About Lars Willsen - Synthplayer, Producer & Songwriter
Lars Willsen is a Greenlandic-Inuit rock musician, synth artist, and producer known for merging Arctic storytelling with the cinematic depth of 80s-inspired synth music. Born in Qullissat, an abandoned mining town in Greenland, and raised in Uummannaq, his sound blends ancestral memory with retro-futuristic production, channeling the spirit of the North through modern electronic textures.
A Journey of Resilience and Reinvention
Willsen’s path has been shaped by resilience, evolution, and raw artistic drive. In the 80s, he emerged as a powerful voice in the rock and synth scenes — working with artists, playing with Moon Jam, delivering synth solos for major bands, and joining the Swedish band "Naked Truth". His 1990 audition for Pretty Maids marked a pivotal moment — until fate intervened.
A parasitic infection ended his live performance career, compromising his finger dexterity. But creatively, he never stopped. Over the next 30 years, Willsen wrote in silence, amassing a vault of over 800 unreleased songs, continuing to evolve his unique sonic language.
In 2022, Willsen resurfaced — recording over 200 songs before surviving a stroke on December 18, 2022. Against all odds, he persists, showing that sound — like Arctic wind — always finds a way.
Sound as Story, Place, and Possibility
For Willsen, music is more than expression — it's a bridge between eras, cultures, and emotions. Influenced by Inuit traditions, Greenlandic landscapes, and 80s synth nostalgia, his productions are immersive, soulful, and forward-looking.
From leading a secret Depeche Mode-inspired band in the 80s to shaping a vast solo discography today, his work captures decades of experimentation and deeply personal storytelling through sound.
"All my releases are to be considered my demotapes" — each track maps a phase of his unfolding journey, tracing a path from ice-covered childhood to the neon glow of synth-driven worlds.
