Two musical worlds united in a new shared sound

Kira Skov and Maria Faust have formed a new constellation named In the beginning and teamed up with star producer Mark Howard for the recording, which took place in Ilmjärve in Estonia in October 2016.

Since her debut with Kira and the Kindred Spirits in 2002, Kira Skov has released 12 albums and established herself as an artist in constant development.

Her releases bear witness to her great artistic versatility. Take for example the successful Billie Holiday concerts, the collaboration with Peter Peter and their joint band Persona, The Cabin Project with Maria Fisker, and her collaboration with John Parish, who produced her three most recent solo records. One of them, When We Were Gentle (2014), won her two Steppeulv awards for Danish album of the year and singer of the year as well as a Carl Award for songwriter of the Year.

Maria Faust really made a name for herself on the international experimental jazz scene in recent years. She was born in Estonia but has lived in Denmark for almost 14 years. She is classically trained and is a sought-after saxophonist, composer, and arranger, known for her work with Third Stream Jazz, modern big band music, improv, and other alternative forms of music.

The two artists visited Estonia in 2016 looking for inspiration for their new joint project. They found it in the country's unique history with a focus on the disappearance of the cultures in the border regions, Estonian myths, and the brutal history of regime changes.

Kira Skov and Maria Faust come from two entirely different worlds but have created a common sound that comes off as new and natural. Maria Faust wrote the arrangements for the music in the style of a modern Gil Evans. They won two Danish Music Awards in 2017 in the categories Danish Jazz Composer of the Year and Danish Vocal Jazz Record of the Year.

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