Farao

Farao shares album title-track from upcomimg album 'Magical Thinking' out Nov 14th via marvaða (UK/EU) & Western Vinyl.

Farao, the musical alias of Norwegian producer Kari Jahnsen, shares the title-track from upcoming album Magical Thinking out Nov 14th via marvaða (UK/EU) & Western Vinyl. 

Farao is also set to play the marvaða Iceland Airwaves Partner Event on November 5th at Iðno.

On the track, Farao said 

“When I wrote 'Magical Thinking’, I was drawn to Joan Didion’s idea of how the mind refuses to accept loss. How it keeps circling back, trying to rewrite the ending. The song sits in that space where reason slips into dream logic.”

Jahnsen went on to add

"'Magical Thinking' began with me experimenting with the beat from Janet Jackson’s 'Empty', a rhythm I’d always felt was too fast and restless. When I slowed it down, it finally found room to breathe while still maintaining its dark and staggering pulse.

The chords are partially borrowed from a section in Rihanna’s 'James Joint', four looping major seven chords that carry this floating, contemplative melancholy. I invited my friend Magnus from The Zenmenn to the studio to jam over them, and together we developed the verse structure.

The track opens with a classic '90s synth harp riff made with the Roland JV-1080, and beneath the R&B style vocals, there are these almost ritualistic Bulgarian-style shouts that break through the choruses, like the desperation in my subconscious leaking out."

Magical Thinking is Farao’s third studio album, a layered exploration of loss, longing, and hope. Rooted in the title and spirit of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, the record moves through the quiet space between denial and acceptance—touching on grief, resilience, and the rituals that carry us when clarity fades.

Since her last solo album, Farao (Kari Jahnsen) co‑founded and released two critically acclaimed records with disco duo Ultraflex, winning Best Electronic Album at the Icelandic Music Awards—all while navigating the profound life transition of becoming a mother to two children. These experiences shifted her focus and shaped a clearer, more grounded approach to her return as a solo artist.

Recorded between Oslo and Berlin, Magical Thinking blends 90s R&B, 80s disco, and spiritual jazz—anchored by Farao’s distinctive vocals and ornate arrangements. Born in the small Norwegian village of Ulnes and now based in Oslo, Kari Jahnsen draws on years spent living in London and Berlin to create her sound.

The record includes a collaboration with ambient pioneer Laraaji and was co-produced and mixed with longtime collaborator Ådne Meisfjord. Farao’s earlier work—from a Spellemann-nominated debut to Ultraflex’s award-winning synthpop—flirted with precision, while Magical Thinking surrenders to atmosphere, trusting the listener to follow the haze. There’s a confidence in how little the songs try to explain themselves—they prefer to haunt, not persuade.

Recognised by Pitchfork, The New York Times, and many more, Farao has performed at Roskilde, SXSW, Øya, and Green Man. With Magical Thinking, she returns not just as a musician, but as someone shaped by change. Grief lingers in the spaces between these songs—not as something to fix, but as something to carry.

Live Dates

5th November - Iðno, marvaða Iceland Airwaves Partner Event

7th November - Gaukurinn, Iceland Airwaves