Unpacking the Mystique of NORS in Some Distant Memory’s Track, “Just A Story”
When you hit play on Just A Story, you’re entering a whole world, specifically the enigmatic realms that Jasper Ian Albrecht and his clan, NORS, have cultivated. Clocking in at over twelve minutes, this track, part of the Reflections (Part One) album, stands out as a profound journey that challenges what a “story” in music can be.
For the band, music is a bridge between Gielinor (for those familiar with RuneScape) and our own world. He introduces the fictional universe of NORS, a clan steeped in RuneScape lore, with a rich, cinematic vibe that layers into his music. Tracks like Just A Story act as portals into that universe, each melody, each beat, building onto the story of characters like the Divine Baroness Nora and Jasper’s own avatar.
https://music.apple.com/us/song/just-a-story/1693463783
At first listen, Just A Story unfolds with instrumentals that almost pull you into a trance. But listen closer, and it becomes clear that this song isn’t about escapism—it’s about duality. There’s a push and pull, moving forward while still clinging to fragments of the past, much like Jasper’s journey between Gielinor and reality. You get a sense that the song could be a soundtrack for a cinematic saga, setting the stage for adventures yet untold.
If you’re wondering how a single song connects to an entire universe, it’s all in the lore. The track sits within Jasper’s broader creative project, Some Distant Memory, a solo project that’s developed alongside NORS, his RuneScape-based community. For Jasper, Just A Story is a deeply personal anthem reflecting NORS’ resilience, camaraderie, and creativity. His character, alongside his fictional allies like Nora, embodies both real and imagined personas, each a piece of his own evolution as an artist and storyteller.
NORS is a republic, a kind of musical movement built on principles like brotherhood and honor. For nearly a decade, it’s given Jasper a foundation for exploring his creative talents, from videos to concept albums. With Just A Story, listeners are invited into that republic, almost as if they’re part of the crew.
Jasper’s musical journey with NORS began humbly, with early projects like the original RuneScape Music Video for OMD’s “Electricity.” Over the years, he expanded the project into albums like Infinitum, Probe, and Revelation before arriving at Reflections. Each project has been a way to explore and build NORS’s mythology, often working alongside the Divine Baroness to create characters, storylines, and new layers of sound.
In Just A Story, the song’s 12-minute span gives Jasper room to explore this layered storytelling in ways that are impossible in a shorter track. The music video currently in production promises to bring even more visual depth to the song, creating yet another layer of immersion for fans of the NORS universe.
Whether you’re a die-hard RuneScape fan or just someone who loves discovering hidden gems, Just A Story offers an entryway. And if you want to dive deeper, join the NORS community, where you can share in the ongoing saga that blends reality and imagination.
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