Airbag are one of the most atmospheric and emotionally resonant bands in modern progressive rock — a Norwegian group whose lush, cinematic music wears its love of Pink Floyd proudly while shaping it into something all their own. Built around the soaring, Gilmour-inspired guitar of Bjørn Riis and the haunting voice of Asle Tostrup, they specialise in slow-building, immersive soundscapes that favour mood and melody over technical display, and have become one of the defining acts of Norway’s rich progressive scene.

The short version

Formed in Oslo in 2004, Airbag play atmospheric, Floyd-influenced modern prog — lush, cinematic and deeply melodic, with shimmering guitars, spacious keyboards and an air of melancholy. Across six albums from their acclaimed debut “Identity” (2009) to “The Century of the Self” (2024), they have built a reputation for immersive, emotionally direct music that recalls Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree while remaining unmistakably their own. They are among the finest modern prog bands to come out of Norway.

Oslo: a Floydian beginning

Airbag were formed in 2004 in Oslo by high-school friends Asle Tostrup and Bjørn Riis, lifelong Pink Floyd devotees who also played together in a Floyd tribute band. They released a string of self-produced EPs for free on their website, racking up nearly a quarter of a million downloads and catching the attention of the respected Norwegian prog label Karisma Records, with whom they signed in 2008. Their debut album, “Identity” (2009), gathered re-recorded versions of those early songs and won a clutch of album-of-the-year awards, announcing a striking new voice in atmospheric prog.

Atmospheric, Floyd-influenced prog

Airbag’s music is all about mood. At its centre is Bjørn Riis’s guitar, steeped in the melodic, emotive style of David Gilmour, woven together with spacious, Richard Wright-like keyboards and the long, aching vocal lines of Asle Tostrup. Their songs unfold slowly and cinematically, building from hushed, ambient passages to soaring climaxes, and carry a melancholy that recalls bands like Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and fellow Norwegians Gazpacho. Theirs is a prog of feeling rather than flash — immersive, beautifully produced and unafraid of space and silence — and few modern bands do it so well.

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From Identity to The Century of the Self

After the award-winning debut “Identity” (2009), Airbag grew in confidence and ambition. “All Rights Removed” (2011) was a more mature, cohesive record, crowned by the epic suite “Homesick”, while “The Greatest Show on Earth” (2013) added harder textures alongside their trademark atmospheres. “Disconnected” (2016) explored themes of alienation and modern isolation to widespread acclaim, and after “A Day at the Beach” (2020), the band returned in superb form with their sixth album, “The Century of the Self” (2024), a captivating, emotionally charged set hailed as one of their finest.

Album by album

Six albums of lush, atmospheric, Floyd-inspired modern prog. Tap any title for its guide.

The players

Airbag are a quintet led by two school friends: vocalist Asle Tostrup and guitarist Bjørn Riis, the latter a gifted, Gilmour-influenced player who also records acclaimed solo albums. Alongside them, keyboardist Jørgen Hagen, bassist Anders Hovdan and drummer Henrik Fossum complete the band, with Tostrup, Riis and Fossum forming the creative core of their recent work. Steady and tight-knit, the line-up has changed little over the years, allowing Airbag to refine their distinctive sound across two decades.

Where to start

Begin with “All Rights Removed” (2011), often considered their finest hour and home to the magnificent “Homesick”, or the recent, acclaimed “The Century of the Self” (2024). From there, “Disconnected” (2016) offers another superb dose of their atmospheric, emotive prog. Any of the three is a perfect entry point into one of modern prog’s most immersive bands.

Why they still matter

Airbag matter as one of the bands who have kept the atmospheric, emotive tradition of Pink Floyd alive and vital in the modern era — not as imitators, but as craftsmen who have honed those influences into a sound of real beauty and feeling. In an age when progressive music can tip into technical excess, their patient, mood-driven approach offers something quietly powerful. For anyone who loves lush, cinematic, deeply melodic prog, Airbag are essential listening.

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