Jansen Records: Recent Episodes
Jansen Records
As the holiday season is quickly approaching, The Northern Belle releases the Christmas tune “Silver Bows & Bells” along with Louien and Signe Marie Rustad.The new Christmas song from The Northern Belle celebrates the collaborative spirit of the nordicana scene, as well as the holiday in itself. Featuring Louien and Signe Marie Rustad, this is a classic Christmas ballad, complete with beautiful harmonies and The Northern Belle's secret weapon, the Hardanger fiddle.
"Hello It’s Me" sings Signe Marie Rustad in her crystal clear, inimitable voice. And with that, she’s back, three years after the release of her successful third album, When Words Flew Freely. The above lyric is taken from a song bearing the same name, the first single off Rustad’s fourth album, Particles of Faith.
Norwegian Power trio Kanaan drops a surprise track! Epic 28 minute space psych jam “Beyond” is out now!
The sprawling track, recorded last year at the legendary venue Blitz in Oslo last year. It’s not just the longest track the band has recorded, but the longest track released on Jansen Records ever. “Beyond” was mixed by Marcus Forsgren and mastered by Falko Schneider. The band continues their cooperation with illustrator and designer Robin Gnista, who also did the artwork for their Spellemann-winning (Norwegian Grammy) album Earthbound.
“Beyond" is taken from the album compilation “International Space Station Vol. 1” released physically on LP by Worst Bassist Records. The other bands on the compilation include: Kungens Man, Electric Moon and ElonMusk.
Credits: Ask Vatn Strøm - Electric guitars Eskild Myrvoll - Bass guitar, synthesizer Ingvald André Vassbø - Drums
Mixed by: Marcus Forsgren Mastered by: Falko Schneider
Compilation track list:
- ElonMusk - Gods Of The Swamp Planet
- Electric Moon - Duality
- Kungens Män - Keeper Of The One Key
- Kanaan - Kanaan - Beyond (longer digital version!)
Embla Karidotter: "In 2020 my boyfriend, my dog and I moved into an RV we bought the same year, to travel around in. Because of the pandemic, we had to stay in Norway, but getting to know your country like this is really fun. This was the first time I lived outside Bergen (where I’m born and raised). On the road I quickly found out that “home” isn’t a specific place, but a feeling.”
This song is about friendship! Beautifully written by Stine, this song really represents what the four of us mean to each other. We’ve become so close over these years playing together. When you play in a band you can’t avoid getting to know each other! Good and bad sides become very apparent when traveling, sound checking (on an empty stomach), celebrating, performing, presenting new ideas, creating together. I think we all feel very fortunate to have met each other. We always miss each other when we’re not hanging out. We cannot wait to finally bring this song and the rest of the album out on the road!
Bringing together members of two prominent Norwegian acts, The Northern Belle and Louien, folky americana quartet Silver Lining have sometimes been dubbed a super group in their native country. Moving on from the sound of their mostly acoustic debut, the band introduces a broader americana sound on their sophomore album, Go Out Nowhere. With a widescreen, heartland sound and a groovy backbone, reminiscent of Aaron Lee Tasjan, Erin Rae or The Band.
Consisting of four instrumentalists, three of them also singer-songwriters, Silver Lining debuted with the low-key and mellow Heart and Mind Alike in 2018. The album was well received in the band’s home country, and reached a much wider audience, thanks to several “streaming hits” reaching millions of plays.
A telling illustration of the thriving Norwegian americana scene, is the musicians’ willingness to collaborate – on stage, on each other’s records, and in new constellations. One early example is the birth of Silver Lining. Bringing together members of then-emerging The Northern Belle, and the now defunct Rattlers, the musicians came together for a Gillian Welch tribute show in 2015. They quickly discovered that this project had potential outside of playing cover songs, and quickly started rehearsing and writing.
The angelic voices of Stine Andreassen and Live Miranda Solberg fit perfectly with the rougher, dylanesque voice of Halvor Falck Johansen. The three singers’ acoustic guitar interplay is interwoven with and elevated by Bjørnar Ekse Brandseth’s electric guitars, pedal steel and dobro.
One thing is evident is at least; the creativity is overflowing in the band’s two main songwriters. Since Silver Lining’s debut came out in 2018, Stine Andreassen has released three albums as frontwoman and songwriter in The Northern Belle. In the same time frame, Live Miranda Solberg released two records under her solo moniker Louien.
Silver Lining’s new album consists of 10 new songs, written with a slightly more positive outlook than before. And where the debut was sparsely produced, with mostly acoustic instrumentation, Go Out Nowhere expands the band’s sound significantly. Working with rhythm section Chris Holm (bass) and Kim Åge Furuhaug (drums) of popular instrumental trio Orions Belte, has brought a steady groove to Silver Lining’s brand of americana. Encouraged by producer Yngve Sætre, the band have been more playful in the studio, introducing new ideas and instruments whenever it felt right.
Love should be easy, but is often the very hardest thing. «Talent For Love» is about trying to rise above it, when you should rather leave. Waldemar and Qvale's heartfelt delivery indicates that the lyrics are based on first hand experiences.
Taken from the upcoming album In the Sun in the Rain:
"About a girl in a difficult situation who clearly needs help. But no one takes responsibility to help her, and she just ends up floating around like a small boat on a vast ocean. She feels that the world won’t care if she burns up and disappears from the face of the earth. Andreas (Rukan, bassist) provides the fundament for the song with a disco bass line on the versus, while we go more Kate Bush-like on the chorus."
Breaking out or breaking through? The first is a major theme on Embla and the Karidotters’ debut album and the second is what they are about to do. The record, aptly titled Hello, I’m Embla is a mission statement for the former Razika drummer gone country: “Here I am and this is what I am all about.” The Dolly Parton-referencing album title might come across as cocky but is more about Karidotter having found her voice and confidence.
2021 started with the release of Embla and the Karidotters’ first EP and was followed by Embla abandoning her hometown of Bergen in favor of life on the road. She packed her dog, guitar, pen & pad into an RV, and traveled the country along with her boyfriend. The EP Howling was praised in Karidotters’ home country of Norway and gained attention internationally.
Hello, I’m Embla was written on the road, and thematically revolves around searching for belonging, identity, love and self-worth. Inspired by Charlie Rich, Midland, The Chicks and the aforementioned queen Dolly Parton, the album shows a significant development from the first EP. Where Howling was more noir and cinematic, the new full-length is rowdier, more fun and grounded in the honky tonk tradition. Superstar producer Matias Tellez (girl in red) has brought out the best in the musicians, and it really shines through that the band were having a blast in the studio.
After being the drummer for Norwegian indie legends Razika for more than a decade, Embla assembled her band the Karidotters to pursue her lifelong passion for country. Reading as an all-star cast from Norway’s music scene, they are: Marie Moe on bass (Razika, Slomosa), Tor-Arne Vikingstad on guitar (Sløtface), Simen Følstad Nilsen on lap steel (Aiming for Enrike) and Nils Jørgen Nilsen on drums (Honningbarna, The Needs).
This one is about friendship and love. It’s about wondering how a friend is doing and wanting to support someone who’s lonely. Even though you might not hear it, one of the inspirations behind this was Steve Reich. I told Lars (Horntveth, producer) that I loved the strings on “Venus As a Boy” by Björk, and he arranged something awesome based on that.
“This song is a public apology to everyone who’s ever tried to call me. It’s not you, it’s me :)"
Sofie Tollefsbøl: vocals, backing vocals Andreas Rukan: bass Jørgen Kasbo: guitars Ola Øverby: drums, percussion Kai von der Lippe: keyboards Lyder Øverås Røed: trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangements Solveig Wang: bass clarinet, Moog bass
Produced by Fieh. Recorded at Kapsel Studio by Christian Løken. Mixed by Russell Elevado. Mastered by Alex DeTurk at The Bunker Studio Brooklyn NY.
«Superstar», the debut record from Norwegian art-pop outfit Mall Girl, represents an exciting new chapter for the buzzed-about band. The release follows a string of successful singles, including their 2018 track “Slay Queen,” which introduced them as an act to watch in the alt-pop arena. The chaotic year of 2020 brought a string of infectious, vibey singles, including “My Sweet Mall Girl” and the fierce “Bad Girl."
Members Iver Armand Tandsether, Hannah Veslemøy Narvesen, Eskild Myrvoll and Bethany Forseth-Reichberg were forced to get creative when the pandemic hit, sidelining best-laid plans to flesh out some songs before heading into the studio together.
"Because of COVID regulations and the four of us living in two different cities, we changed the way we worked with the songs quite radically in the months leading up to the studio recording,” Narvesen says. "We’ve always been very oriented towards the live performance of the songs, including when we compose them together in our rehearsal space. That way of working has led to some challenges when recording, as you end up listening to the songs in a different manner and might figure out you should have done everything differently."
While others put their creative endeavors on hold, Mall Girl opted to try something different. Many of the songs on «Superstar» were tracks that the band regularly performed, but they wanted to seize the opportunity to evolve their sound even more.
“We actually ended up ‘remote composing’ big parts of the album, with everyone working from their own home studio and bouncing ideas back and forth,” Narvesen explains. "This was a very welcome change of workflow for us, and it lead to us making some songs which probably wouldn’t have turned out that way had we been together in the same room."
This experimental shift in their creative process led to the creation of songs bursting with infectious hooks, hypnotizing grooves and punchy lyrics. It brings all of the edginess from their previously releases, just through a slightly different lens.
“In many ways I think we’ve kept most of the spirit in the music, just the joy of playing together while exploring different genres and breaking conventions.”
Recorded at Studio Paradiso in Oslo with longtime collaborator Marcus Forsgren, «Superstar» runs the gamut of emotions and moments of reflection on our fleeting experiences. “Feel Like Crying,” the first song Mall Girl ever wrote together, taps into the overwhelming question of where we all belong in the universe. “Machine Gun Mystery” dives into a darker realm, presenting an alter ego we all wrestle with, who thrives on power. The beautiful chaos of love is at the center of “You And I,” while “Dance Alone” highlights just how much can be said through a wave of silence.
As a whole, «Superstar» finds Mall Girl fully realized, with a fresh perspective that positions them as one of pop’s most intriguing new acts.
Like D'Angelo's the Vanguard, straight outta the rural Norwegian countryside, Norwegian 7-piece Fieh are ready to unleash the follow-up to their 2019 debut album. Cold Water Burning Skin was fittingly described as “future soul” by God Is in the TV and “left field R&B” by Clash Magazine, and the band continues in the same vein, although simultaneously broadening their spectrum.
Centered around the groove, Fieh’s new music includes the funk bangers that initially introduced the band, but also more experimental and orchestral songs. Citing The Roots, Joni Mitchell, Erykah Badu, The Beatles and Solange as inspirations should give a hint as to what Fieh sounds like. Brimming with creativity and supported by a funky backbone, it’s still the songs that are the foundation. The lyrics revolve around themes of everyday life, incidents, people and love – real stories from real life.
In the Sun in the Rain was recorded with famed Norwegian musician and producer Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør, The Staves, Kimbra) who definitely brought his skills and eclectic tastes into the mix. Speaking of mixing, that part was done by the legendary “Analog Ninja” Russell Elevado. Known for his work with D’Angelo, Angélique Kidjo, The Roots, among others, Elevado has amplified the band’s intentions in the studio, and given increased character to the record’s sound.
Fieh emerged with breakthrough single “Glu” in 2017. They quickly rose to local and international fame, thanks to broad support from the likes of Clash Magazine, DIY Magazine and The Fader, among others. Widespread touring took them to venues all over Europe, including the main stage at Norway’s biggest festival, Øyafestivalen.
The powerful ensemble, known for their ecstatic live shows, consists of a group of friends that have been playing together for a long time, constantly honing their sound and skills. Being hugely talented musicians, they function effortlessly together as a super tight unit, where each member brings his or her taste and influences into the mix.
Featuring Arctic Philharmonic, Darling West, Ida Jenshus, Louien, Malin Pettersen & Signe Marie Rustad.
A star-studded collaboration between several of the leading artists on the "nordicana" scene. Their take on the Sufjan Stevens classic "Chicago", released on the new The Northern Belle album "The Women in Me" has received the symphonic treatment by the renowned Arctic Philharmonic orchestra.
OKIOK is Melkeveien and Erlend Mokkelbost. Both prominent Norwegian composers, producers and beat makers in their own right, through OKIOK they explore their shared passion for bouncy and colorful dance music. The duo are brimming with an energetic musical curiosity, bending and breaking the limitations of genre, searching for rarer chimaeras to tame, all the time allowing themselves the freedom to go where they must.
21-year-old Helven makes music in the realm between hell and heaven – between light and darkness. It is HiFi-lofi, caught on a Super 8 camera, shown through an iPhone. It is music full of contradictions, and a prime example of what the future of bedroom pop can bring. The songs are varied and the music is full of references: From foggy Lana Del Rey-vibes and alternative R&B, to UK garage and catchy indie pop. Still, it all sounds weirdly coherent –maneuvered by an artist who emerges confident and mature already on her debut EP.
Helven is the moniker for singer-songwriter Jenny Bakke, born in Bergen on Norway’s west coast, but raised in the rural south. Bakke paints an accurate picture of her own generation and life as a 21-year-old in 2021 with her lyrics and music. She is now based in Oslo, and her music certainly has an urban atmosphere to it.
With sky-high ambitions, a bold visual identity and an aura of a life lived – despite her young age – Helven is ready to conquer. volume 1 was recorded in Luft Recordings with Andrew Murray Baardsen (Sassy 009, Pen Gutt) and will be released on the Jansen Records imprint 9AM Records.
Fagernes Yacht Klubb has been among Norway’s most exclusive and sought-after live bands for a decade already. Thanks to rare and always sold out concerts the myth has grown with the years. The ensemble, known for the most heartfelt renditions of Toto and Christopher Cross on this side of the Atlantic, has always relied on playing others’ music. But what if they released their own material?
Original tunes from Fagernes Yacht Klubb you say? That’s right. The band spends a certain amount of time traveling and backstage and includes a bunch of talented songwriters. So every now and then a new yacht rock-tune is created somewhere in Norway. This collective has through the years educated the Norwegian public in the pleasures of smooth music, especially through legendary shows during the yearly Øya festival.
In-between healthy amounts of bubbly and seabreeze, this merited bunch has found time to create two brand new songs. Recorded in a small riverside studio in Oslo hours before a huge festival gig, these songs really encapsulate the combined talents of its contributors. It sounds like silk and velvet, sailboats and rolling waves, neon signs and convertibles.
The songs were written by Svein Hermansen, Håkon Njøten and Stian Iversen, and the orchestra consists of: Stian Iversen, Håkon Njøten, Irem Müftüoglu, Ingjerd Østrem, Sigrid Aase, Geir Hermansen, Svein Hermansen, Marius Klovning, Johan Hatleskog, Audun Hjort, Håvar Skaugen, Håvard Funderud, Hans Marius Andersen og Marius Erster Bergesen.
Whether driving or at a party, Midnight Machine will provide you with the nostalgic feeling of a fuzzy radio channel – that time you heard a fantastic song you never found again.
Midnight Machine is Hanne Kolstø and Sigurd Thomassen. Both contribute to the songwriting with their strong sense of melody, whilst Kolstø brings her unique lyrical universe, Thomassen also provides his singular sound. It all sounds euphoric and immediate. Together they are one of the most exciting new pairings to have come out of the Nordics in the last years.
Back in 2019, Kolstø recruited Thomassen to work on her new material. But the first meeting in Thomassens studio, turned into a jam session and exchange of ideas – the result was 3 new songs on the spot. Tobias Ørnes Andersen (Aiming for Enrike) was drafted on drums, and Midnight Machine came into being.
Hanne Kolstø is a legend on the Norwegian indie scene, with 9 studio albums to her name (2009-2019) and is regarded as one of the nation’s most original songwriters. She has been nominated for the Spellemann award four times and has released several internationally acclaimed albums. Sigurd Thomassen – a star on Oslo’s underground music scene – is a long-time member of innovative group Pow Pow, praised by outlets such as Pitchfork and Mojo. Several radio hits and festival gigs earned him high profile gigs as remixer and producer.
Whether driving or at a party, Midnight Machine will provide you with the nostalgic feeling of a fuzzy radio channel – that time you heard a fantastic song you never found again.
Midnight Machine is Hanne Kolstø and Sigurd Thomassen. Both contribute to the songwriting with their strong sense of melody, whilst Kolstø brings her unique lyrical universe, Thomassen also provides his singular sound. It all sounds euphoric and immediate. Together they are one of the most exciting new pairings to have come out of the Nordics in the last years.
Back in 2019, Kolstø recruited Thomassen to work on her new material. But the first meeting in Thomassens studio, turned into a jam session and exchange of ideas – the result was 3 new songs on the spot. Tobias Ørnes Andersen (Aiming for Enrike) was drafted on drums, and Midnight Machine came into being.
Hanne Kolstø is a legend on the Norwegian indie scene, with 9 studio albums to her name (2009-2019) and is regarded as one of the nation’s most original songwriters. She has been nominated for the Spellemann award four times and has released several internationally acclaimed albums. Sigurd Thomassen – a star on Oslo’s underground music scene – is a long-time member of innovative group Pow Pow, praised by outlets such as Pitchfork and Mojo. Several radio hits and festival gigs earned him high profile gigs as remixer and producer.
Recently named ”one of Americana’s biggest head-turners” by Popmatters, for their 2020 album We Wither, We Bloom, The Northern Belle continue to release music. A more layered, eclectic sound acts as an example of the group's continued musical evolution.
Self-produced by frontwoman Stine Andreassen and her band, the new songs are products of our time. Personal feelings and ideas have run wild and free. Due to the pandemic, the need for human interaction – cooperation and collaboration – is at the heart of the music. The last year has also been a time for contemplation and retrospection, a chance to revisit old favorites and inspirations. The culmination of this nostalgia is the band’s brand new version of a John Prine classic: “Summer’s End”. Andreassen says of the choice:
– I love John Prine’s humor, his way of seeing the world and his soft touch. It broke my heart when he passed away last year and as a result I started singing his songs more often at home. I’m forever grateful that I got to see him perform at Oslo Konserthus in 2018 – the same night I ran into Phoebe Bridgers in the bathroom and made a fool of myself and talked about allergies and just wanted to be her best friend.
– I smile when I think back to when I got to visit Oh Boy Records in Nashville. Eileen, who works there, gave me a book of Prine’s lyrics and some stickers for my guitar case – I was screaming inside with joy. Beside the fireplace was a fake white Christmas tree with so many colors and funny ornaments. I especially liked the one with Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball! John Prine will be a part of my life forever and I wish I had written this song.
The Tromso-via-Oslo septet are led by singer-songwriter Stine Andreassen. A true storyteller inspired by Norwegian folk and country music which results in a hybrid you might call Nordicana. It is a style that has seen them secure support slots with the likes of Courtney Marie Andrews, Sturgill Simpson and Erin Rae.
Pat Reedy cut his teeth on the roots scene of New Orleans, playing shows, busking, however he could make a living from music. Yet now he’s adopted Nashville as his hometown. Putting years of construction work behind him, he’s now more focused than ever on music. Constantly booking future tour dates, while always writing new songs.
Producer Aaron Goodrich: «Within my first year of living in Nashville, I got a call from Pat Reedy to do some touring with him. We hit the road at about 4am and when I woke up, we were on the side of the road, broke down. Somehow Pat and I ended up in the front of the tow truck, the band hiding in the van on the back of the truck, getting towed all the way to the gig. Lots of memory making on that tour! Then a couple years later I heard the song “Roadsick Blues" with just Reedy and his guitar, ironically it's about longing for the road, which so often kicked our ass. Invited him to the studio just to see the place, catch up on life. We ended up getting the live take that you hear, within the next week it was finished, which is an easy sign of a great song. The narrative is captivating, with the organic arrangement just coasting along with the lyrics.»
Nashville-based Zelly is kickstarting her solo career, backed by some of americana's hottest players and performers. After moving to Nashville, she began working at Nikki Lane's vintage shop High Class Hillbilly, where she was introduced to Lane's former drummer Aaron Goodrich (Colter Wall, Sam Outlaw) who ended up producing and playing on the record. Also playing on the record are Eddy Dunlap (Opry house band). Pat Lyons (Colter Wall). Zelly was named New Artist of the Week at Holler.Country.
Christiana Zollner is a singer-songwriter born and raised in the Willamette Valley. The daughter of a polka band leader and church music minister, Zollner's songs offer a hint of nostalgia mixed into the present day. Zollner entered the americana scene playing fiddle for singer-songwriters in local bars. A newfound passion for songwriting led Zollner to Nashville, TN where she spent time cowriting, recording fiddle, and performing on Nashville's well-worn songwriter stages.
Zelly is ready to kickstart her solo career, backed by some of americana's hottest players and performers. After moving to Nashville, she began working at Nikki Lane's vintage shop High Class Hillbilly, where she was introduced to Lane's former drummer Aaron Goodrich. Goodrich plays drums and has produced the record.
A fixture of Nashville’s new generation of classic country troubadours, Timbo has spent his life performing music that harkens back to the genre’s golden age. With honky-tonk ready drinking songs and heartbreaking ballads in tow, he’s made a name for himself by playing gig after gig across Music City and perfecting his trademark traditional-leaning sound. Championed and produced by Aaron Goodrich of Nikki Lane, Colter Wall, Sam Outlaw and Malin Pettersen fame.
"The Blue" exposes an artistic edge Laura Mae has always had, yet within the boundaries of Americana has not discovered. Produced in Nashville with Aaron Goodrich (Colter Wall, Nikki Lane) they formed this composition together with intentions to create outside of a genre, exploring new territory with sultry results. With a voice that is powerful, haunting and uniquely her own, lately Laura Mae has been experimenting with writing songs that don’t include the acoustic guitar she has relied on.
Do you ever feel like there's never enough time? Are the days always flying past you? Anchored by dreamy piano, plucky acoustic guitar and gentle percussion, The Northern Belle's new single "No Rush" acts as a call to enjoy the journey and those who accompany you while rolling toward your destination.
Lead singer, songwriter and Stine Andreassen's soothing, emotionally-charged voice is elevated by sweeping harmonies, provided by Louien, who performs alongside Stine in their side project Silver Lining, along with Nordicana standout Siv Jakobsen. Their vocal talents enhance the powerful message of the song, one that we can all relate to.
"The song is about taking care of each other – as well as being patient and letting time take its course,” Andreassen says. "It felt very important to share this song with someone I look up to musically, especially after being isolated for so long. To be together about something, and to be able to comfort one another is essential."
A more layered, eclectic sound acts as an example of the group's continued musical evolution. The group reunited with producer Marcus Forsgren, this time opting to record in Norwegian indie artist Mikhael Paskalev's studio to embrace a new creative environment. As a result, "No Rush" stretches The Northern Belle outwards from their Americana roots with the thoughtfully-placed additions of more indie, alternative-leaning musical elements.
"No Rush" follows the release of The Northern Belle's original holiday tune "(Dim Down) The Christmas Lights" and their critically acclaimed 2020 LP We Wither, We Bloom, which earned praise from Popmatters, Wide Open Country, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, American Songwriter and more. Stay tuned for more new music from the Norwegian septet as we continue into 2021.
«No Rush» will be released on Die With Your Boots On Records on February 26th 2021.
Being a traveling band you often find yourself telling a polite lie or two about how much we enjoyed your shitty venue, and how we’d love to come back ASAP. It’s about that and that one time someone tried to stab us in Bristol, England.
In a dystopian era. The members of Undergrünnen leave all their commitments behind and head for the pub. But when all pubs are closed, there's only one thing to do: get behind the drum kit, try and tune the guitar, put some money in that bass, and seek redemption through in familiar territories: the monotonous, pietistic ecstasy.
Check out Kyrie Eleison, Undergrünnen's 8 minute stunt odyssey in pursuit of the Lord's mercy!
«Poppy Blue» is simply a song about the one most beautiful flower, that makes every other flower seem like weeds.
After 13 years as a drummer in influential Norwegian indie darlings Razika, the time has finally come for Embla Karidotter to embark on her solo project – moving from behind the drum-kit to center stage. Embracing her life-long affection for country and americana music, she assembled her red-hot backing band The Karidotters and started recording demos.
Imagine if Lana Del Rey went country, if Patsy Cline traveled to Twin Peaks or if Orville Peck was a woman from Bergen – easy, right? As a songwriter inspired by Dolly Parton, Townes Van Zandt, Charlie Rich and Roy Orbison among others, Embla’s songs didn’t always fit the bill in a band steeped in indie, ska and new wave. But it also might be that musical background that makes her take on americana sound so unique. After joining the house band to sing a few country covers for the “Bergen Bonanza” club night back in 2016, the spark was lit. And when Razika decided to take a break after the release of their 2018 album, Embla started writing songs for real.
The star-studded Karidotters include Marie Moe (Razika, Slomosa) on bass, Nils Jørgen Nilsen (Honningbarna, The Needs, Sløtface) on drums, Tor-Arne Vikingstad (Sløtface) on guitar and Simen Følstad Nilsen (Aiming for Enrike) on lap steel. Having been in the comfort of a band situation for all of your adult life, it can seem daunting to venture out on your own, but that won’t be an issue surrounded by players like these. Throw celebrated producer Matias Tellez (boy pablo, girl in red, Sondre Lerche, Razika) into the mix, and you’re left with a real strong clique.
“Bergen Blues” is the second single from Embla and the Karidotters – an ambivalent tribute to the band’s hometown – taken from the upcoming EP Howling. With songs about heartbreak, drinking, loving and leaving your hometown, they offer a true country vibe, beautiful melodies and twangy attitude, with an outsider vision.
Paper Dog's 4th single will be out on 9AM Records on December 11th.
Warrior, would you give him what is mine Future, bring him back the stars that shine The colder, days remind him of what is gone Oh warrior, show the picture that was drawn
He could feel the ghosts on the hillside As the earth turned cold And he could see the color in darkness When the night unfolds
Out there where the time run slow Where he lost it long ago Still he waited for you all along Waiting for his love to come home There waiting for his love
Lover, all the joy that spring to mind Wonder, why he left it all behind
He could feel the ghosts on the hillside As the earth turned cold And he would light a torch in the darkness Burn to guide him home
Out there where the time run slow Where he lost it long ago Still he waited for you all along Waiting for his love to come home There waiting for his love
Waiting for his love to come home There waiting for his love
The egocentric mind has no empathy for others and their opinions. Something you’d expect from a child but is often still the case for an insecure grown man. It’s ok to be selfish sometimes, but it doesn’t mean you have to be a complete dick all the time.
Building upon the success of their recent third album “We Wither, We Bloom”, Nordicana frontrunners The Northern Belle are poised to release their first ever holiday single. It has become a catchy and jolly Christmas number, with a nostalgic, romantic and melancholy lyrics – complete with bells for the final chorus.
“We Wither, We Bloom” was released on August 28th, and received widespread praise in both the US and the band’s native country, Norway. Outlets such as NPR - All Songs Considered, American Songwriter, Parade Magazine, Wide Open Country, Cowboys & Indians and Refinery29 have all praised the band’s unique Nordicana sound, clever lyrics and energy.
We used to sing songs together You used to say I’ll love you forever And I, I used to hug you goodbye Just to get a smile and a breath in your eyes
Sing me a last song Just sing me a last song That can bring me peace Bring me peace Bring all the pieces together
I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun
And now that you’re gone I need to find new ways to carry on Like when the sun is shining Is that the silver lining, that can
Bring you home Bring you home Bring you home To me again
I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun
I wanna go up I wanna go up a bove the clouds (I wanna go up)
"Live Until I Die" is a song about living your life to the fullest/max and not caring too much about making a complete fool of yourself in the process. A pandemic rock anthem about not forgetting that no matter what, you’ll have to live until you die.
Norway's Death by Unga Bunga is back! For over a decade, Death by Unga Bunga has dealt its own blend of highly energetic, rough and rowdy rock 'n' roll and wavy psychedelia. Taken from "an album in the works", "Trouble" is the second in a series of new Death by Unga Bunga singles set to be released in the coming months. With more new tunes at the ready, listeners should buckle up for rock and roll that will fill your soul and music that will allow you forget about the troubles of modern life! Follow the band on Facebook and Instagram for breaking news and new music.
Norway’s dark, black-clad troubadour returns. After releasing one personal and existential, and one politically raging album, the world still hasn’t become a better place. In these turbulent times where walls are built and hate is spread, what should be the theme for the new record? The answer was so simple, it was almost banal: love. The most important thing we have – one another.
“Heart and Gold” is the lead track off the album, with an infectous riff and a huge chorus.
Norway’s dark, black-clad troubadour returns. After releasing one personal and existential, and one politically raging album, the world still hasn’t become a better place. In these turbulent times where walls are built and hate is spread, what should be the theme for the new record? The answer was so simple, it was almost banal: love. The most important thing we have – one another.
“Heart and Gold” is the lead track off the album, with an infectous riff and a huge chorus.
Looking for some new riff-lords to darken your existence? Look no further than Norway’s Tempel. Formed by Kvelertak-drummer Kjetil Gjermundrød and his brothers Espen and Inge, along with childhood friend Andreas Espolin Johnson, this band promises to slay straight from the outset.
While the band’s visual profile and music presents the band as a dark entity, Tempel’s music and live shows also demonstrate a fun-loving crew who don’t take themselves too seriously, paying homage to rock ‘n’ roll greats with emphasis on both musicianship and showmanship.
Although this album no doubt is metal AF, the observant listener will recognize the influences and references scattered throughout; from the hardcore-esque vocals, through blackened segments and thrashy breaks, to melodic shredding and classic rock riffage. Tempel effortlessly distills all this into their own fist-pumping, magic brew, while simultaneously paying homage to heroes such as Hellacopters, Mastodon and Enslaved.
Having toured Europe as support for Kvelertak, Tempel have honed their live skills and crafted a show to behold. Live, drummer Kjetil has stepped aside due to his busy schedule with Kvelertak, handing the drumsticks to young powerhouse Jonas Usterud Rønningen, without lessening the group’s sonic impact one decibel.
All lovers of ass-kicking metal should pay attention, but Tempel’s music should appeal to fans of bands as diverse as Guns ‘n’ Roses, Thin Lizzy, Sibiir and (of course) Kvelertak.
After releasing one furious, political album and an introspective, existential one, Torgeir Waldemar concluded that the world hadn’t improved too much. In turbulent times, where walls are erected and hate and xenophobia seems widespread, what should be the main message for the new record? The answer was simple, almost banal – the most important thing we have is one another – love.
Following the success of his two previous albums, the melancholy Torgeir Waldemar (2014) and the loud, fuzz-drenched No Offending Borders (2017) Waldemar has established himself at the very forefront of Norwegian rock and roll troubadours. For the mini-album Jamais Vu (2018), he combined the two personas, stripping down the rock songs from the second album, while rocking up the acoustic songs from the debut. There’s a common thread running through Waldemar’s music, where the new album Love is the obvious continuation – rocking, but not as rough, loud but with more focus.
On the record, Waldemar says: «Love is the driving force behind all our actions. But love isn’t necessarily beautiful or pleasant – it contains too much – everything from self-destruction to crimes of passion. Vi need to take care of one another, but also the world around us. We have been acting out of love, even if it’s love of money or status. As a consequence, the ocean is dying and the forests are burning. If this is the way of showing future generations what love is… Love requires commitment, and also has consequences.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, Arthur Kay's new collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
One of Norway's most beloved indie-pop artists, Hanne Kolstø celebrates 10 years as an artist with her upcoming ninth solo album, titled "Jue". With a more experimental sound than before, Kolstø challenges traditional song structures and throws out the rule book. Preceding the album there will be two singles, "Veggen" the first of those and now "Meir".
Not in her wildest dreams, did Live Miranda Solberg foresee the kind of attention a single demo uploaded to Soundcloud would attract. Shortly after she uploaded “Demo no. 1” one year ago, she found herself playing two of Norway’s biggest festivals, Øya and by:Larm – all of this without one official release. And this one demo, along with spine-tingling live shows, has left audiences, bookers and music writers yearning for more: More music, more shows, more Louien.
Louien, is Live Miranda Solberg. She might still be relatively unknown to most, but those who follow the international americana scene closely will have heard her spectacular voice in the band Silver Lining: A four-piece in which she is one of the main singer-songwriters – her songs attaining several million streams worldwide. Now Louien’s solo debut is finally ready.
Four years ago, she lost her father. He was an actor and singer, who in many ways shaped Solberg as the artist she is today. All the songs on the record revolve around mourning, introspection and also how heavy grief can bring turmoil, but also evolve you as a person.
“Grief allows for beautiful things as well. Love and hope, for instance, and you really get in touch with your own feelings. But this album is probably more about the first phase of a grieving process – hopelessness, isolation, anxiety and depression,” says Solberg.
The album was recorded with Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen at Brageveien Studio in Oslo. Among the guests are Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen, Henrik Lødøen, Øystein Braut, Kristine Marie Aasvang, Signe Marie Rustad and Einar Kaupang.
What are your needs? Basics like food, water, shelter, of course – but if you’re like us, then guitar-based rock music with irresistible hooks and huge riffs is right up there with a living wage and the comfort of a family. Enter The Needs – Norway’s new power pop champions.
Formed by guitarist Maciek Ofstad of Norwegian metal-kings Kvelertak and Norway’s self-proclaimed “country prince” and two time Norwegian Grammy winner Bendik Brænne, The Needs come fully equipped with the necessary musical chops. Also on board, and an integral part of the songwriting is Brænne’s older brother and formerly acclaimed scientist Mattis. Keeping it all together, the rhythm section consists of drummer Nils Jørgen Nilsen, who has spent the last 10 years setting stages on fire with Honningbarna and diving for backline in shallow and cold Norwegian waters, and running man Knut-Oscar Nymo of Rakkestad punkers Oslo Ess.
Inspired by beaches, silly dogs, and the boredom that usually arises in-between touring, The Needs have crafted an album full of earworms – resulting in a collection of songs you didn’t know you needed. Oh, but you do.
Blending the summery vibes of Teenage Fanclub with the abandon of The Replacements, the stadium ambition of Cheap Trick and the pop cleverness of Weezer, The Needs come at you all the way from Tøyen – Oslo – Norway, to be your soundtrack for summery days to come.
Not in her wildest dreams, did Live Miranda Solberg foresee the kind of attention a single demo uploaded to Soundcloud would attract. Shortly after she uploaded “Demo no. 1” one year ago, she found herself playing two of Norway’s biggest festivals, Øya and by:Larm – all of this without one official release. And this one demo, along with spine-tingling live shows, has left audiences, bookers and music writers yearning for more: More music, more shows, more Louien.
Louien, is Live Miranda Solberg. She might still be relatively unknown to most, but those who follow the international americana scene closely will have heard her spectacular voice in the band Silver Lining: A four-piece in which she is one of the main singer-songwriters – her songs attaining several million streams worldwide. Now Louien’s solo debut is finally ready.
Four years ago, she lost her father. He was an actor and singer, who in many ways shaped Solberg as the artist she is today. All the songs on the record revolve around mourning, introspection and also how heavy grief can bring turmoil, but also evolve you as a person.
“Grief allows for beautiful things as well. Love and hope, for instance, and you really get in touch with your own feelings. But this album is probably more about the first phase of a grieving process – hopelessness, isolation, anxiety and depression,” says Solberg.
The album was recorded with Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen at Brageveien Studio in Oslo. Among the guests are Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen, Henrik Lødøen, Øystein Braut, Kristine Marie Aasvang, Signe Marie Rustad and Einar Kaupang.
“The days were long at the cabin we stayed in for the summer. Daring to touch an electric fence for the first time. Having to escape cows on your way to the beach...
When you already finished the magazine you brought in the first couple of days, you turned to the books that were available. Jack London. Jules Verne. Always classics in those kinds of shelves. I read some of them. Never read Don Quijote, though.
One day, I will (it's in my shelf now).”
Hot, quiet and long childhood summer days with nothing to do – we've all been there. Feelings of boredom and restlessness in the most cheerful way. It's memories like these that sets the scene for Orions Belte's new, sundazed EP "Slim".
Orions Belte first displayed their exotic flair on 2018 debut album "Mint". As the perfect soundtrack for lazy, summery days, the album opened people's eyes to the Norwegian psychedelic trio. Carefully arranged by the band, "Slim" contains song by artists they strongly admire – and contains ingenious reworkings of Ghostface Killah and Milton Nascimento, as well as a Robert Maxwell original paying tribute to Norwegian beat group The Pussycats and the late Mac Miller.
What are your needs? Basics like food, water, shelter, of course – but if you’re like us, then guitar-based rock music with irresistible hooks and huge riffs is right up there with a living wage and the comfort of a family. Enter The Needs – Norway’s new power pop champions.
Formed by guitarist Maciek Ofstad of Norwegian metal-kings Kvelertak and Norway’s self-proclaimed “country prince” and two time Norwegian Grammy winner Bendik Brænne, The Needs come fully equipped with the necessary musical chops. Also on board, and an integral part of the songwriting is Brænne’s older brother and formerly acclaimed scientist Mattis. Keeping it all together, the rhythm section consists of drummer Nils Jørgen Nilsen, who has spent the last 10 years setting stages on fire with Honningbarna and diving for backline in shallow and cold Norwegian waters, and running man Knut-Oscar Nymo of Rakkestad punkers Oslo Ess.
Inspired by beaches, silly dogs, and the boredom that usually arises in-between touring, The Needs have crafted an album full of earworms – resulting in a collection of songs you didn’t know you needed. Oh, but you do.
Blending the summery vibes of Teenage Fanclub with the abandon of The Replacements, the stadium ambition of Cheap Trick and the pop cleverness of Weezer, The Needs come at you all the way from Tøyen – Oslo – Norway, to be your soundtrack for summery days to come.
Many of us grew up listening to the enthralling stories and achievements of old or departed relatives: A grandfather who fought in the war, a grandmother who started her own business, a great-grandfather who built the family cabin from the ground up with his own two hands. But few can compare to the story of Jens Carelius’ great-great-grandfather, Opsi among friends. It is refreshing to be reminded that there are more great adventurers than Lewis and Clarke or Thor Heyerdahl.
25 years old, Fritz Doerries left his hometown Hamburg, headed for the inhospitable lands of Eastern Siberia. An entomologist by trade, Doerries gathered over 50,000 specimens of butterflies – many of them never before-known species – over the course of twenty-plus years. His findings are today found in museums all over the world. He died 101 years old, and left a diary chronicling, among other things, hazardous oceanic voyages, the crossing of Japan by foot, surviving ice cold and merciless winters, but also endlessly beautiful summers. It tells of deadly confrontations with lawless people who plundered, raped and killed, encounters with tigers, bears and other creatures, down to the tiniest of bugs. Doerries spent over 25 years in Siberia and his diary illustrates the wonders of nature in a breathtaking way.
Along with Lars Horntveth, Jens Carelius has created a soundtrack to his great-great-grandfather’s stories. Carelius’ 12-string guitar and unique finger picking, echoes travel and movement – recurring themes in his music. As a mixture of a film score and an article from National Geographic, OPSI is the perfect soundtrack to the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Inspired by his great-great-grandfather’s incredible tales, Jens Carelius wrote the lyrics to Opsi based on the life of Fritz Doerries. Thematically, the songs delve into themes such as travel, loneliness and yearning, courage and endurance, and most of all a great, great love of nature and all animals.
A whiz kid on the keys from an early age, Arthur Kay had mastered Ray Manzarek's organ solo on "Light My Fire" by the age of 8, and according to legend, was reported being "over" Rick Wakeman's work on “Tales from Topographic Oceans” by the age of 13. Growing up in the hipster city of Oslo, at a time when skinny dudes with guitars ruled, Arthur vowed to make Moogs hip again by the time he was 30. Having accomplished that feat, the next goal is to funk Norway up with his self-titled debut EP.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next. The lead single “Holiday Pay” celebrates the great Norwegian invention of "holiday pay" – your employer is required by law to pay you a certain percentage of last year's wages as holiday pay every summer.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of galactic jazz music as the front man of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
A whiz kid on the keys from an early age, Arthur Kay had mastered Ray Manzarek's organ solo on "Light My Fire" by the age of 8, and according to legend, was reported being "over" Rick Wakeman's work on “Tales from Topographic Oceans” by the age of 13. Growing up in the hipster city of Oslo, at a time when skinny dudes with guitars ruled, Arthur vowed to make Moogs hip again by the time he was 30. Having accomplished that feat, the next goal is to funk Norway up with his self-titled debut EP.
With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next. The lead single “Holiday Pay” celebrates the great Norwegian invention of "holiday pay" – your employer is required by law to pay you a certain percentage of last year's wages as holiday pay every summer.
Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of galactic jazz music as the front man of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.
I solnedgangen på Eidsbugarden i 2018 skjer noko som ein sjeldan har opplevd før. Med Bygdin som bakgrunn dansar fleire tusen ungdomar skamlaust til tonane frå fele og banjo. Ved Rondane (Aasmund Olavsson Vinje/Hans Martin Austestad, mel: Edvard Grieg) og Etter ein rangel (Jakob Sande) ljoma mellom Jotunheimen sine tindar. Framom scena kvervlar par i ullgenserar rundt i armane til kvarandre i dans, ei improvisert jenka-lenke oppstår i folkemengda, og ikkje eit menneske står i ro. På scena står Vinjefolk, eit storband som spelar sin folkemusikk saman for fyrste gong. Dette hadde han nok likt, namnefaderen og rebellen Aasmund Olavsson Vinje.
Det finst ikkje noko så usexy som ordet bestillingsverk, sa Julie Forchhammer, festivalsjef for Vinjerock våren før storbandet Vinjefolk oppstod. Fordommane var trassa, for Julie Forchhammer ville lage folkefest på Vinjerock. På ynskjelista stod skamlaus partymusikk for folk som ikkje kan noko om folkemusikk frå før. Usexyheita forsvann som dogg for sola den sommarnatta i Jotunheimen. Vinjefolk skapar lystig og frigjerande folkemusikk av slåttar som er kjende, i ei ny form som der ingen kan stå i ro. Dei er folkemusikkbandet verda ikkje visste den trengde, skreiv ein anmeldar frå Folkemusikk.no etter Osafestivalen på Voss.
- juni gir Vinjefolk ut ei plate med to låtar på Jansen Records. På feler er det skotske Sarah-Jane Summers (Summers/Silvola, Siskin Quartet) og Erlend Viken (Erlend Viken Trio). På klimpreinstrument finn me Hans Martin Austestad (Earlybird Stringband, Løkki) på banjo, finske Juhani Silvola (Adjagas, Erlend Viken Trio) på gitar og Morten Kvam på kontrabass. Det heile blir toppa med Anders Lillebo (Stampestuen, Eau de Vill) på orgel og munnspel og Knut Ålefjær (Helge Lien Trio, Kristin Asbjørnsen), som trakterer trommer og perkusjon.
I solnedgangen på Eidsbugarden i 2018 skjer noko som ein sjeldan har opplevd før. Med Bygdin som bakgrunn dansar fleire tusen ungdomar skamlaust til tonane frå fele og banjo. Ved Rondane (Aasmund Olavsson Vinje/Hans Martin Austestad, mel: Edvard Grieg) og Etter ein rangel (Jakob Sande) ljoma mellom Jotunheimen sine tindar. Framom scena kvervlar par i ullgenserar rundt i armane til kvarandre i dans, ei improvisert jenka-lenke oppstår i folkemengda, og ikkje eit menneske står i ro. På scena står Vinjefolk, eit storband som spelar sin folkemusikk saman for fyrste gong. Dette hadde han nok likt, namnefaderen og rebellen Aasmund Olavsson Vinje.
Det finst ikkje noko så usexy som ordet bestillingsverk, sa Julie Forchhammer, festivalsjef for Vinjerock våren før storbandet Vinjefolk oppstod. Fordommane var trassa, for Julie Forchhammer ville lage folkefest på Vinjerock. På ynskjelista stod skamlaus partymusikk for folk som ikkje kan noko om folkemusikk frå før. Usexyheita forsvann som dogg for sola den sommarnatta i Jotunheimen. Vinjefolk skapar lystig og frigjerande folkemusikk av slåttar som er kjende, i ei ny form som der ingen kan stå i ro. Dei er folkemusikkbandet verda ikkje visste den trengde, skreiv ein anmeldar frå Folkemusikk.no etter Osafestivalen på Voss.
- juni gir Vinjefolk ut ei plate med to låtar på Jansen Records. På feler er det skotske Sarah-Jane Summers (Summers/Silvola, Siskin Quartet) og Erlend Viken (Erlend Viken Trio). På klimpreinstrument finn me Hans Martin Austestad (Earlybird Stringband, Løkki) på banjo, finske Juhani Silvola (Adjagas, Erlend Viken Trio) på gitar og Morten Kvam på kontrabass. Det heile blir toppa med Anders Lillebo (Stampestuen, Eau de Vill) på orgel og munnspel og Knut Ålefjær (Helge Lien Trio, Kristin Asbjørnsen), som trakterer trommer og perkusjon.
Not in her wildest dreams, did Live Miranda Solberg foresee the kind of attention a single demo uploaded to Soundcloud would attract. Shortly after she uploaded “Demo no. 1” one year ago, she found herself playing two of Norway’s biggest festivals, Øya and by:Larm – all of this without one official release. And this one demo, along with spine-tingling live shows, has left audiences, bookers and music writers yearning for more: More music, more shows, more Louien.
Louien, is Live Miranda Solberg. She might still be relatively unknown to most, but those who follow the international americana scene closely will have heard her spectacular voice in the band Silver Lining: A four-piece in which she is one of the main singer-songwriters – her songs attaining several million streams worldwide. Now Louien’s solo debut is finally ready.
Four years ago, she lost her father. He was an actor and singer, who in many ways shaped Solberg as the artist she is today. All the songs on the record revolve around mourning, introspection and also how heavy grief can bring turmoil, but also evolve you as a person.
“Grief allows for beautiful things as well. Love and hope, for instance, and you really get in touch with your own feelings. But this album is probably more about the first phase of a grieving process – hopelessness, isolation, anxiety and depression,” says Solberg.
The album was recorded with Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen at Brageveien Studio in Oslo. Among the guests are Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen, Henrik Lødøen, Øystein Braut, Kristine Marie Aasvang, Signe Marie Rustad and Einar Kaupang.
What are your needs? Basics like food, water, shelter, of course – but if you’re like us, then guitar-based rock music with irresistible hooks and huge riffs is right up there with a living wage and the comfort of a family. Enter The Needs – Norway’s new power pop champions.
Formed by guitarist Maciek Ofstad of Norwegian metal-kings Kvelertak and Norway’s self-proclaimed “country prince” and two time Norwegian Grammy winner Bendik Brænne, The Needs come fully equipped with the necessary musical chops. Also on board, and an integral part of the songwriting is Brænne’s older brother and formerly acclaimed scientist Mattis. Keeping it all together, the rhythm section consists of drummer Nils Jørgen Nilsen, who has spent the last 10 years setting stages on fire with Honningbarna and diving for backline in shallow and cold Norwegian waters, and running man Knut-Oscar Nymo of Rakkestad punkers Oslo Ess.
Inspired by beaches, silly dogs, and the boredom that usually arises in-between touring, The Needs have crafted an album full of earworms – resulting in a collection of songs you didn’t know you needed. Oh, but you do.
Blending the summery vibes of Teenage Fanclub with the abandon of The Replacements, the stadium ambition of Cheap Trick and the pop cleverness of Weezer, The Needs come at you all the way from Tøyen – Oslo – Norway, to be your soundtrack for summery days to come.
In 2019, Hanne Kolstø celebrates 10 years as an artist. As one of the most productive and lauded musicians on the Norwegian indie scene, Kolstø now readies her ninth solo album Jue. With a more experimental sound than earlier and a party program proclaiming that music should be free, Kolstø challenges traditional song structures with these ten new songs.
Kolstø has always thrived in several different, musically diverse camps. With Jue she combines modern, minimalistic electronica with elements of new wave and new romantics, along with a more contemporary indie-vibe – all with great aplomb of course. One moment one might hear hints of Ultravox and Tears for Fears, and in the next modern artists like DJ Koze or Nicolas Jaar – always with Kolstø’s ear for melody and compositional finesse.
Speaking about the record, Kolstø says: “I made this album to remind myself that my music has to be free, it should be allowed to be, no matter what people might say or think. Because music is art and art should be free. When I wrote the album I said to myself that everything was allowed, exemplified with the song that actually stars with a drum solo, before transitioning into a lighter acoustic section, before it gets all heavy (“E det so farlig”). I want to remove myself from the thought process that one has to rearrange the songs to make them “fit in” somewhere. The album is supposed to be a goodie bag of artistic freedom.”
HUNTING BUTTERFLIES
Many of us grew up listening to the enthralling stories and achievements of old or departed relatives: A grandfather who fought in the war, a grandmother who started her own business, a great-grandfather who built the family cabin from the ground up with his own two hands. But few can compare to the story of Jens Carelius’ great-great-grandfather, Opsi among friends. It is refreshing to be reminded that there are more great adventurers than Lewis and Clarke or Thor Heyerdahl.
25 years old, Fritz Doerries left his hometown Hamburg, headed for the inhospitable lands of Eastern Siberia. An entomologist by trade, Doerries gathered over 50,000 specimens of butterflies – many of them never before-known species – over the course of twenty-plus years. His findings are today found in museums all over the world. He died 101 years old, and left a diary chronicling, among other things, hazardous oceanic voyages, the crossing of Japan by foot, surviving ice cold and merciless winters, but also endlessly beautiful summers. It tells of deadly confrontations with lawless people who plundered, raped and killed, encounters with tigers, bears and other creatures, down to the tiniest of bugs. Doerries spent over 25 years in Siberia and his diary illustrates the wonders of nature in a breathtaking way.
Along with Lars Horntveth, Jens Carelius has created a soundtrack to his great-great-grandfather’s stories. Carelius’ 12-string guitar and unique finger picking, echoes travel and movement – recurring themes in his music. As a mixture of a film score and an article from National Geographic, OPSI is the perfect soundtrack to the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Inspired by his great-great-grandfather’s incredible tales, Jens Carelius wrote the lyrics to Opsi based on the life of Fritz Doerries. Thematically, the songs delve into themes such as travel, loneliness and yearning, courage and endurance, and most of all a great, great love of nature and all animals.
Songwriter: PatrickMorris Author: PatrickMorris Producer: PatrickMorris Lyrics: PatrickMorris Who plays on the song: PatrickMorris, BillyDeLelles (tambourine,hihat) Photo: Eric Schwabel Design: Jamie Tao, Patrick Morris
Lyrics: Hearing her voice is like hearing a ghost Ghost with the same DNA Five years of birthdays that she was alone All since her twin passed away She calls me up looking for tech support I know she just needs to chat Asks when I’m coming up to Canada I’m not a stranger to that The hard conversation With my aunt With doctors With my twin The hard conversation With landlords With lawyers With my friend Mondays and Tuesdays you go see a shrink Wednesdays we meet at a group Thursday’s A.A. followed by Al-Anon Friday’s your day to recoup On Saturdays your parole officer Watches you piss in a tray, hey Sundays you sing in an Episcopal church Not that you practice that faith The hard conversation With my aunt With doctors With my twin The hard conversation With landlords And lawyers With my friend The hard conversation With your ex With neighbors With your twin The hard conversation With yourself With the law With your friend Gonna make it up to you I’ll make it up to you Somehow somehow
Looking for some new riff-lords to darken your existence? Look no further than Norway’s Tempel. Formed by Kvelertak-drummer Kjetil Gjermundrød and his brothers Espen and Inge, along with childhood friend Andreas Espolin Johnson, this band promises to slay straight from the outset.
While the band’s visual profile and music presents the band as a dark entity, Tempel’s music and live shows also demonstrate a fun-loving crew who don’t take themselves too seriously, paying homage to rock ‘n’ roll greats with emphasis on both musicianship and showmanship.
Although this album no doubt is metal AF, the observant listener will recognize the influences and references scattered throughout; from the hardcore-esque vocals, through blackened segments and thrashy breaks, to melodic shredding and classic rock riffage. Tempel effortlessly distills all this into their own fist-pumping, magic brew, while simultaneously paying homage to heroes such as Hellacopters, Mastodon and Enslaved.
Having toured Europe as support for Kvelertak, Tempel have honed their live skills and crafted a show to behold. Live, drummer Kjetil has stepped aside due to his busy schedule with Kvelertak, handing the drumsticks to young powerhouse Jonas Usterud Rønningen, without lessening the group’s sonic impact one decibel.
All lovers of ass-kicking metal should pay attention, but Tempel’s music should appeal to fans of bands as diverse as Guns ‘n’ Roses, Thin Lizzy, Sibiir and (of course) Kvelertak.
A musician once said: ”It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.” That line is definitely blurred in the case of The Modern Times. The songs purvey adolescent ignorance or poignant satire, or maybe both – it probably depends on the listener. This hybrid of jangly and jagged post punk, snotty punk rock and garage-infused power pop hardly sounds like anything out there these days. This is also much to the credit of singer Magnus Vold Jensen’s unique and incisive delivery.
With their sophomore album, Algorhythmic Dance Music, The Modern Times have signed up with Black Pop Records and upped their game to boot. The record sounds like confused Gang of Four-members arguing with Parquet Courts while The Hives beats them both to the bar. Or something like that.
The Modern Times released their debut This Is The Modern Times in 2017, to widespread critical acclaim in their native Norway. Constant touring followed the record release, and the gang has built a reputation as a notoriously rowdy live act, converting non-believers to die hard fans mere seconds into each show.
Wet Dreams were consummated in an Oslo basement, when Death By Unga Bunga frontman Sebastian Ulstad Olsen had conceived a few bastard songs he did not know what to do with. The songs grew into a fast and scruffy EP, released in the summer of 2017 – and now the self-titled debut album is finally here.
Wet Dreams is a punk rock/garage group from Oslo consisting of members from FOAMMM, Warp Riders, De Marvells as well as the aforementioned Death By Unga Bunga. They played one of their first ever concerts at Norway’s biggest festival, Øya in 2017, and bookers both at home and internationally have been hounding them ever since. Thus far in 2018, they have played festivals in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Following the album release the band will tour Norway, Europe and the US.
Wet Dreams recorded the album by themselves with help from Terje Vea Torkellsen (Mats Wawa, Geetar), while Øystein Braut (Electric Eye, Dig Deeper, Soft Ride, Low Frequency in Stereo) did the mix, birthing an album of gritty, aggressive and ultra catchy punk rock n roll.
The record is about being – or trying to be – “larger than life” and to conceal one’s own insecurities. The collection of songs might come across as a massive discharge of masculinity, but if you pay attention to the lyrics, the understanding is that we’re all just humans with the same basic needs and desires.
The Wet Dream-song “I Can Fly” will be featured in an upcoming episode of the American TV show “War Games”.
Listen up: https://jansenrecords.com/s/world
Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.
“World I Used to Call Mine” is the penultimate track on No Ritual. According to the band, the song is about somebody on a quest for a cosmic plan. It is supposed to portray the final phase of a rite of passage, the incorporation ceremony into the new world, but something goes horribly wrong.
While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches – they found out what kind of album they were going to make.
While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”
Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.
Looking for some new riff-lords to darken your existence? Look no further than Norway’s Tempel. Formed by Kvelertak-drummer Kjetil Gjermundrød and his brothers Espen and Inge, along with childhood friend Andreas Espolin Johnson, this band promises to slay straight from the outset.
While the band’s visual profile and music presents the band as a dark entity, Tempel’s music and live shows also demonstrate a fun-loving crew who don’t take themselves too seriously, paying homage to rock ‘n’ roll greats with emphasis on both musicianship and showmanship.
Although this album no doubt is metal AF, the observant listener will recognize the influences and references scattered throughout; from the hardcore-esque vocals, through blackened segments and thrashy breaks, to melodic shredding and classic rock riffage. Tempel effortlessly distills all this into their own fist-pumping, magic brew, while simultaneously paying homage to heroes such as Hellacopters, Mastodon and Enslaved.
Having toured Europe as support for Kvelertak, Tempel have honed their live skills and crafted a show to behold. Live, drummer Kjetil has stepped aside due to his busy schedule with Kvelertak, handing the drumsticks to young powerhouse Jonas Usterud Rønningen, without lessening the group’s sonic impact one decibel.
All lovers of ass-kicking metal should pay attention, but Tempel’s music should appeal to fans of bands as diverse as Guns ‘n’ Roses, Thin Lizzy, Sibiir and (of course) Kvelertak.
Drama – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk are about on their upcoming album. The band burst onto the Norwegian scene with their self-titled debut album, garnering broad appreciation way outside of their home country. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up is near – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance.
Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as a united Norwegian music press. Internationally, outlets such as Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent and Clash Music gave the group standing ovations for their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Dire Straits and Aztec Camera to Haim. On “Drama” Hajk embrace their urban influences, naming artists such as Solange, Frank Ocean and Thundercat.
With the sophomore album, “Drama”, a more confident band is on display. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and several guest musicians, Hajk has done whatever necessary to fullfill their creative vision.
The title “Drama” relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.
It’s been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they’re eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy up-tempo pop songs. In short, drama.
Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.
While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches – they found out what kind of album they were going to make.
While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”
Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.
Drama – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk are about on their upcoming album. The band burst onto the Norwegian scene with their self-titled debut album, garnering broad appreciation way outside of their home country. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up is near – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance.
Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as a united Norwegian music press. Internationally, outlets such as Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent and Clash Music gave the group standing ovations for their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Dire Straits and Aztec Camera to Haim.
With the sophomore album, “Drama”, a more confident band is on display. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and several guest musicians, Hajk has done whatever necessary to fullfill their creative vision.
The title “Drama” relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.
It’s been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they’re eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy up-tempo pop songs. In short, drama.
Ready to give Razika one more chance? Three years have passed since the last record “Ut til de andre” – an eternity in the music business today. But with hits such as “Vondt i hjertet”, “Faen ta deg”, “Om igjen”, “Oslo” and many more, Razika were never in danger of disappearing from the collective consciousness.
"Flyplassen" is the third single from their upcoming album, a fast paced pop anthem with emotional verses and a great hook.
The members of Razika have known each other since primary school; have played together since the age of 15 and the band has been going for close to thirteen years now. Pretty unique in today’s music industry, especially considering the members are still in their twenties.
The band says the following about work on the new album:
“Since New Years, it has been quiet from the Razika camp. Making album number four proved to be easier said than done, but after a period of trial and error we finally resolved it!
We’re back and are very happy to announce that we will release our new album “Sånn kjennes verden ut” on November 30th. Together with Matias Tellez, we have created an album we are extremely proud of and which we look forward to sharing with you!”
Ready to give Razika one more chance? Three years have passed since the last record “Ut til de andre” – an eternity in the music business today. But with hits such as “Vondt i hjertet”, “Faen ta deg”, “Om igjen”, “Oslo” and many more, Razika were never in danger of disappearing from the collective consciousness.
”D esje meg” – the second single from their upcoming album – is one of the more mellow songs, but still catchy, with a cool R&B-vibe to it. The new singles, and the upcoming album marks a new start for the band, with both a new record label, Jansen Records, and a new collaboration with producer Matias Tellez, who hasn’t worked with Razika since their debut album in 2011.
The members of Razika have known each other since primary school; have played together since the age of 15 and the band has been going for close to thirteen years now. Pretty unique in today’s music industry, especially considering the members are still in their twenties.
The band says the following about work on the new album:
“Since New Years, it has been quiet from the Razika camp. Making album number four proved to be easier said than done, but after a period of trial and error we finally resolved it!
We’re back and are very happy to announce that we will release our new album “Sånn kjennes verden ut” on November 30th. Together with Matias Tellez, we have created an album we are extremely proud of and which we look forward to sharing with you!”
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Next up is the second single from the album, the mellow but catchy “D esje meg”.
Levi B stikker nå hodet ut av soverommet hvor denne låta er laget, og er klar for å debutere som artist i langt større rom. Han sier selv at han lander i skjæringspunktet mellom pop og rock, men singelen «Folk flest» er mer en åpenbar indie-låt, inspirert av disco-rock som Talking Heads og LCD Soundsystem.
Det er upolert og røft, samtidig som det er tight og kontant. Alle instrumenter er spilt av Levi B på hans eget soverommet, og han har også spilt inn, produsert og mikset alt selv. Det er kanskje ikke «bedroom-pop», som er så populært i 2018, men det er i alle fall bedroom-indie.
Han synger på norsk, rett og slett fordi han syns det produseres for lite norskspråklige låter innen sjangeren, og han er klar til å dra deg ut på dansegulvet.
Let’s get ready to disco!
Drama – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk are about on their upcoming album. The band burst onto the Norwegian scene with their self-titled debut album, garnering broad appreciation way outside of their home country. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up is near – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance. First single is the energetic “Dancing Like This”, a melancholy and wide-eyed love song, which guarantees to get stuck in your head.
Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as a united Norwegian music press. Internationally, outlets such as Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent and Clash Music gave the group standing ovations for their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Dire Straits and Aztec Camera to Haim.
With the sophomore album, “Drama”, a more confident band is on display. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and several guest musicians, Hajk has done whatever necessary to fullfill their creative vision.
The title “Drama” relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.
It’s been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they’re eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy up-tempo pop songs. In short, drama.
Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.
“Ride”, the first single from the upcoming album, and is a jangly pop tune with a big hook, that sets the stage nicely for this sophomore effort.
While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches, drinking wine – they found out what kind of album they were going to make.
While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”
Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.
Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.
“Ride”, the first single from the upcoming album, and is a jangly pop tune with a big hook, that sets the stage nicely for “No Ritual”.
While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches – they found out what kind of album they were going to make.
While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”
Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.
Ready to give Razika one more chance? Three years have passed since the last record “Ut til de andre” – an eternity in the music business today. But with hits such as “Vondt i hjertet”, “Faen ta deg”, “Om igjen”, “Oslo” and many more, Razika were never in danger of disappearing from the collective consciousness.
With brand new single “En sjanse til”, Razika returns with an irresistible pop tune which overflows with exuberance and lovely synths. The single, and the upcoming album marks a new start for the band, with both a new record label, Jansen Records, and a new collaboration with producer Matias Tellez, who hasn’t worked with Razika since their debut album in 2011.
The members of Razika have known each other since primary school; have played together since the age of 15 and the band has been going for close to thirteen years now. Pretty unique in today’s music industry, especially considering the members are still in their twenties.
The band says the following about work on the new album:
“Since New Years, it has been quiet from the Razika camp. Making album number four proved to be easier said than done, but after a period of trial and error we finally resolved it!
We’re back and are very happy to announce that we will release our new album “Sånn kjennes verden ut” on November 30th. Together with Matias Tellez, we have created an album we are extremely proud of and which we look forward to sharing with you!”
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First up is lead single, the aural anti-depressant “En sjanse til”.
Lykke til i livet. Enten er det en lakonisk hilsen til en person som har en usikker fremtid i møte, eller så er det en melankolsk og ektefølt lykkeønskning. For guttene i Virkelig er nok albumtittelen mer tenkt som det første. Skiva ble skrevet det siste året Tobias, Sondre og Erlend gikk på videregående, og de visste alle at de skulle videre i livet. Flytte ut hjemmefra, kanskje vekk fra Bodø, byen de har bodd i hele livet, og vekk fra alle kjente.
Virkelig ga ut singelen «Cecilie» i 2015, og etter å ha kranglet den inn i diverse strømmetjenester, hadde de plutselig gitt ut sin alle første låt. To uker etter slippet var låta kåret til «Ukas Urørt» og listet på NRK P3. Der ble den liggende i hele 38 uker, og den påfølgende sommeren spilte Virkelig på festivaler som Trondheim Calling, Slottsfjell, Pstereo, Parkenfestivalen, Trænafestivalen og Sommerfesten på Giske.
Frøet var mildt sagt sådd, og etter å ha gått og kvernet på tankene om et album, gikk de inn i studio for å starte på prosjektet. Tankene om endring, brutte relasjoner og det som ventet der fremme gjorde at de ville spille inn albumet andre steder enn i Nord-Norge, med folk som ikke snakket deres dialekt, for å få nye impulser, og starte en helt ny prosess. De elsker byen sin og folka der, men de valgte å ta tyren ved hornene og kaste seg inn i det ukjente.
De gikk først inn i studioet ARC i Oslo med Erlend Mokkelbost (Montée, JR Ewing m.m.), før de reiste til Ocean Sound Studio på Giske ved Ålesund og spilte inn resten. Plata er mikset av Anders Bjelland i Broen Studio i Bergen. I november skrev Virkelig under platekontrakt med Jansen Records, samtidig som blev enige om at Timeout Agency gjør booking.
Resultatet har altså blitt til «Lykke til i livet». Et album fylt med storbyangst, gatepop med norske tekster og en skive som viser et ungt rockeband band på vei opp og frem. Et rockeband som tråkker opp stiene etter War on Drugs i kombinasjon mellom det enkle og det store. Hvem sa egentlig at gitarsoloen var død?
Is it blues? Is it world music? Is it underground pop? You can choose whichever you want, it’s not important for Orions Belte to be pigeonholed. They’re playing instrumental music inspired by Nigerian 70’s rock, postcards from the French Riviera, Formula One races at the Monza track in Italy, and when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in 1971. Eclectic and unique – are you able to “hear” how it sounds?
Øyvind Blomstrøm and Chris Holm mainly make a living out of being on the road with other bands, and they’re almost always traveling from town to town, country to country. When their roads crossed for the umpteenth time in 2016, their mutual dream of starting an instrumental project was finally underway. Holm’s companion from the Bergen scene, Kim Åge Furuhaug, wanted to join in on the fun, and then Orions Belte was born.
Their debut album «Mint» is founded on old traditions but still feels new, and you’ll have to look for a long time to find anything like it. Texas band Khruangbin may be the best comparison as per today, but Orions Belte really belongs in their own galaxy. A galaxy where they are the soundtrack to movies that haven’t been made yet, where landscapes are colored and where the trio does just what they want to, the way they want to do it.
The result is «Mint», an album filled with songs that fit as easily into street parties in Oslo and London, as in private casinos in Paris and night clubs in Lagos. Orions Belte, a small piece of the world from Norway.
Rounding off Hanne Kolstøs string of remixes, is «Stein / Saks (Ost & Kjex Remix)». Where the first three remixes were tracks lifted from her most recent album, and remixed by Pow Pow, this latest remix is of a song from Kolstø's previous album «Fest blikket» and has been remixed by Ost & Kjex. «Stein / Saks» was the first single off of Kolstø's seventh album and her first single release in Norwegian.
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and new album,«Fare», has a rougher and more beats-oriented sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She considers herself a hermit, as she has chosen to live half her time in a remote cabin in the woods, enjoying the silence it brings.
Hanne Kolstø released her 8th album in February. «For nær» was at the centre of the album. For the remix, experimental and percussive Norwegian pop group Pow Pow, have created a swirling, jazzy and ethereal tune.
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and new album,«Fare», has a rougher and more beats-oriented sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She considers herself a hermit, as she has chosen to live half her time in a remote cabin in the woods, enjoying the silence it brings.
Her new sound is tougher and has a brighter beat. This is a change that suits the artist Hanne Kolstø very well, and her ability to write engaging songs and irresistible hooks has definitely not disappeared. As usual she’s worked with her producer, guitarist and partner Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen – a collaboration that has gone in all directions since her debut album, «Riot Break», from 2011. Together they continue to push each other and constantly work towards a new album and a new sound.
Is it blues? Is it world music? Is it underground pop? You can choose whichever you want, it’s not important for Orions Belte to be pigeonholed. They’re playing instrumental music inspired by Nigerian 70’s rock, postcards from the French Riviera, Formula One races at the Monza track in Italy, and when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in 1971. Eclectic and unique – are you able to “hear” how it sounds?
Øyvind Blomstrøm and Chris Holm mainly make a living out of being on the road with other bands, and they’re almost always traveling from town to town, country to country. When their roads crossed for the umpteenth time in 2016, their mutual dream of starting an instrumental project was finally underway. Holm’s companion from the Bergen scene, Kim Åge Furuhaug, wanted to join in on the fun, and then Orions Belte was born.
Their debut album «Mint» is founded on old traditions but still feels new, and you’ll have to look for a long time to find anything like it. Texas band Khruangbin may be the best comparison as per today, but Orions Belte really belongs in their own galaxy. A galaxy where they are the soundtrack to movies that haven’t been made yet, where landscapes are colored and where the trio does just what they want to, the way they want to do it.
The result is «Mint», an album filled with songs that fit as easily into street parties in Oslo and London, as in private casinos in Paris and night clubs in Lagos. Orions Belte, a small piece of the world from Norway.
Hanne Kolstø released her 8th album in February. Now the track «Ikkje rør», has received the remix treatment from the futuristic electronic group Pow Pow. They have transformed the song from a low key ballad to a real floorfiller with lots of club potential.
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and new album,«Fare», has a rougher and more beats-oriented sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She considers herself a hermit, as she has chosen to live half her time in a remote cabin in the woods, enjoying the silence it brings.
Her new sound is tougher and has a brighter beat. This is a change that suits the artist Hanne Kolstø very well, and her ability to write engaging songs and irresistible hooks has definitely not disappeared. As usual she’s worked with her producer, guitarist and partner Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen – a collaboration that has gone in all directions since her debut album, «Riot Break», from 2011. Together they continue to push each other and constantly work towards a new album and a new sound.
Hanne Kolstø released her 8th album in 2018, and the second single from it was «Greinene». Now that single has received the remix treatment from Norwegian electronic pop group Pow Pow, entirely transforming the song from ballad to club anthem.
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and «Is» has a rougher and more hip hop-like sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She’s almost been living a nomadic lifestyle during the last few years, and she enjoys great contrasts, like when she moved from the southern Norwegian idyll Kristiansand to the edge of the sea at Lofoten in the north, or when she moved to Switzerland and then back again to Oslo. Now she commutes between the alps in Sykkylven and the forest cottage in Follo‘s flat terrain. Of course, this rootless existence contributes to colouring her music, and it has given her valuable inspiration throughout her career.
The minimalistic living standard at Hanne‘s present home, in the little cottage by the fjord, without running water or electricity, has apparently helped her even more with getting inspiration, and the songs are pouring out of her at an even more sporadic pace than they’ve done before.
As usual she’s worked with her producer, guitarist and partner Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen – a collaboration that has gone in all directions since her debut album, «Riot Break», from 2011. Together they continue pushing each other and constantly working towards a new album and a new sound.
The title of Virkelig’s debut album translates directly to ‘Good luck in life’. It’s either a laconic greeting to a person with an uncertain future, or it’s a melancholy and heartfelt good luck message. For the boys in Virkelig, the album title is probably more intended for the former, not the latter. The record was written during the last year that Tobias, Sondre and Erlend went to high school, and they all knew that their lives would change dramatically the next couple of years. They would be moving away from home, maybe away from Bodø - the town where they’ve been living all their life - and away from all things familiar.
Virkelig issued the single «Cecilie» in 2015, and after forcing it into various music streaming services, they all of a sudden had released their first song. Two weeks after the release, the song had been named «Ukas Urørt» and A-listed by the radio channel NRK P3. It stayed on the A-list for 38 weeks, and during the following summer, Virkelig played at festivals like Trondheim Calling, Slottsfjell, Pstereo, Parkenfestivalen, Trænafestivalen and Sommerfesten på Giske.
The seed had been sown, and after some writing and rehearsing they went into studios to make an album. Their thoughts about change, broken relations and what was waiting for them ahead, persuaded them to record it in other places than the familiar northern Norway, with people who didn’t speak their dialect - to get new impulses and start a whole new process. They love their hometown and its people, but they chose to the take the bull by the horns and throw themselves into the unknown.
They first entered the ARC studio in Oslo, with Erlend Mokkelbost (Montée, JR Ewing etc.), before they travelled to Ocean Sound Studio at Giske outside of Ålesund and recorded the rest. The album was mixed by Anders Bjelland at Broen Studio in Bergen. In November, Virkelig signed a recording contract with Jansen Records, and at the same time they agreed to let Timeout Agency do their booking.
The result is «Lykke til i livet». An album filled with big city anxiety, street pop with Norwegian lyrics - a record that shows a young rock band on their way up. A rock band that treads War on Drugs’ path, combining the simple with the grand. Who said that the guitar solo was dead anyway?
Is it blues? Is it world music? Is it underground pop? You can choose whichever you want, it’s not important for Orions Belte to be pigeonholed. They’re playing instrumental music inspired by Nigerian 70’s rock, postcards from the French Riviera, Formula One races at the Monza track in Italy, and when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in 1971. Eclectic and unique – are you able to “hear” how it sounds?
Øyvind Blomstrøm and Chris Holm mainly make a living out of being on the road with other bands, and they’re almost always traveling from town to town, country to country. When their roads crossed for the umpteenth time in 2016, their mutual dream of starting an instrumental project was finally underway. Holm’s companion from the Bergen scene, Kim Åge Furuhaug, wanted to join in on the fun, and then Orions Belte was born.
Their debut album «Mint» is founded on old traditions but still feels new, and you’ll have to look for a long time to find anything like it. Texas band Khruangbin may be the best comparison as per today, but Orions Belte really belongs in their own galaxy. A galaxy where they are the soundtrack to movies that haven’t been made yet, where landscapes are colored and where the trio does just what they want to, the way they want to do it.
The result is «Mint», an album filled with songs that fit as easily into street parties in Oslo and London, as in private casinos in Paris and night clubs in Lagos. Orions Belte, a small piece of the world from Norway.
The daughter of two musicians, Marte Solbakken quit playing music when her family fell apart. She left home as a teenager and didn’t play an instrument until more than a decade later when, holed up in a New York blizzard, she picked up a guitar and penned her first songs.
Realizing that she had reconnected with an essential part of herself, she soon decided to pursue a career in music.
Many songs later, she is releasing her debut EP under the moniker Lilyer with the help of producer Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls) and mixer Andrew Miller (Kristin Kontrol, Blond Ambition, Dum Dum Girls).
Written during a time of much personal turmoil, these soaring dream pop songs reverberate with the urgency of someone carving out their own path, their own voice.
Even though Death By Unga Bunga still are considered to be fairly young men, they’re actually having their 10th anniversary as a band this year. Rock band, to be precise. They’re celebrating this by releasing their fifth album, with releasing «So Far So Good So Cool». A title which summarizes their career so far pretty good.
2016 was a very prolific year for the band, resulting in three releases. Firstly they released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», then a remastered edition of their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», for the first time on vinyl, before they ended the year with four brand new songs on the EP «Fight». After all this you might think that the boys in DBUB would slow down the pace a bit. But alas.
While 2016 was prolific, 2017 was an active year. They have of course toured all over Norway, both the club scene and festivals, and in March, they went on their first headliner tour in the US, which took them from New York in the east to California in the west. That was a milestone, of course, but their US adventure didn’t stop there. In September, they joined punk rock legends Stiff Little Fingers as a support band on their 40th Anniversary Tour, playing close to 20 concerts from the west coast to the east coast. When 2017 now are nearing its end, the band have played 34 concerts in total on the American continent during one year. Impressive.
Now it’s time for a new album from DBUB. In late 2017, they released the singles «Bye Bye» and «Into the Night», and their fifth album will be released by Jansen Records on April 6th. This time, too, they’ve produced the album themselves, something that gives it a personal touch, and the songs are faster, louder and funnier than ever.
«So Far So Good So Cool» will be released by Jansen Records on April 6th.
Even though Death By Unga Bunga still are considered to be fairly young men, they’re actually having their 10th anniversary as a band this year. Rock band, to be precise. They’re celebrating this by releasing their fifth album, with releasing «So Far So Good So Cool». A title which summarizes their career so far pretty good.
2016 was a very prolific year for the band, resulting in three releases. Firstly they released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», then a remastered edition of their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», for the first time on vinyl, before they ended the year with four brand new songs on the EP «Fight». After all this you might think that the boys in DBUB would slow down the pace a bit. But alas.
While 2016 was prolific, 2017 was an active year. They have of course toured all over Norway, both the club scene and festivals, and in March, they went on their first headliner tour in the US, which took them from New York in the east to California in the west. That was a milestone, of course, but their US adventure didn’t stop there. In September, they joined punk rock legends Stiff Little Fingers as a support band on their 40th Anniversary Tour, playing close to 20 concerts from the west coast to the east coast. When 2017 now are nearing its end, the band have played 34 concerts in total on the American continent during one year. Impressive.
Now it’s time for a new album from DBUB. In late 2017, they released the singles «Bye Bye» and «Into the Night», and their fifth album will be released by Jansen Records on April 6th. This time, too, they’ve produced the album themselves, something that gives it a personal touch, and the songs are faster, louder and funnier than ever.
«So Far So Good So Cool» will be released by Jansen Records on April 6th.
Even though Death By Unga Bunga are still considered to be fairly young men, they’re actually celebrating their ten year anniversary as a band in 2018. Rock band, to be precise. To commemorate this, they are releasing their fifth album, «So Far So Good So Cool». A title that summarizes their career so far pretty good.
2016 was a prolific year for the band, resulting in three releases. Firstly, they released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», then a remastered edition of their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», for the first time on vinyl, before they wrapped up the year with four brand new songs on the EP «Fight». After all of this, you might think that the boys in DBUB would slow down the pace a bit. But alas.
While 2016 was prolific, 2017 was an intensely active year. The band has of course toured all over Scandinavia, both clubs and festivals. Additionally, they also toured in the UK, Germany and Benelux and in March, they went on their first headliner tour in the US, which took them from New York in the east to California in the west. A milestone, for sure, but their US adventure didn’t stop there. In September, they joined punk rock legends Stiff Little Fingers as supporting act on their 40th Anniversary Tour, playing close to 20 concerts from coast to coast. By year end 2017, Death By Unga Bunga had played a total of 34 concerts on the American continent. Impressive.
On the heels of their foreign exploits, DBUB released the singles «Bye Bye» and «Into the Night» late in 2017. The upcoming singles, the huge anthem «Soldier» and the über-cool «Cynical» further showcases the band’s songwriting panache – with clever hooks, and dumb/smart lyrics – amping up the expectations for the forthcoming album. Jansen Records are therefore proud to announce that their fifth album will be released on April 6th. Also, this time they produced the album themselves, giving it a more personal touch. Furthermore, the riffs are catchier, the solos are wilder and the songs are faster, louder and funnier than ever. Death By Unga Bunga epitomize everything that’s fun and great about rock ‘n’ roll, so we’ll end this by saying: welcome to the rock show! Enjoy.
Even though Death By Unga Bunga still are considered to be fairly young men, they’re actually having their 10th anniversary as a band this year. Rock band, to be precise. They’re celebrating this by releasing their fifth album, which simply will be called «Death By Unga Bunga».
2016 was a very prolific year for the band, resulting in three releases. Firstly they released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», then a remastered edition of their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», for the first time on vinyl, before they ended the year with four brand new songs on the EP «Fight». After all this you might think that the boys in DBUB would slow down the pace a bit. But alas.
While 2016 was prolific, 2017 was an active year. They have of course toured all over Norway, both the club scene and festivals, and in March, they went on their first headliner tour in the US, which took them from New York in the east to California in the west. That was a milestone, of course, but their US adventure didn’t stop there. In September, they joined punk rock legends Stiff Little Fingers as a support band on their 40th Anniversary Tour, playing close to 20 concerts from the west coast to the east coast. When 2017 now are nearing its end, the band have played 34 concerts in total on the American continent during one year. Impressive.
Now it’s time for a new album from DBUB. In late 2017, they released the singles «Bye Bye» and «Into the Night», and their fifth and self-titled album will be released by Jansen Records on April 6th. This time, too, they’ve produced the album themselves, something that gives it a personal touch, and the songs are faster, louder and funnier than ever.
As a taster from the forthcoming album, they now release the single «Soldier». Loud riffs, catchy choruses and powerpop/rock. You know you want it.
Hajk's career exploded right out of the starting blocks, and their momentum never showed any signs of slowing down. Now they're ready to follow up their success - a success that got the whole world looking to Norway and Oslo.
Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra have already declared that they're fans, and in Norway they were called "Your new favourite band" by several news outlets. A united Norwegian press corps were unanimous in their homage of the debut album, which was released in February 2017. The International press was also onboard, and Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent, Clash Music, Dagens Nyheter, Indie Shuffle and others also loved Hajk.
Hajk have been compared to everything from Phoenix, Dirty Projectors and Grimes to Dire Straits, Belle & Sebastian and Haim, but most of all the band have created their unmistakable sound themselves.
It's been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they're eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. By exploring the possibilities within the genre, they give us a more subtle expression this time. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy uptempo pop songs. This is pop music with an edge, this is catchy melancholy.
2018 will once again be Hajk's year, and soon their new single, "Untouch", is released. A beautiful pop song that almost cries for attention, and that you will hear a lot during the next year.
The daughter of two musicians, Marte Solbakken quit playing music when her family fell apart. She ended up in foster care as a teenager and didn’t play an instrument until more than a decade later when, holed up in a New York blizzard, she picked up her boyfriend’s guitar and penned her first songs.
Realizing that she had reconnected with an essential part of herself, she soon decided to pursue a career in music.
Many songs later, she is releasing her debut EP Maybe This Is All You Can Be under the moniker Lilyer with the help of producer Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls) and mixer Andrew Miller (Kristin Kontrol, Blond Ambition, Dum Dum Girls). Written during a time of much personal turmoil, these soaring dream pop songs carve out their own truth, their own voice. Lilyer is the sound of someone on the verge of breaking free.
Virkelig ga ut singelen «Cecilie» i 2015, og etter å ha kranglet den inn i diverse strømmetjenester, hadde de plutselig gitt ut sin alle første låt. To uker etter slippet var låta kåret til «Ukas Urørt» og listet på NRK P3. Der ble den liggende i hele 38 uker, og den påfølgende sommeren spilte Virkelig på festivaler som Trondheim Calling, Slottsfjell, Pstereo, Parkenfestivalen, Trænafestivalen og Sommerfesten på Giske.
Frøet var mildt sagt sådd, og etter å ha gått og kvernet på tankene om et album, gikk de inn i studio for å starte på prosjektet. Tankene om endring, brutte relasjoner og det som ventet der fremme gjorde at de ville spille inn albumet andre steder enn i Nord-Norge, med folk som ikke snakket deres dialekt, for å få nye impulser, og starte en helt ny prosess. De elsker byen sin og folka der, men de valgte å ta tyren ved hornene og kaste seg inn i det ukjente.
De gikk først inn i studioet ARC i Oslo med Erlend Mokkelbost (Montée, JR Ewing m.m.), før de reiste til Ocean Sound Studio på Giske ved Ålesund og spilte inn resten. Plata er mikset av Anders Bjelland i Broen Studio i Bergen. I november skrev Virkelig under platekontrakt med Jansen Records, samtidig som blev enige om at Timeout Agency gjør booking.
Resultatet har altså blitt til «Lykke til i livet». Et album fylt med storbyangst, gatepop med norske tekster og en skive som viser et ungt rockeband band på vei opp og frem. Et rockeband som tråkker opp stiene etter War on Drugs i kombinasjon mellom det enkle og det store. Hvem sa egentlig at gitarsoloen var død?
Første singel ut er «Ballettdanseren» som slippes på Jansen Records
DARLING WEST IS THE ESSENCE OF NORDIC AMERICANA
The last twelve months of Darling West’s musical career can hardly be described as anything else than fantastic. Since the release of their second album, «Vinyl and a Heartache», they have played concerts all over the world, been listed on the biggest radio channels in Norway and appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US, been played more than three million times on Spotify, been booked to the biggest festivals in Norway, Americanafest in Nashville, Folk Alliance in Kansas City, Eurosonic in Groningen, Holland and won a Norwegian Grammy.
Despite all this, the band have no plans of resting on their acquired laurels, and now they’re releasing their fourth single from the album which is set to be released February 16th, 2018.
They haven't changed much these last twelve months, but you could still hear a new and revitalized Darling West. The band is still playing their sweet americana/country/folk, but there’s a lot more drive in the music and the melodies are catchier than before.
«Loneliness» is the fourth single from their upcoming album. It was recorded with Bård Ingebrigtsen in Amper Tone Studios, Oslo, and was mixed by Marcus Forsgren (Jaga Jazzist).
The band is saying this about the song: «It’s one of those songs that took a very short time to write. Sometimes an idea takes days or weeks to develop, but “Loneliness” was written in an hour or two. It just immediately felt right.
With classic Darling West ingredients such as banjo, pedal steel and heartache, and a killer drum groove pushing it along, it leaves you smiling through your tears».
As mentioned above, the last twelve months have been great, but there’s nothing that indicates that the next twelve won’t be even better.
Hanne Kolstø will be releasing her 8th album in 2018, and here is the second single «Greinene».
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and «Greinene» has a rougher and more hip hop-like sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She’s almost been living a nomadic lifestyle during the last few years, and she enjoys great contrasts, like when she moved from the southern Norwegian idyll Kristiansand to the edge of the sea at Lofoten in the north, or when she moved to Switzerland and then back again to Oslo. Now she commutes between the alps in Sykkylven and the forest cottage in Follo‘s flat terrain. Of course, this rootless existence contributes to colouring her music, and it has given her valuable inspiration throughout her career.
The minimalistic living standard at Hanne‘s present home, in the little cottage by the fjord, without running water or electricity, has apparently helped her even more with getting inspiration, and the songs are pouring out of her at an even more sporadic pace than they’ve done before.
Hanne Kolstø hasn’t «gone hip hop», if anyone should be concerned about that. But her sound is tougher and has a brighter beat, and at the same time the chorus is chilly and irrestistible.This is a change that suits the artist Hanne Kolstø very well. As usual she’s worked with her producer, guitarist and partner Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen – a collaboration that has gone in all directions since her debut album, «Riot Break», from 2011. Together they continue pushing each other and constantly working towards a new album and a new sound.
‘Old songs played again’ someone said, and that’s what Torgeir Waldemar is doing on «Jamais Vu» where he is playing new versions of his old songs. But this isn’t recycling, and we can almost guarantee that you will discover something new in these songs. Both his debut album and the sequel, «No Offending Borders», were praised by national and international press, and the songs soon started to live their own life. Especially for Torgeir Waldemar himself, who continuously played different versions of the songs live, in his rehearsal space and finally in the studio.
‘Jamais vu’ is a lesser known notion than ‘déjà vu’, and its meaning is quite simply the opposite. Where ‘déjà vu’ is a new experience that feels well-known, or it’s as if you’ve experienced that situation before, ‘jamais vu' means that a well-known situation or experience feels unknown or new.
«Songs never stand still, at least not for me. They want to go on. After some years of playing them live, many have moved far away from where their starting point was. That’s why I often experience Jamais Vu and that’s how this release was born», Torgeir Waldemar says.
On «Jamais Vu» you’ll get «Sylvia (Southern People)», «Among the Low» and «Summer In Toulouse» from Torgeir’s latest album, «No Offending Borders», in acoustic versions, and «Streets» and «Take Me Home» from his debut album in electric versions with larger arrangements. You’ve heard the songs before, but you have never heard them like this.
FROM ÅL TO BROOKLYN AND BACK
The last twelve months of Darling West’s musical career can hardly be described as anything else than fantastic. Since the release of their second album, «Vinyl and a Heartache», they have played concerts all over the world, been listed on the biggest radio channels in Norway and appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US, been played more than two and a half million times on Spotify, been booked to the biggest festivals in Norway and Americanafest in Nashville and won a Norwegian Grammy.
Despite all this, the band have no plans of resting on their acquired laurels, and now they’re releasing their third single from the album they plan to release in early 2018.
They haven't changed much these last twelve months, but you could still hear a new and revitalized Darling West. The band are still playing their sweet americana/country/folk, but there’s a lot more drive in the music and the melodies are catchier than before.
«Traveller» is the third single from their upcoming album. It was recorded with Bård Ingebrigtsen in Amper Tone Studios, Oslo, and were mixed by Marcus Forsgren (Jaga Jazzist).
The band are saying this about the song: «Traveller tells the story of a restless soul, who made some choices in the past and are still haunted by them. Most of us entertain that thought sometimes; "What would have happened if...?". But for some it turns out to be a defining moment that they will always carry with them.
The sound is based around Mari and Tor Egil's spine-tingling unison singing and fingerpicked guitars, with Kjetil creating beautiful lines with his pedal steel, weaving in and out of a lush string section.
As mentioned above, the last twelve months have been great, but there’s nothing that indicates that the next twelve won’t be even better.
Band of Gold are back, and they continue where their debut album left off. After their success the last time, it would have been easy to lose the feeling of freedom that made its mark on both the recording and the music. But it was never a risk that this would happen here. Quite the reverse. The band went into the studio and did just what they wanted, and the collaboration between Nina Mortvedt and Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen, AKA the core of Band of Gold, works best when they do just what they lilke.
When Band of Gold released their debut album in autumn 2015, they were a pleasant surprise for many people. Both Nina and Nikolai have spent a long time on the Norwegian music scene, but this was a project they’d worked on in the quiet. When the album was released, though, it was no doubt that this was a band that had the right to live. The positive reviews were many, the fans flocked to their concerts, and the whole thing peaked when they won the Nordic Music Prize during by:Larm 2016, as the first Norwegian artist ever.
But now Band of Gold are no longer a secret. Now there are expectations. And they have been fulfilled.
«Where’s the Magic» is the band’s second album – an album about the passion we all seek and crave for. It’s not hard to find passion in Band of Gold’s songs. It’s on every chord here, and we get a ferocity that the debut album from 2015 didn’t have. On «I Wanna Dance With You Again», the first single from «Where’s the Magic», Mortvedt’s vocals are admirable, and underneath its lovely arrangement we find a pop song that’s completely irresistible.
But the album doesn’t just have grand pop songs. «Where’s the Magic» also contains experimental songs that challenge the listeners, ballads so beautiful that they will bring tears to your eyes, and slow pop songs that will force you to play the album again.
A rock solid sequel, from a band that’s better than ever.
Som andre singel ut fra det kommende albumet «Maktlaus» slipper Daniel Kvammen «Ultraliv» 6. oktober.
Låta er en uptempo og dansbar affære, som sender tankene til både åttitallets britiske synthpop-helter, så vel som mer moderne Oslo-disco og fransk elektronika.
- Hovedpersonen i teksten er en slags femme fatale hentet fra virkeligheten, et faascinerende tilfelle av usikkerhet og et størt ønske om å bli sett. «Ultraliv» er vel en ganske utilslørt speiling av det norske samfunnet anno 2017, om det å leve opp til uvirkelige idealer og urealistiske forventninger, sier Kvammen.
Foruten sitt faste band har Daniel fått med seg blant andre Erlend Mokkelbost (JR Ewing, Montée) på gitar, David Wallumrød (Bjørn Eidsvåg, Marit Larsen) på tangenter og ikke minst Tuva Syvertsen fra selveste Valkyrien Allstars som gjestevokalist, noe han er særdeles fornøyd med.
- Tuva er virkelig en av de råeste folka i norsk musikkliv. Jeg hadde det utrolig moro med å utfordre henne på noe som er såpass utenfor hennes vanlige komfortsone, sier Daniel.
We’re at Broen Studio in Bergen. Øystein Braut, Njål Clementsen, Anders Bjelland and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde have locked into a groove that never seems to stop. Their bodies are swaying in time with the music, their heads are eagerly shaking to the song that’s pumping out of the room, and it seems like they’ll never get out of it. Maybe they don’t want to get out?
It’s a little over a year since Electric Eye released their second album, «Different Sun», and only eight months since their live album, «Live at Blå», came out. But now they’re standing here again, ready to pull you into a new whirlwind of psychedelic and hypnotic rhythms.
Since last time they’ve travelled the world and visited countries like USA, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, Denmark and many more. They’ve been everywhere to play concerts, which is where you really want to experience Electric Eye. Now they’ve brought all of their concerts into the studio, together with all of their experiences and a bunch of new songs. It can’t be anything else than great.
We’re back in Broen Studio, and it’s difficult not to be fascinated. The band will release their third album in November 2017, and now they’re plowing through their new tunes. It sounds like a soundtrack to a movie that hasn’t been made yet, it’s villainy acid prog, it’s ethno jazz, it’s old school hip hop grooves mixed with the easily recognizable Electric Eye sound.
Hanne Kolstø will be releasing her 8th album in 2018, and here is the second single «E vi åleine».
Kolstø is an artist who enjoys to be in constant movement, and «Is» has a rougher and more hip hop-like sound than the songs on her last album, «Fest Blikket». She’s almost been living a nomadic lifestyle during the last few years, and she enjoys great contrasts, like when she moved from the southern Norwegian idyll Kristiansand to the edge of the sea at Lofoten in the north, or when she moved to Switzerland and then back again to Oslo. Now she commutes between the alps in Sykkylven and the forest cottage in Follo‘s flat terrain. Of course, this rootless existence contributes to colouring her music, and it has given her valuable inspiration throughout her career.
The minimalistic living standard at Hanne‘s present home, in the little cottage by the fjord, without running water or electricity, has apparently helped her even more with getting inspiration, and the songs are pouring out of her at an even more sporadic pace than they’ve done before.
Hanne Kolstø hasn’t «gone hip hop», if anyone should be concerned about that. But her sound is tougher and has a brighter beat, and at the same time the chorus is chilly and irrestistible.This is a change that suits the artist Hanne Kolstø very well. As usual she’s worked with her producer, guitarist and partner Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen – a collaboration that has gone in all directions since her debut album, «Riot Break», from 2011. Together they continue pushing each other and constantly working towards a new album and a new sound.
The forthcoming album, «Las Napalmas», is a «to be or not to be» project, both for the listeners and the band. If you throw yourself into its musical whirlwind, which Tobias and Simen from Aiming For Enrike do every time, we’re pretty sure that you soon will catch on as well. Inside it’s atmospheric, it’s staccato, it’s fierce and it’s fascinating. But most of all it’s a lot of fun.
The common denominator for their music has always been energy and explosiveness, and there’s no doubt that you will be served that on «Las Napalmas». Songs like «Nibbloninan Car», «Moustache» and «Lactic Acid Trip» hit you like heavy blows in your midriff. In addition, you get slow and more sonic songs like «Social Window», «Front Runner» and «Hi Ball».
It may not sound like it, since the songs throw you around with infernal power and firm intensity, but Aiming For Enrike is actually only two musicans: One guitar and one drumkit. Even though it may be difficult to believe it – the album was 100% recorded live in the studio, with only those two musicians in one room.
Together, Aiming For Enrike have created their own universe where everything is centered around what happens between the two of them in a rehearsal space, in a studio and on a stage. What you see is what you hear, and what you hear is pure joy. For the listeners and for the band.
The forthcoming album, «Las Napalmas», is a «to be or not to be» project, both for the listeners and the band. If you throw yourself into its musical whirlwind, which Tobias and Simen from Aiming For Enrike do every time, we’re pretty sure that you soon will catch on as well. Inside it’s atmospheric, it’s staccato, it’s fierce and it’s fascinating. But most of all it’s a lot of fun.
The common denominator for their music has always been energy and explosiveness, and there’s no doubt that you will be served that on «Las Napalmas». Songs like «Nibloninan Car», «Moustache» and «Lactic Acid Trip» hit you like heavy blows in your midriff. In addition, you get slow and more sonic songs like «Social Window», «Front Runner» and «Hi Ball».
It may not sound like it, since the songs throw you around with infernal power and firm intensity, but Aiming For Enrike is actually only two musicans: One guitar and one drumkit. Even though it may be difficult to believe it – the album was 100% recorded live in the studio, with only those two musicians in one room.
Together, Aiming For Enrike have created their own universe where everything is centered around what happens between the two of them in a rehearsal space, in a studio and on a stage. What you see is what you hear, and what you hear is pure joy. For the listeners and for the band.
The first single, «Marion Jones», lands midway between the more energetic and the clubby songs on the album. The song is a kind of summary/hotchpotch of what the band stand for.
We’re now starting to see the results of the hard work the boys in Norway’s Death By Unga Bunga have been putting in since their debut album was released in 2010. Following the release of their fourth album Pineapple Pizza in 2016, the band have headlined shows on a coast-to-coast tour of the US, they’ve been riding high in the college radio charts, and they’ve been listed by more than one hundred radio stations in the Americas. Not bad for a small nordic rock band.
Few bands write power-pop songs as compelling and catchy as these guys, and they’re a treat to watch live as well – both for your five and a half year old baby sister and for your mother-in-law at sixty-two.
Soon they will tour the US again as support to the legendary Stiff Little Fingers on their 40th Anniversary Tour. The boys are excited to hit the US interstate again crisscrossing the country as they play to the biggest rooms and crowds they’ve taken the stage for yet on this side of the Atlantic.
But before that, more music will be released. In conjunction with the start of the tour, on September 8th the first taste from their forthcoming album will hit stores with the single “Bye Bye”, to be released as a 7-inch with the title track on side A and “Into the Night” on the B side.
What Death By Unga Bunga are saying this about the songs: “Into the Night”: We’ve been on a life-long quest to show people how NOT to suck, so listen up kids; you might just learn something. After extensive studying of the rock’n’roll cookbook, we found that guitar solos are still really, really cool. We did not hold back on this one.
Etter utgivelsen av det særdeles kritikerroste albumet «Vektlaus», i februar 2017, er Daniel Kvammen klar med ny musikk igjen.
«Som om himmelen revna» er en hjerteskjærende og atmosfærisk kjærlighetssang, som gjestes av Lars Vaular.
- Dette er en låt som jeg har jobbet med i over et år. Akkorder har blitt skiftet ut, arrangementet har blitt endret utallige ganger og i teksten har jeg slått ut som en skulptør. Den har blitt vridd og vendt på helt til den ble akkurat slik jeg ville. «Som om himmelen revna» er låta jeg ikke greide å fri meg fra. Og det er låta som beskriver hvordan det er å gå fra å føle seg vektlaus til å innse at du er maktlaus, sier Daniel Kvammen.
Om bergensrapper Lars Vaulars bidrag på låta har Kvammen følgende å si:
- Lars er en av mine største helter. Og han legger virkelig et av de råeste versene jeg har hørt ham gjøre. Som en storebror som ser ned på en og sier «Ro deg ned, a. Det ordner seg!». Det har gått frysninger nedover ryggen hver gang jeg har hørt verset, fra den første gangen til den dag i dag.
The storm may have temporarily calmed down, but in the studio where the Electric Eye currently resides it still rumbles.
Electric Eye is based in both Bergen and Oslo, but after the success of their sophomore album, «Different Sun», they have now gathered in a remote studio in Bergen to punch and crunch out their new infectious and psychedelic tunes.
Not that the band only has been writing songs for the last twelve months, there was enough buzz around the release of «Different Sun» to keep them o the road of quite a while, and both USA, Japan and most of Europe was duly visited. Music writers from all over the world was also excited, and the reviews were raving.
Electric Eye’s psychedelic rock has taken them many places in the world, but most of all it brings both the band and the listeners to another galaxy, and now they are almost ready to take us on a journey again. «Turn Around, Face the Sun» is a five minute long monster, and it's the first single from their upcoming album. Enjoy!
FROM ÅL TO BROOKLYN AND BACK
The last twelve months of Darling West’s musical career can hardly be described as anything else than fantastic. Since the release of their second album, «Vinyl and a Heartache», they have played concerts all over the world, been listed on the biggest radio channels in Norway and appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US, been played more than two and a half million times on Spo-tify, been booked to the biggest festivals in Norway and Americanafest in Nashville and won a Norwegian Grammy.
Despite all this, the band have no plans of resting on their acquired laurels, and now they’re relea-sing two songs from the album they plan to release in early 2018.
They haven't changed machine these last twelve months, but you could still hear a new and revital-ized Darling West. The band are still playing their sweet americana/country/folk, but there’s a lot more drive in the music and the melodies are catchier than before.
The first taste of their forthcoming album are the singles «While I Was Asleep» and «After My Ti-me». They were recorded with Bård Ingebrigtsen in Amper Tone Studios, Oslo, and were mixed by Marcus Forsgren (Jaga Jazzist).
The band are saying this about the songs: «While I Was Asleep» was begun in Brooklyn and fin-ished in the Ål mountains. A song where Mari’s pop sense created the lovely chorus, with elements of light country-psychedelia in the rest of the song. «After My Time» is one of the few songs we have written in our apartment in Oslo. It does something to you when you read about human desti-nies and experiences you hardly can imagine. It’s difficult to take in, but at the same time it’s im-portant to not shut it out.
As mentioned above, the last twelve months have been great, but there’s nothing that indicates that the next twelve won’t be even better.
FROM ÅL TO BROOKLYN AND BACK
The last twelve months of Darling West’s musical career can hardly be described as anything else than fantastic. Since the release of their second album, «Vinyl and a Heartache», they have played concerts all over the world, been listed on the biggest radio channels in Norway and appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US, been played more than two and a half million times on Spo-tify, been booked to the biggest festivals in Norway and Americanafest in Nashville and won a Norwegian Grammy.
Despite all this, the band have no plans of resting on their acquired laurels, and now they’re relea-sing two songs from the album they plan to release in early 2018.
They haven't changed machine these last twelve months, but you could still hear a new and revital-ized Darling West. The band are still playing their sweet americana/country/folk, but there’s a lot more drive in the music and the melodies are catchier than before.
The first taste of their forthcoming album are the singles «While I Was Asleep» and «After My Ti-me». They were recorded with Bård Ingebrigtsen in Amper Tone Studios, Oslo, and were mixed by Marcus Forsgren (Jaga Jazzist).
The band are saying this about the songs: «While I Was Asleep» was begun in Brooklyn and fin-ished in the Ål mountains. A song where Mari’s pop sense created the lovely chorus, with elements of light country-psychedelia in the rest of the song. «After My Time» is one of the few songs we have written in our apartment in Oslo. It does something to you when you read about human desti-nies and experiences you hardly can imagine. It’s difficult to take in, but at the same time it’s im-portant to not shut it out.
As mentioned above, the last twelve months have been great, but there’s nothing that indicates that the next twelve won’t be even better.
«Is» is the first single from Hannes upcoming album (due February 2018), and it is going to throw you up and down with its infectious beat and catchy chorus.
She still sings in Norwegian, but this time her sound is a bit more rough, edgy and hiphop-y.
Play it loud!
Torgeir Waldemar took the Norwegian people and music press by surprise with his eponymous debut album in 2014. Who had thought that the black-clad, longhaired and bearded man would deliver an album that captivated and moved us as much as it did. An acoustic masterpiece that sounded like it came straight from the rehearsal room of a young troubadour from Laurel Canyon in the seventies.
While his previous album cultivated a pure, acoustic sound, we get more rock music this time, and for Torgeir Waldemar nothing is more natural. With his background as a guitar hero in various rock bands, it was only a question of time before distorted tones would assert themselves in his solo career. «No Offending Borders» is a gloriously composite work with both dead honest acoustic laments and grandiose rock songs.
«Island Bliss» is a beautiful acoustic ballad, which tells a story of loss and despair, and if you can’t feel the pain while listening to this song, you should probably go see a doctor.
Hajk’s debut album is being released by Jansen Plateproduksjon in February, and after the great success with debut single "Magazine" (Premiere on «Noisey» (US), «Indieshuffle» (UK), «Dagens Nyheter» (Sve), they follow up with the perfect pop gem: "Best Friend".
"Best Friend" is the first song the band wrote together and it’s a simple and in-your-face pop song. They wanted to create a song that both sounded modern and tight, but also with a little 80's vibe, referring to their childhood music. Somehow they've managed very well. This is a song about close friends who maybe expects too much of each other, and get to the point where it finally falls apart.
Considering that they’re such a fresh band, Hajk have been surprisingly quick to adjust them-selves. Not long after they entered the door to their rehearsal space, they played at Slottsfjellfesti-valen, Øyafestivalen and by:Larm. They were listed on radio before they left the stage at those festivals, and now they’re here – with a brand-new record contract and a brace of songs that any band would be jealous of.
Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals, while Johan Nord (drums), Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik (bass) og Einar Næss Haugeth (keys) completes the backbone of the band. Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern pop/rock landscape, with an em-phasis on very strong melodies. The band are influenced by artists like Dirty Projec-tors, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Amason, but still they stand firmly on their own feet, with an original sound that also challenges the genre they belong to.
Lilyer is the stage name of Marte Solbakken, a Norwegian musician living in L.A. Formerly a songwriting member of alt rock outfit WATERS and singer of the San Francisco band Elskling, Solbakken has been working on what would become Lilyer across years and continents.
On a hilltop in San Francisco, in a van touring the U.S., in Oslo during the sunlit summer months and in an attic overlooking the ocean on Norway’s southern coast, the first Lilyer songs were written, a musical quest for belonging in a transient existence.
– I played music growing up but quit as a teenager after I going through some big changes, says Solbakken.
– When I started writing songs it was as if I had rediscovered an essential part of myself. It still feels that way.
Lilyer’s debut EP, «I Was On Your Side», was recorded in downtown L.A. with producer Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes.
Dreamy and soaring pop music for the downcast, Lilyer’s songs reach for their own truth, their own voice. Lilyer is the sound of someone on the verge of breaking free.
Etter et eventyrlig 2015, hvor hitsingelen «Du fortenar ein som meg» og det tre ganger Spellemann-nominerte albumet «Fremad i alle retninga» for alvor plasserte Daniel Kvammen på det norske artistkartet, er geilingen klar med ny musikk.
«Me dansar ikkje for moro skyld» er en like deler oppløftende og melankolsk låt, hvor det er tydelig at Kvammen og produsent Even Ormestad (Jaga Jazzist, a-ha, m.fl.) har latt seg inspirere av popmusikk av mer elektronisk art siden sist.
- Låta handler om stemninga som oppstår når en hel by møtes på et dansegulv mot slutten av en lang uke, på jakt etter kjærligheten. Kall det gjerne euforisk melankoli, sier Daniel Kvammen.
Torgeir Waldemar took the Norwegians and Norway’s music media by surprise with his eponymous debut album in 2014. Who’d have thought that the dark-clad, long haired and bearded man was going to deliver an album that would bewitch and fascinate us. An acoustic masterpiece, it was as if it had been created in the rehearsal room of a young troubadour from Laurel Canyon circa 1970.
While his last album cultivated a pure, acoustic expression, this time Torgeir Waldemar has adopted more powerful measures. And nothing is more natural for him. With his many years as a guitar hero in various rock bands, it was just a question of time before distorted notes also would manifest themselves in his solo career. «No Offending Borders» is a gloriously composite work, spanning from honest, acoustic laments to grandiose rock songs.
«Bottom of the Well», the album’s second single, is now out on Jansen Plateproduksjon. Torgeir Waldemar gives his listeners a bleak and violent song, and he says this about it: «Bottom of the Well» describes a situation where you notice that the end is nigh. When you know you’re standing on the platform waiting for the last train that will take you to the other side, where you will find peace. Phew.
Here Torgeir Waldemar returns to the sound of his debut and shows that he still has the ability to write slow, quiet songs that nevertheless tugs at your heartstrings. Hold on.
- This is Torgeir Waldemars long awaited follow-up to his magnificent debut album.
- While his debut was an all acoustic, beautiful folk record, «No Offending Borders» also has some loud rock songs, as well as the familiar folk songs.
- The single «Summer In Toulouse» is a Neil Young-inspired, loud rocker.
- Torgeir Waldemar is inspired by the Laurel Canyon scene in California in the 70's, great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, and more contemporary rock.
- Torgeir Waldemar was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy for his debut album
- This is Torgeir Waldemars long awaited follow-up to his magnificent debut album.
- While his debut was an all acoustic, beautiful folk record, «No Offending Borders» also has some loud rock songs, as well as the familiar folk songs.
- The single «Summer In Toulouse» is a Neil Young-inspired, loud rocker.
- Torgeir Waldemar is inspired by the Laurel Canyon scene in California in the 70's, great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, and more contemporary rock.
- Torgeir Waldemar was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy for his debut album
It’s time for another debutant at Jansen Plateproduksjon, and we’re proud of presenting Hajk as the newest member of our family. The Oslo band have so far released three singles, and their debut album will finally be let loose on the masses during spring 2017.
But relax, there will be more music from the band before that time. Their single «Common Sense» have been played at various radio stations during the past months, and the band are finally ready to release their new single, the “complete” pop song, «Magazine».
Considering that they’re such a fresh band, Hajk have been surprisingly quick to adjust themselves. Not long after they entered the door to their rehearsal space, they played at Slottsfjellfestivalen, Øyafestivalen and by:Larm. They were listed on radio before they left the stage at those festivals, and now they’re here – with a brand-new record contract and a brace of songs that any band would be jealous of.
Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals. Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern pop/rock landscape, with an emphasis on very strong melodies. The band are influenced by artists like Dirty Projectors, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Amason, but still they stand firmly on their own feet, with an original sound that also challenges the genre they belong to.
«Magazine» is a pop song that we guarantee you will hum along to from now on. Mark my words.
Released by Jansen Plateproduksjon on 4 November.
Hanne Kolstø has always been an artist who makes her own choices, and with «Fest Blikket» she once again makes an unexpected one. But this isn’t a daring thing to do for an artist like Hanne Kolstø. She’s always had blind faith in her own musical expression, and she’s landing firmly on her own feet this time as well. Of course she does.
This will be her second full length album this year, but while she took apart her old songs and gave them an acoustic wrapping on her last album, «Live at Tøyenkirken», she’s made a return to electronic music on «Fest Blikket». This time, though, the lyrics are in Norwegian.
Hanne Kolstø has always been an artist who makes her own choices, and with «Fest Blikket» she once again makes an unexpected one. But this isn’t a daring thing to do for an artist like Hanne Kolstø. She’s always had blind faith in her own musical expression, and she’s landing firmly on her own feet this time as well. Of course she does.
This will be her second full length album this year, but while she took apart her old songs and gave them an acoustic wrapping on her last album, «Live at Tøyenkirken», she’s made a return to electronic music on «Fest Blikket». This time, though, the lyrics are in Norwegian.
First pressings of 45's only. Very douchy. Track listing will come when I have time to write it down.
Note: Ebb Tide is really the last song. I was drunk and wanted to hear a couple of songs again before I had to switch of. ehrm...
Kråkesølv er fra Bodø, og det legger de heller ikke skjul på. Rock, norske tekster, og store radiosingler. Dette er stikkord du har hørt om bandet tidligere, men nå slipper de sitt femte album og det er på tide å gjøre noe nytt.
«Lenge sia» sist er Kråkesølvs andre singel fra bandets femte fullengder som slippes 30. september. Teksten er bygd rundt hverdagsfraser, og har en tematikk som det er lett å kjenne seg igjen i. Vokalens noe oppgitte karakter står i kontrast til resten av lydbildet som energisk driver på og intensiveres utover i låten. I likhet med Kråkesølvs første singel Pangea hører man at produsent Lars Horntveth har gjort mer enn å luske rundt i kulissene.
Mye av grunnen til at Kråkesølv nå tar en litt annen retning enn de har gjort tidligere, er nettopp produsent Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør). I tillegg til å produsere bidrar han også selv på flere måter, både med gode råd, som motivator og på instrumenter som piano, mellotron og vibrafon. Horntveth har gjennom hele innspillingsprosessen også lurt rundt i kulissene med kaffen på kok og med glødende heiarop.
Tekstene har ellers det samme melankolske tilsnittet som har preget universet til Kråkesølv siden debutalbumet, og fortsetter å trekke tråder mellom det mellommenneskelige og universelle.
You can’t deny that there’s something sorrowful about the music of the Norwegian band Chain Wallet, but beneath the heavy layers of synth and reverb, you will find pop gold in its purest form.
The band are due to release the second single from their forthcoming debut album, and «Faded Fight» is another highlight in a long line of great, dreamy pop songs from Chain Wallet.
The band is a breath of fresh air in today’s Norwegian music scene, and their gloomy but catchy pop songs are a good introduction to the band. Even though Chain Wallet don’t have many genre colleagues in Norway, the band easily joins the ranks behind international indie greats like Wild Nothing, Twin Shadow, Diiv and Beach Fossils.
The band say this about «Faded Fight»: In a blog, someone called our lyrics «nonsensical», and the mantra «can't you see – we're not making any sense at all» is a comment on this careless remark. It’s not a love song but a portrayal of a romantic failure. It’s the record’s most to-the-point pop song, with an uplifting chorus that is a stark contrast to the romantic failure that’s being lyrically depicted. The main character has begun reaching for the moon, and we are giving the couple in the song two more weeks, maybe.
«Muted Colours», the first single from their forthcoming debut album, recieved more than 90.000 plays in just two weeks, and right now everything is pointing upwards for Chain Wallet. «Faded Fight» is available digitally from August 17th, and the album «Chain Wallet» will be released on 7 October.
2016 looks like being DBUB’s most prolific year so far. They released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», in March, and September 9th they will re-issue their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», and simultaneously issue four brand new songs on the EP «Fight!». Three releases in one year should justify a few pats on the back, but still the band have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
A common misconception is that DBUB are leaning heavily on the retro rock trend, and in particular good old garage rock. It’s been a while since the boys listed The Sonics as their main source of inspiration, and people who have followed the band the last couple of years obviously know that they’ve grown to become one of Norway’s best power pop/-rock bands. And let it be said: Not many bands make cooler riffs and choruses than DBUB right now.
After «Pineapple Pizza» was released earlier this year, the band have mainly been on the road, and especially in the US. The Americans welcomed them with open arms, and they were added by more than one hundred radio stations. This made them one of the most played bands on American college radio. Their fans are screaming for more, and that’s just what DBUB intend to give them!
On «Fight!» you get four new songs, with the guitar distorted to the max and with melodies that you’re guaranteed to sing along to at your next party. The EP’s title do not describe the band’s love for fist fights or meaningless quarrels, but it’s rather a tribute to the fight for quality music. Because quality music exists, and DBUB is a steady supplier of just that.
CRUSHED DREAMS AND ENDLESS DESPAIR
You can’t deny that there’s something sorrowful about the music of the Norwegian band Chain Wallet, but beneath the heavy layers of synth and reverb, you will find pop gold in its purest form.
The band is a breath of fresh air in today’s Norwegian music scene, and their gloomy but catchy pop songs are a good introduction to the band. Even though Chain Wallet don’t have many genre colleagues in Norway, the band easily joins the ranks behind international indie greats like Wild Nothing, Twin Shadow and Washed Out.
These days Chain Wallet are working intensively on their debut album, but to give people a taster of what they have in store, we already now release the band’s first single, «Muted Colours». The simple guitar picking and the nostalgic synth textures make the song perfect for the summer days when you just want to float over the city, or dance yourself sweaty in a dark basement. You may call it romantic post-punk.
On this song the band show their absolute strength, which isn’t just writing songs that unavoidably stick to your cerebellum, but also erase the divide between sorrow and happiness. You will be left with a feeling of both nostalgia and pensiveness, at the same time as you’re damned happy. That’s the impact good music should have.
Kråkesølv våkner til liv igjen!
Kråkesølv er fra Bodø, og det legger de heller ikke skjul på. Rock, nors-ke tekster, og store radiosingler. Dette er stikkord du har hørt om bandet tidligere, men nå slipper de sitt femte album og det er på tide å gjøre noe nytt.
«Pangea» er første singelen fra det kommende albumet, og viser et band som fortsatt kan skrive «anthems» på norsk, og som lett kan funke både på store festivalscener og mindre bygdefester. Musikken til Kråkesølv er fortsatt forankret i to gitarer, bass, trommer og tekster på dialekt, men denne gangen har de tvunget seg selv til å male med en bredere pensel. A-siden er kontant og catchy indiepop, mens B-siden, «Vi», viser et band som utfordrer de satte rammene, og beveger seg inn i landskap som blant andre Dungen og Radiohead har pløyd opp tidligere. Men, som alltid lander Kråkesølv trygt på egne nordnorske bein.
Mye av grunnen til at Kråkesølv nå tar en litt annen retning enn de har gjort tidligere, er produsent Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør). I tillegg til å produsere bidrar han også selv på flere måter, både med gode råd, som motivator og på instrumenter som piano, mel-lotron og vibrafon. Horntveth har gjennom hele innspillingsprosessen også lurt rundt i kulissene med kaffen på kok og med glødende heiarop.
Tekstene har ellers det samme melankolske tilsnittet som har preget universet til Kråkesølv siden debutalbumet, og fortsetter å trekke tråder mellom det mellommenneskelige og universelle.
Det nye albumet gis ut på Jansen Plateproduksjon 30. september 2016.
Kråkesølv våkner til liv igjen!
Kråkesølv er fra Bodø, og det legger de heller ikke skjul på. Rock, nors-ke tekster, og store radiosingler. Dette er stikkord du har hørt om bandet tidligere, men nå slipper de sitt femte album og det er på tide å gjøre noe nytt.
«Pangea» er første singelen fra det kommende albumet, og viser et band som fortsatt kan skrive «anthems» på norsk, og som lett kan funke både på store festivalscener og mindre bygdefester. Musikken til Kråkesølv er fortsatt forankret i to gitarer, bass, trommer og tekster på dialekt, men denne gangen har de tvunget seg selv til å male med en bredere pensel. A-siden er kontant og catchy indiepop, mens B-siden, «Vi», viser et band som utfordrer de satte rammene, og beveger seg inn i landskap som blant andre Dungen og Radiohead har pløyd opp tidligere. Men, som alltid lander Kråkesølv trygt på egne nordnorske bein.
Mye av grunnen til at Kråkesølv nå tar en litt annen retning enn de har gjort tidligere, er produsent Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør). I tillegg til å produsere bidrar han også selv på flere måter, både med gode råd, som motivator og på instrumenter som piano, mel-lotron og vibrafon. Horntveth har gjennom hele innspillingsprosessen også lurt rundt i kulissene med kaffen på kok og med glødende heiarop.
Tekstene har ellers det samme melankolske tilsnittet som har preget universet til Kråkesølv siden debutalbumet, og fortsetter å trekke tråder mellom det mellommenneskelige og universelle.
Det nye albumet gis ut på Jansen Plateproduksjon 30. september 2016.
One grand piano. One voice. It usually doesn’t take more to send shivers down your spine. At least when the artist is called Hanne Kolstø and has a songbook that surpasses many others’. The extremely prolific singer-songwriter and producer from Sykkylven has in five years released five albums with her innovative pop music. Now she’s gathering some of her compositions and releasing the closest you’ll get to a “Best of Hanne Kolstø” album. In acoustic versions from the altar at the Tøyen church in Oslo.
Hanne Kolstø has released music under her own name since 2011, and has in a short time managed to establish herself as one of the most original and exciting artists at the Norwegian music scene. She’s been nominated to the Spellemannprisen award three times, and during the last few years she’s toured in Europe and the US. Her fifth and so far latest album, While We Still Have Light, was released in November 2015 and received rave reviews. "Kolstø is not following a hit formula, only her heart,” wrote Vårt Land about the album. A truth that applies to the whole of Hanne Kolstø’s career.
Live at Tøyenkirken was recorded and mixed by Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen during the autumn 2015 and will be released by Jansen Plateproduksjon on 22 April.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely.
When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.
We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»
Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977.
Said about Undergrünnen: 5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.
Second single from the upcoming Electric Eye album "Different Sun".
/////////////////////////
ELECTRIC EYE – DIFFERENT SUN
January, 2015: A new year’s hurricane is ravaging Bergen. Its aftermath rips and tears into the Western Norwegian town for a week. In Broen Studio, where Electric Eye are plugged in, the walls constantly shake from lightning, thunder, violent downpours and wind. It probably isn’t a coincidence that “Different Sun”, album number two from the quartet, is a record full of fickle and dramatic energy. It’s veritably crackling from fuzz guitars and psychedelic organs. Electric Eye have definitely landed. In the eye of the hurricane.
Through 40 minutes the listener is this time taken on seven journeys, all drenched in tape echo, sitar sounds, backwards guitar solos, bongos and monotonous fuzz bass. A dynamic rollercoaster where the landscape soon fluctuates between open and calm desert moods, and then suddenly ignites the rocket engines and leaves the atmosphere once and for all. The Bergen-based group, consisting of Øystein Braut (guitar, vocals), Njål Clementsen (bass), Anders Bjelland (keyboards) and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde (drums), are thus following up their debut album “Pick-up, Lift-up, Space, Time” from 2013 in a brilliant way.
That the phrase “the journey is the goal” may seem tired doesn’t make it less truthful. For Electric Eye this is the fundament for their musical existence. Long musical journeys in wide landscapes where the moods and the overwhelming, absorbing and repeating themes play a key role. As a listener you have two choices: either you’re with it, or you leave it. With «Different Sun» on the turntable, the choice is easy.
Electric Eye’s own journey must be considered to be modest seen from a universal perspective, but with the members’ previous experiences from solid musical projects like The Megaphonic Thrift, The Low Frequency in Stereo, Hypertext, The Alexandria Quartet and Junip, the quartet have built for themselves ia well-constructed spaceship. «Different Sun» was mixed and mastered in Duper Studio by the honoured Jørgen Træen, so it sounds beautiful.
After their debut album the quartet received a lot of attention, especially from abroad. The music press and the bloggers were effusive in their praise of the band, who turned up on many best-of-the-year lists and were played a lot on radio stations in the USA, England, Argentina, Mexico, Holland, Denmark and Belgium. Electric Eye have drawn notice as a live band, too. Since 2013 they’ve toured both Europe and the USA, plus participated in music biz conferences like Eurosonic, SXSW, The Great Escape, Iceland Airwaves and the Spot Festival in Denmark. The response has been overwhelming – the biggest coming from the psychedelic music scene, who in every way have had their eyes and ears opened to the band.
It’s fully possible to hear traces of the golden psychedelic reveries of the 60s and the lyrical and scenic progrock of the 70s in Electric Eye’s music. A dose of motoric, German sounds must be mentioned, plus Indian drone music. But «Different Sun» is first and foremost proof of Electric Eye as a band who in every way are present in the moment, where they guide the listeners on a perpetual musical journey full of surprises. Fasten your seatbelts and look for a different sun!
Different Sun will be released on Jansen Plateproduksjon, 5 February, 2016.
Taster from the upcoming Death By Unga Bunga album, "Pineapple Pizza". Out 4th march 2016.
Second single from the upcoming Electric Eye album "Different Sun".
/////////////////////////
ELECTRIC EYE – DIFFERENT SUN
January, 2015: A new year’s hurricane is ravaging Bergen. Its aftermath rips and tears into the Western Norwegian town for a week. In Broen Studio, where Electric Eye are plugged in, the walls constantly shake from lightning, thunder, violent downpours and wind. It probably isn’t a coincidence that “Different Sun”, album number two from the quartet, is a record full of fickle and dramatic energy. It’s veritably crackling from fuzz guitars and psychedelic organs. Electric Eye have definitely landed. In the eye of the hurricane.
Through 40 minutes the listener is this time taken on seven journeys, all drenched in tape echo, sitar sounds, backwards guitar solos, bongos and monotonous fuzz bass. A dynamic rollercoaster where the landscape soon fluctuates between open and calm desert moods, and then suddenly ignites the rocket engines and leaves the atmosphere once and for all. The Bergen-based group, consisting of Øystein Braut (guitar, vocals), Njål Clementsen (bass), Anders Bjelland (keyboards) and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde (drums), are thus following up their debut album “Pick-up, Lift-up, Space, Time” from 2013 in a brilliant way.
That the phrase “the journey is the goal” may seem tired doesn’t make it less truthful. For Electric Eye this is the fundament for their musical existence. Long musical journeys in wide landscapes where the moods and the overwhelming, absorbing and repeating themes play a key role. As a listener you have two choices: either you’re with it, or you leave it. With «Different Sun» on the turntable, the choice is easy.
Electric Eye’s own journey must be considered to be modest seen from a universal perspective, but with the members’ previous experiences from solid musical projects like The Megaphonic Thrift, The Low Frequency in Stereo, Hypertext, The Alexandria Quartet and Junip, the quartet have built for themselves ia well-constructed spaceship. «Different Sun» was mixed and mastered in Duper Studio by the honoured Jørgen Træen, so it sounds beautiful.
After their debut album the quartet received a lot of attention, especially from abroad. The music press and the bloggers were effusive in their praise of the band, who turned up on many best-of-the-year lists and were played a lot on radio stations in the USA, England, Argentina, Mexico, Holland, Denmark and Belgium. Electric Eye have drawn notice as a live band, too. Since 2013 they’ve toured both Europe and the USA, plus participated in music biz conferences like Eurosonic, SXSW, The Great Escape, Iceland Airwaves and the Spot Festival in Denmark. The response has been overwhelming – the biggest coming from the psychedelic music scene, who in every way have had their eyes and ears opened to the band.
It’s fully possible to hear traces of the golden psychedelic reveries of the 60s and the lyrical and scenic progrock of the 70s in Electric Eye’s music. A dose of motoric, German sounds must be mentioned, plus Indian drone music. But «Different Sun» is first and foremost proof of Electric Eye as a band who in every way are present in the moment, where they guide the listeners on a perpetual musical journey full of surprises. Fasten your seatbelts and look for a different sun!
Different Sun will be released on Jansen Plateproduksjon, 5 February, 2016.
Second single of Atlanter's upcoming album, "Jewels of Crime". Out 22. january.
ATLANTER: JEWELS OF CRIME
Atlanter washed over Norway like a monster wave in 2013. Their debut album, Vidde, became a favourite among both record buyers and critics, with its beautiful and natural mix of African desert blues, American delta blues and German “motorik” from the 70s. “Vidde blues” was a new and self-made term at that time - a term that summed up the quartet’s wish of uniting music from several corners of the world in “norwegianized” and timeless attire. They fully succeeded. “Atlanter are a straightforward pleasure”, the NME wrote about their debut album. With a Norwegian «Grammy» nomination and several high positions in some critics’ summaries of the music year 2013, we’re allowed to have high expectations. The Atlanter wave is here again.
«Jewels of Crime» is both a natural sequel and a long step forward for the quartet. An album that Atlanter have spent three long years recording, but that really has provided musical gems. Arild Hammerø (guitar, vocal), Jens J Carelius Krogsveen (guitar, vocal), Jonas Barsten (drums) and Morten Kvam (bass) have all the time kept and developed their astounding knack for improvisation, their joy of playing and their intuitive musical understanding, which also in a live setting is central to the band’s sound. They’re proving on «Jewels of Crime» that they also master the art of songwriting completely.
– Before the studio recordings, we listened to loads of jams and rehearsals, picking out compositions, intensity and, not least, ensemble playing, which we thought could become songs. I think we had up to 250 recordings which altogether formed the basis of the songs. Because that’s still the key to why this band works so well: People with different approaches and musical tastes who love playing together, Jens J Carelius Krogsveen says.
The album was recorded at Engfelt & Forsgrens Studio, Brageveien Studio, ARC and Pooka Studios in Oslo plus Ocean Sound Recordings at Giske outside of Ålesund. So it’s not just in the music that the band’s restless and nomadic nature emerges. The mixing was done in New York by Abe Seiferth, known for his work with dissimilar artists like Yeasayer, Ornette Coleman and Simian Mobile Disco. Among the album’s guests we find the group Imarhan from Mali, with Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane a.k.a. Sadam on vocals. Sadam is also known as the singer in Tinariwen’s live line-up. On the track «Jareeze», another Jansen artist appears: Hanne Kolstø on vocals. The album was produced by Erlend Mokkelbost and Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen.
– The title "Jewels of Crime" deals with these thematics: “Even though things are shiny, it doesn’t mean they’re working". We wanted to present such an old-fashioned thing like a rock band in a kitschy, glossy and gaudy universe, Krogsveen says.
Jewels of Crime will be released on Jansen Plateproduksjon on 22 January 2016.
First single from Atlanter's upcoming album, Jewels of Crime. Out 22. january 2016.
Atlanter washed over Norway like a monster wave in 2013. Their debut album, Vidde, became a favourite among both record buyers and critics, with its beautiful and natural mix of African desert blues, American delta blues and German “motorik” from the 70s. “Vidde blues” was a new and self-made term at that time - a term that summed up the quartet’s wish of uniting music from several corners of the world in “norwegianized” and timeless attire. They fully succeeded. “Atlanter are a straightforward pleasure”, the NME wrote about their debut album. With a Norwegian «Grammy» nomination and several high positions in some critics’ summaries of the music year 2013, we’re allowed to have high expectations. The Atlanter wave is here again.
Dagbladet hadde nylig låten, ”Skjønne du ingenting” som årets 5 beste låt i verden, og skrev følgende, ”Et høydepunkt på et knalltøft debutalbum fra Haugesundband som mikser primitiv rock, garasjerock, afrobeat og krautrock. Den suggerende musikken til powertrioen har et voldsomt driv, og du blir revet med enten du vil eller ei. Skjønne du?”
Her har vi laget en kortere versjon av låta med høyere vokal som også gjør låten radiovennlig og enda mer konsentrert krutt!
5/6 Primitiv psychrock og garasjerock møter afrobeat og krautrock? Malis Tinariwen møter svenske Dungen eller Nationalteatern? Wunderkammer møter The Low Frequency in Stereo? Som bandet sier et eller annet sted: Enten må du danse eller slåss. Jansen Plateproduksjon viser usedvanlig god teft igjen, og her kan de notere seg for det tøffeste norske debutalbumet så langt i år! – Dagbladet
5/6 ”en hektisk, energisk form for rock'n'roll, med gitarspill som kan minne om intens jazz, og rytmer som har vært ute og reist i Afrika…Undergrunnen er først og fremst et helhetlig uttrykk, som trenger seg på, og imponerer med sin intense overbevisning.” - Dagsavisen
5/6 ”Denne kombinasjonen av høyt tempo, god støyfaktor, elleville rytmer og ubehøvlet musikalsk atferd er ekstremt energisk og oppslukende.” – Bergens Tidende
9/10 ”Undergrünnen er det mest spennende som har skjedd norsk gitarbasert musikk i 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag
6/6: Livekonsert- Høvleriet Haugesund: Fantastisk, Flott og Rått! Sannelig tror jeg dette blir årets konsert! Høyoktan psych-garasjerock med en vokalist som spytter ut ordene som en forvokst tenåringsrebell,…han sparker beinet i luften, forsvinner ut blant publikum før han fyker opp igjen og kjører på! - Haugesunds Avis
”I Had a Dream Last Night” is an exclusive non-album single that follows up this year’s debut LP Narcissus. It’s a great orchestral popsong and the single includes remixes by Gold Celeste and LoveLoveLove.
Buy/stream I Had A Dream Last Night Here: Spotify: bit.ly/IHadADreamSPOTIFY Tidal: bit.ly/IHadADreamLastTIDAL iTunes/Applemusic: bit.ly/IHadADreamITUNES
Buy/stream Narcissus here: www.phonofile.link/narcissus
”I Had a Dream Last Night” is an exclusive non-album single that follows up this year’s debut LP Narcissus. It’s a great orchestral popsong and the single includes remixes by Gold Celeste and LoveLoveLove.
Buy/stream I Had A Dream Last Night Here: Spotify: bit.ly/IHadADreamSPOTIFY Tidal: bit.ly/IHadADreamLastTIDAL iTunes/Applemusic: bit.ly/IHadADreamITUNES
Buy/stream Narcissus here: www.phonofile.link/narcissus
”I Had a Dream Last Night” is an exclusive non-album single that follows up this year’s debut LP Narcissus. It’s a great orchestral popsong and the single includes remixes by Gold Celeste and LoveLoveLove.
Buy/stream I Had A Dream Last Night Here: Spotify: bit.ly/IHadADreamSPOTIFY Tidal: bit.ly/IHadADreamLastTIDAL iTunes/Applemusic: bit.ly/IHadADreamITUNES
Buy/stream Narcissus here: www.phonofile.link/narcissus
”I Had a Dream Last Night” is an exclusive non-album single that follows up this year’s debut LP Narcissus. It’s a great orchestral popsong and the single includes remixes by Gold Celeste and LoveLoveLove.
Buy/stream I Had A Dream Last Night Here: Spotify: bit.ly/IHadADreamSPOTIFY Tidal: bit.ly/IHadADreamLastTIDAL iTunes/Applemusic: bit.ly/IHadADreamITUNES
Buy/stream Narcissus here: www.phonofile.link/narcissus
Med den P3-listede julesingelen «23. desember» runder Daniel Kvammen av et innholdsrikt år med høydepunkter som slipp av det kritikerroste debutalbumet «Fremad i alle retninga», gullplate for singelen «Du fortenar ein som meg», en fullstappet festivalsommer samt TV-opptredener på «Senkveld» (TV2), «Lindmo» (NRK) og VG-lista fra Rådhusplassen (NRK).
-
Låta ble skrevet for to år siden, da jeg ble bedt om å covre en julelåt. Jeg satt og øvde på et par låtalternativer da melodien og åpningslinja plutselig kom til meg. Ti minutter senere satt jeg med en helt nykomponert låt, sier Kvammen.
-
«23. desember» er en veldig ærlig og kanskje litt mørkere låt enn det en forbinder med den gjengse julemusikken. Men den er en veldig reell gjengivelse av en del av jula slik jeg kjenner den, utdyper Kvammen.
Singelen er produsert av Daniel Kvammen selv, mens Nils Wingerei er tekniker og har mikset låten.
Singelen slippes 29. november via Jansen Plateproduksjon
First single of Electric Eye's new album "Different Sun". Out 5th February, 2016.
//////////
January, 2015: A new year’s hurricane is ravaging Bergen. Its aftermath rips and tears into the Western Norwegian town for a week. In Broen Studio, where Electric Eye are plugged in, the walls constantly shake from lightning, thunder, violent downpours and wind. It probably isn’t a coincidence that “Different Sun”, album number two from the quartet, is a record full of fickle and dramatic energy. It’s veritably crackling from fuzz guitars and psychedelic organs. Electric Eye have definitely landed. In the eye of the hurricane.
Through 40 minutes the listener is this time taken on seven journeys, all drenched in tape echo, sitar sounds, backwards guitar solos, bongos and monotonous fuzz bass. A dynamic rollercoaster where the landscape soon fluctuates between open and calm desert moods, and then suddenly ignites the rocket engines and leaves the atmosphere once and for all. The Bergen-based group, consisting of Øystein Braut (guitar, vocals), Njål Clementsen (bass), Anders Bjelland (keyboards) and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde (drums), are thus following up their debut album “Pick-up, Lift-up, Space, Time” from 2013 in a brilliant way.
That the phrase “the journey is the goal” may seem tired doesn’t make it less truthful. For Electric Eye this is the fundament for their musical existence. Long musical journeys in wide landscapes where the moods and the overwhelming, absorbing and repeating themes play a key role. As a listener you have two choices: either you’re with it, or you leave it. With «Different Sun» on the turntable, the choice is easy.
Electric Eye’s own journey must be considered to be modest seen from a universal perspective, but with the members’ previous experiences from solid musical projects like The Megaphonic Thrift, The Low Frequency in Stereo, Hypertext, The Alexandria Quartet and Junip, the quartet have built for themselves ia well-constructed spaceship. «Different Sun» was mixed and mastered in Duper Studio by the honoured Jørgen Træen, so it sounds beautiful.
After their debut album the quartet received a lot of attention, especially from abroad. The music press and the bloggers were effusive in their praise of the band, who turned up on many best-of-the-year lists and were played a lot on radio stations in the USA, England, Argentina, Mexico, Holland, Denmark and Belgium. Electric Eye have drawn notice as a live band, too. Since 2013 they’ve toured both Europe and the USA, plus participated in music biz conferences like Eurosonic, SXSW, The Great Escape, Iceland Airwaves and the Spot Festival in Denmark. The response has been overwhelming – the biggest coming from the psychedelic music scene, who in every way have had their eyes and ears opened to the band.
It’s fully possible to hear traces of the golden psychedelic reveries of the 60s and the lyrical and scenic progrock of the 70s in Electric Eye’s music. A dose of motoric, German sounds must be mentioned, plus Indian drone music. But «Different Sun» is first and foremost proof of Electric Eye as a band who in every way are present in the moment, where they guide the listeners on a perpetual musical journey full of surprises. Fasten your seatbelts and look for a different sun!
Different Sun will be released on Jansen Plateproduksjon, 5 February, 2016.
Death By Unga Bunga is a garage rock band from Moss, Norway. The band’s third album, You’re An Animal, was released in September 2013 and combines the energy and the rawness of the first album Juvenile Jungle (2010) with the excellent songs and the authentic sound from their second, The Kids Are Up To No Good. Now they are back with a killer new EP with two new songs and three highlights from their catalog.
The band is hailed for their ability to honour the heritage of 60s and 70s’ artists and mixing it with modern influences. The result is a modern band with knowledge and awareness of their music history, who are also known as exceptionally good musicians. This contributes to the fact that Death By Unga Bunga has become one of the most popular and in-demand live acts in Norway. The last couple of years, the band has played a few hundred concerts and performed at all the large festivals in Norway. The band has now also made a name for themselves on the continent, after long tours in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany.
Death By Unga Bunga are Sebastian Ulstad Olsen (vocals), Stian Gulbrandsen (guitar), Preben Sælid Andersen (organ), Even Rolland Pettersen (bass), and Ole Steinar Nesset (drums).
About the new songs:
Tell Me Why
A sleazy guitar driven rock’n’roll banger with a stripper beat. A guitar gumbo filled with feedbacks, piercing fuzz and redneck licks.
Paying homage to not being affected by others quest for «meaning of life», always trying to find something greater, or listening to others ideas on how to be more than you are. It is what it is. Get with it.
Make Up Your Mind
Psychedelic popper with a 60's beat.
We all know someone who can't make up their fucking mind, and it pisses you off doesn't it? With Tell Me Why we said "Get with it". With this one it's more like "Get ON with it".
First taste from the debut album of Undergrünnen. Out 4th september on Jansen Plateproduksjon.
Undergrünnen is a new explosive rock band started by Pål Jackman from Wunderkammer, and Per Steinar Lie and Ørjan Haaland from The Low Frequency in Stereo and Lumen Drones. With a fistful of krautrock, a big fistful of energy and a pinch of afrobeat in Norwegian, the trio supplies a special twist of how a rock trio should sound like.
Per Steinar from the band explains what Undergrunnen is about: We wanted to create a very intense band based in Haugesund, with roots in both primitive rock og afro rock. Pål has played in a band from Ivory Coast and I’ve been a roadie for Andy Brown and the Storm from Zimbabwe. Our ambition is to mix the African sound with the Norwegian language. Of course we emphasize that we play a Norwegian type of afro rock, and we regard it as a mix where MC5 touches African rhythms.
The album debut of Undergrunnen consists of 9 strong songs which all stem from jamming in the studio - boiled down to compact and catchy energy bombs that it will be impossible to stand still to. The album was recorded at Hauge Chess Club recording studio and mixed in ABC Studio in Etne + Broen Studio in Bergen. Mastered by Jason Emberton (Nick Cave++). MC5 meets afrobeat in Norwegian!
A bit about the band’s background: Singer and guitarist Pål Jackman is also band leader of the critically acclaimed Wunderkammer. Per Steinar Lie and Ørjan Haaland started The Low Frequency in Stereo which have released 5 studio albums on labels like Rune Grammofon and Germany’s SPV. They have been nominated to the Norwegian “Grammy” (Spellemannprisen) with two albums: "The Last Temptation of..." in 2006 og “Pop Obskura” in 2014. The Low Frequency in Stereo have played at Øyafestivalen’s main stage and the Dour Festival, and been praised by people like Michael Stipe and David Fricke after their trips to the USA. They both also play in the psychedelic drone band Lumen Drones which recently made their debut on ECM Records with a critically acclaimed album that was awarded with 4/5 stars in Mojo.
Their live band often also includes other members from The Low Frequency in Stereo.