Blurstem

93 fans

Minneapolis composer Chris Bartels has been writing ambient music under the name Elskavon for a decade, and Blurstem was born as a piano-centric offshoot of the project.

He and his wife were gifted an old spinet piano when they bought a house in 2015. Always slightly out of tune, a little dusty sounding, and very much imperfect, the instrument has its own character. But it wasn’t until Chris cut up an old sweater and taped it to the strings, so as to avoid waking up their children at night, that his love for that character really took form.

While piano is certainly a part of the Elskavon sound, Bartels was writing so many new songs on this spinet that he felt the need to start a whole new project. Blurstem was birthed. While the sound is a not-so-distant relative of Elskavon, the heart of it is a minimalist, raw, and intimate feel.
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Top tracks

02
Waking Drift
Blurstem
Silver Oaks
02:25
Writer: Chris Bartels / Composers: Chris Bartels
02
Enduring
Blurstem
Enduring
02:35
Composers: Chris Bartels
06
Oak at Night
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
02:24
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels
01
Adrift, We Awake
Blurstem
Adrift, We Awake
05:18
Composers: Christopher Bartels
01
Night Path
Blurstem
Night Path
02:51
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Tabala
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 1
03:43
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
01
Dawn in Eastern Sky
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
05:36
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
04
Cento
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 4
02:18
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
01
Eagles Flight
Blurstem
Eagles Flight
04:39
Composers: Chris Bartels

Playlists

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  • Discography
Albums
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
11-04-2025
Mirage I - IV
01
Apparition
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
02:55
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
02
Cemli
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
02:39
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Tabala
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
03:43
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
04
Fata Morgana
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
01:52
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
05
Farmington
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
02:07
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
06
Brush Fire
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
03:26
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
07
Whispered
Blurstem
Mirage I - IV
02:40
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
Access the complete album info (16 songs)
2024 Western Vinyl
21-06-2024
Ocelli
01
Memories of Autumn
Blurstem
Ocelli
03:59
Composers: Chris Bartels
02
Ocelli
Blurstem
Ocelli
04:26
Composers: Chris Bartels
03
Eagles Flight
Blurstem
Ocelli
04:39
Composers: Chris Bartels
04
Docile
Blurstem
Ocelli
03:40
Composers: Chris Bartels
05
Frábært Vatn
Blurstem
Ocelli
04:21
Composers: Chris Bartels
06
Remnants
Blurstem
Ocelli
06:13
Composers: Chris Bartels
07
Euphoria Sail
Blurstem
Ocelli
02:30
Composers: Chris Bartels
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
2023 Anthem Falls Music & Past Inside the Present
25-10-2023
Midnight Letters
01
Dawn in Eastern Sky
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
05:36
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
02
Midnight Letters
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
06:40
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
03
Lonesome October
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
05:28
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
04
Aurora
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
06:50
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
05
Paper Rain
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
03:28
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
06
Kardis
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
05:09
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
07
I Witness and Wait
Blurstem
Midnight Letters
05:30
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
Bigo and Twigetti
22-09-2023
Safe Travels, Old Friend
01
Narrow Time
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
04:19
Composers: Chris Bartels
02
Anja Soul
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
03:01
Composers: Chris Bartels
03
Ghost Notes
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
04:09
Composers: Chris Bartels
04
New Life for Old Lungs
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
03:26
Composers: Chris Bartels
05
Hour of Mind
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
04:11
Composers: Chris Bartels
06
Shadow Evening
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
03:50
Composers: Chris Bartels
07
Fullest Tears
Blurstem
Safe Travels, Old Friend
02:53
Composers: Chris Bartels
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
2023 Fluid Radio & Anthem Falls Music
07-10-2022
Duets
01
Mayfly
Blurstem
Duets
05:22
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
02
Panda
Blurstem
Duets
06:16
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
03
Heron
Blurstem
Duets
05:22
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
04
Aphid
Blurstem
Duets
04:20
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
05
Tapir
Blurstem
Duets
03:05
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
06
Ray
Blurstem
Duets
04:56
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
07
Starfish
Blurstem
Duets
07:05
Composers: Chris Bartels - Andrew Tasselmyer
Bigo and Twigetti
15-07-2022
Geneva
01
Delevan
Blurstem
Geneva
02:54
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
02
Wild Woods
Blurstem
Geneva
02:44
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
03
Fox River
Blurstem
Geneva
03:15
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
04
Twin Lakes
Blurstem
Geneva
04:01
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
05
Lakehouse Inn
Blurstem
Geneva
04:25
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
06
Geneva
Blurstem
Geneva
03:12
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
07
Driftwood
Blurstem
Geneva
03:03
Composers: Elijah Bisbee - Chris Bartels
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
Anthem Falls Music
11-10-2019
Among the Oaks
01
Bellingham (feat. Alex Berglund)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
02:28
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Alex Berglund
02
Ochre (feat. Lowercase Noises)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
03:12
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Andrew Stephen Othling
03
Oslo Greens (feat. Hamu)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
02:24
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Harnek Mudhar
04
Rubrik (feat. Brique a Braq)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
02:47
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Derek Mount
05
Noon Light (feat. Kyle McEvoy & Ben Noble)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
04:31
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Kyle McEvoy - Ben Noble
06
Oak at Night
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
02:24
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels
07
Moons Lost (feat. Rosen Poem)
Blurstem
Among the Oaks
03:57
Composers: Christopher Jeffrey Bartels - Josh Leininger
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
EPs
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
28-03-2025
Mirage, Vol. 4
01
Mirage
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 4
03:34
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
02
Amissis
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 4
02:25
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Mundos
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 4
02:52
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
04
Cento
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 4
02:18
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
14-02-2025
Mirage, Vol. 3
01
Baptiste
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 3
02:50
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
02
Baptisten
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 3
01:24
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Sereno
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 3
04:38
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
04
Nova
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 3
01:44
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
13-12-2024
Mirage, Vol. 2
01
Farmington
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 2
02:07
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
02
Brush Fire
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 2
03:26
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Whispered
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 2
02:40
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
04
Night Path
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 2
02:51
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
01-11-2024
Mirage, Vol. 1
01
Apparition
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 1
02:55
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
02
Cemli
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 1
02:39
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
03
Tabala
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 1
03:43
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
04
Fata Morgana
Blurstem
Mirage, Vol. 1
01:52
Composers: Blurstem - Elijah Bisbee
℗ 2024 Bigo and Twigetti
06-09-2024
Silence Spoken
01
Velvet Wave
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
02:35
Composers: Chris Bartels
02
Meadowmoon
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
03:07
Composers: Chris Bartels
03
Ceramic
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
02:22
Composers: Chris Bartels
04
A Sense of the Sky
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
02:04
Composers: Chris Bartels
05
Held in Whispers
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
02:19
Composers: Chris Bartels
06
Dascade
Blurstem
Silence Spoken
01:28
Composers: Chris Bartels
(P) 2023 Pianoramix
14-07-2023
Heaven Horizons
01
A Pair of Us
Blurstem
Heaven Horizons
02:47
02
Heaven Horizons
Blurstem
Heaven Horizons
02:20
03
Mirror Heights
Blurstem
Heaven Horizons
03:04
04
Sky Braille
Blurstem
Heaven Horizons
02:28
℗ 2023 Valley View Records
05-05-2023
Prologue for Seasons
01
Caveat
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
02:58
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
02
Duals
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
05:04
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
03
Tungsten
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
03:49
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
04
Caveat (Applefish Rework)
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
05:23
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
05
Duals (Six Missing Rework)
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
04:40
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
06
Tungsten (Science Of Sleeping Rework)
Dear Gravity
Prologue for Seasons
03:37
Composers: Michael Graff - Christopher Bartels
2022 Anthem Falls Music
11-02-2022
Lucid
01
Dreamtales
Blurstem
Lucid
02:50
Composers: Chris Bartels
02
Semblance Of Sleep
Blurstem
Lucid
02:51
Composers: Chris Bartels
03
Before The Light
Blurstem
Lucid
04:05
Composers: Chris Bartels