental post-rockers with a conscience Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

A young band that have a passion, musical prowess and environmental awareness way beyond their collective years that’s seamlessly displayed on their debut release Blitz Sessions. Think (inter) national treasure Sir David Attenborough and the aforementioned Greta Thunberg, joining forces with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mono, then you’re on the right track.

And today we bring you the video for Godthåb, a retrospective look at the suppression of the Inuit people and as Ian said about the track in his recent review ‘wailing guitars and synth duel with the bass to create the trance like effect of the best modern post-rock’.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

The band comments about the inspiration for the track and video…

‘Welcome to Godthåb, Greenland 1922. Godthåb is the Danish name for the capital of Greenland, also known under the name Nuuk. The name loosely translates to ‘good hope’, a contrast to the dark atmosphere of the piece, representing the state of the world as we know it. But alongside brutal reality, hope must follow, as a guide towards change. Godthåb is a celebration of the arctic, and homage to the hope of avoiding a future disaster.

The video focuses on western men coming to Godthåb, and forcefully and proudly pushes the local Inuit people into a more ‘Western’ way of living. Looking back at it, not only at the intuits but at indigenous people as a whole.

It is pretty obvious to us with the current state of the world, that we have more to learn and should have spent more time learning about the indigenous way of living. One of human’s greatest accomplishments; the race to the south pole was won by Roald Amundsen, with knowledge about dogs learned from the Inuits in northern Canada.’

You can’t argue with that can you? Now click play below…

More On Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge & ‘Blitz Sessions’

Based in Oslo, Norway, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is a post-rock collective whose sound can be placed alongside artists like Mono, This Will Destroy You, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai.

Piercing guitars and haunting synths are the voices of YDNWR, floating on a sea of thundering bass and drums, essential in the creation of instrumental love letters to arctic ecosystems. Not only for the music itself, but as an expression of our world view: Humanity and nature are unbalanced. In order to change this, we must take a step back and make better use of the resources available, rather than continuing the raging consumerism that is destroying the planet right before our eyes.

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge 'Blitz Sessions'

Blitz Sessions was recorded by Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and Bjørn Larsen at Blitzhuset in Oslo, mixed by Karl Løftingsmo Pedersen and mastered by Joakim Storeide in Oslo.

Blitz Sessions Tracklist:
01. Godthåb
02. Cape Sarichef Light
03. New South Wales (Part 1)
04. New South Wales (Part 2)

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge are:
Karl Løftingsmo Pedersen – Guitar & Noise
Gunnar Christian Blix – Guitar & Synth
Eivind André Imingen – Bass & Visuals
Joakim Storeide – Synth, Samples & Noise
Bjørn Trygve Skjerstad – Percussion

Blitz Sessions was released independently on 21st August, available on cassette and as a digital download from Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge’s bandcamp page.

Label: Independent
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram