Norwegian musician Tor-Helge Skei is opening a new chapter in the boundary-defying musical journey he has pursued for decades. Best known as one of the founding members of Manes, the acclaimed artist has announced the debut album from his new project HOLISSSTIK, titled Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude. The album’s lead single, “The Rhythm of Silence”, has also been unveiled alongside an accompanying music video.

Having explored a wide range of musical territories throughout his career—from black metal and avant-garde music to electronic textures and experimental soundscapes—Skei places a collaborative creative vision at the heart of HOLISSSTIK. The project’s first offering, “The Rhythm of Silence”, merges elements of trip-hop, industrial rock and rap into a dark, introspective atmosphere. The track brings together artists from vastly different musical backgrounds, including Rage of Light vocalist Martyna Halas, Marita Hellem of Martyra, and French rapper Pierre Ripka.

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Set for release on August 14, 2026 via Season of Mist, Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude emerged through the reworking and reconstruction of unfinished ideas Skei had accumulated over the years. After laying down the foundational compositions, he invited musicians from around the world to contribute vocals, lyrics and instrumentation with complete creative freedom. That approach ultimately became the album’s central philosophy: creating a whole that is greater than what its individual parts could express on their own.

Featuring roughly twenty guest musicians, the album includes notable contributions from names such as Anna Murphy, Marita Hellem, Martyna Halas and Pierre Ripka. Incorporating passages in French, Polish, Italian and Pali alongside English, the record embraces cultural and artistic diversity as an integral component of its musical identity.

All recording, production and mixing duties were handled by Tor-Helge Skei at Cernobyl Audiogenics in Trondheim. Mastering was completed by Knut V. Prytz, while the album artwork was created by Adrien Bousson. The music video for “The Rhythm of Silence” was filmed in France.

Consisting of eight tracks and running for approximately 46 minutes, Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude presents a dark narrative centred on loneliness, inner conflict and the sense of disconnection that can emerge within human relationships. Blending electronic music, ambient textures, rock, metal and experimental elements into a cohesive whole, HOLISSSTIK appears poised to become one of the most liberated and unpredictable ventures of Tor-Helge Skei’s career to date.

Official Website: https://torhelgeskei.com/holissstik/

Bandcamp: https://holissstik.bandcamp.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzTKclWOedWL9-sznSesabA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holissstik

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holissstik/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kUEjjZJGqkwgszR0HQ8IK

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/holissstik/1895853949

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/388252771

Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/78787620

Discord: https://discord.gg/rmfY8Jd8ww