The fantastic Norwegian experimental/electronic duo Alog has a split 12" with UK act Astral Social Club on way from Fat Cat Records in November. Full details: http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=309
Check out video footage of the sound art project "Karusell" by Espen Sommer Eide (Alog, Phonophani): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFnQx7Equ1M&fmt=18
As mentioned before, Norwegian experimental "sound art" artists Alog, Jana Winderen and Alexander Rishaug/Marius Watz are heading to Japan at the end of the month for a few performances:
10/22 - AD&A Gallery, Osaka (info)
10/24 - Superdeluxe, Tokyo (info)
See the above info links for more details on each of the artists and the work they will be performing.
Alog will be heading to Japan in late October along with fellow Norwegian sound artists Alexander Rishaug/Marius Watz and Jana Winderen:
10/22 - tba, Osaka
10/23 - tba, Kyoto
10/24 - Loopline, Tokyo
10/25 - tba, Tokyo
Snöleoparden likes the xylophone. It appears on many tracks on his self-titled debut and is even claimed as the title for one of the pieces. Wood, metal, maybe even plastic- all forms are put into play. At first I wasn't into it at all and wrote him off as an amateur Alog wannabe (no pun intended), but further listens have proven to be far more rewarding. The utilization of instruments typically associated with children's music is supposed to evoke feelings of naive wonderment, though unfortunately that doesn't always sit well with me and my often sour mood, so it's no surprise that such feelings often turn to annoyance in my world. However, when it does work, it works well, especially when Snöleoparden is able to latch onto a simple melody or repetitive rhythm. "Nr. 1" stumbles a bit in a wonky sort of way, but the more it gets tweaked out towards the end, the more interesting it is. I'm not completely wowed, but the live first-take feel is not without its charms. The spirit of playfulness is something I most certainly can endorse.
Snöleoparden - Nr. 1
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:
01. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Legs for arms
04. Dmitry Fyodorov - 1b-1
05. Northern Fields - Never take the beauty
06. TALK 2
07. Barra Head - Undermine
08. Fläskkvartetten - Som glas (ft. Nina Persson)
09. Benea Reach - New waters
10. TALK 3
11. Firefox AK - Winter rose (Tellevika remix)
12. Dansdepartementet - Svarta brev
13. Randy - Little toulouse
14. TALK 4
15. Britta Persson - At 7
16. M:40 - Brännmärkt
17. Mechanical Bird - Martha
18. TALK 5
19. Marvins Revolt - Multiple fractures
20. The Drawbacks - Straight lines & circles
21. Isolation Years - Say-nothing day
22. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
23. TALK 6
24. Little Dragon - Recommendation
25. FAP - Sjömannen
26. Cortex - Animals (...looking at me)
27. TALK 7
28. Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was
29. Mayhem - Deathcrush
30. Alog - St.Paul sessions II
31. TALK 8
32. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
33. Mainliners - Bourbon and ice
34. Mando Diao - San Francisco Bay
35. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer
36. TALK 9
37. Matts Katt - Refused was fucking murdered
Watch a video of Alog premiering a new, homebuilt instrument they will be using for upcoming performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krW_mFZwMKE
I know I've said it before, but Alog is one of my all-time favorite experimental/electronic acts and this is yet another good reason why. The instrument they build is called a "Slåttberg" and it's a strange digital/analog hybrid made to approximate the traditional Norwegian instrument, the Hardanger fiddle.
Rump Recordings has confirmed that they will release Snöleoparden's self-titled debut album on March 3, their first non-electronic artist. I've only given it a cursory listen so far, but I think it would appeal to fans of Alog or maybe even Detektivbyrån. Hear samples: http://www.myspace.com/snleoparden
The nominees for this year's Spellemanprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female artist:
Ane Brun - Live In Scandinavia (Det Er Mine/V2)
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Sissy Wish - Beauties Never Die (Sony BMG)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Male artist:
Kenneth Ishak - Silver Lightning From A Black Sky (Division Records As)
Magnet - The Simple Life (Sony BMG)
Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
William Hut - Nightfall (Universal Music AS)
Pop group:
Blind Archery Club - The Union (Sony BMG)
Superfamily - Warszawa (Propeller Rec.)
The Royalties - The Royalties (Blister Music)
Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord Og Ögonblick (Sony BMG)
Electronica:
Alog - Amateur (Rune Grammofon)
Diskjokke - Staying In (Smalltown Supersound)
Salvatore - Days Of Rage (Racing Junior)
Rock:
BigBang - Too Much Yang (Warner Music/Grandsport Records)
Moving Oos - Peace And Love (Kong Tiki Records)
My Midnight Creeps - Histamin (MMC Records)
Raga Rockers - Übermensch (EMI/Pilot/Virgin)
The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy Kiss (Racing Junior)
Country:
Hellbillies - Spissrotgang (EMI Music Norway)
Hemisfair - Blue Blue Grass Of Home (Wilma Records/Playground Music)
Shit City - God Bless Our Home (Voices of Wonder)
Steinar Albrigtsen - Moment Of Peace (Sony BMG)
Metal:
Audrey Horne - Le Fol (Indie Recordings)
Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (Nuclear Blast)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Season Of Mist)
Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness (Season Of Mist)
Hip-hop:
El Axel - It Is Wha It Is (Pass It Records)
Madcon - So Dark The Con Of Man (Bonner Amigo)
Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time-The Wait (Tee Productions)
Folk:
Berit Opheim - Den Blide Sol (NorCD AS)
Ragnhild Furebotten - Endelig Vals (Talik Da)
Sigrid Moldestad - Taus (Heilo)
Trio Mediaeval - Folk Songs (ECM/Grappa)
Jazz:
Fossum-Aarum Quartet - F.A.Q. (Schmell)
Jon Balke - Book Of Velocities (ECM/Grappa)
Petter Wettre - Fountain Of Youth (Household Records)
Sharp Nine - Sudoku (The Real Thing Da/Staffan)
The Core - Office Essentials (Jazzland)
Open class:
Frode Haltli - Passing Images (ECM/Grappa)
Live Maria Roggen - Circuit Songs (Jazzland)
Pust - Femkant (Pust Records)
Shining - Grindstone (Rune Grammofon)
The Source - The Source Of Christmas - Live (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)
Best music video:
Dimmu Borgir - The Serpentine Offering (Nuclear Blast)
Heroes & Zeros - A Strange Constellation (Nightliner/Universal)
My Midnight Creeps - Don`t Let’Em Bring You Down (MMC Records)
Turbonegro - Do You Do You Dig Destruction (Scandinavian Leather Recordings)
WE - Hurdy Gurdy (Nun Music)
Best Newcomer:
Christel Alsos - Closing The Distance (Sony BMG)
Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations (Nightliner/Universal)
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør (MBN)
Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda (Simax Classics)
Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars (Heilo)
Best song:
Kurt Nilsen - "Push Push" (Sony BMG)
Madcon - "Beggin'" (Bonnier Music)
Postgirobygget - "Tidløs" (EMI Music Norway)
Sichelle - "Fuck Deg" (Eccentric Music)
Venke Knutson - "Holiday" (Universal)
Read more: http://www.spellemann.no/
Upcoming live dates for Norwegian electronic act Alog and sideproject Phonophani:
09/14-15 - Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (ESP) (Alog)
09/22 - CDZ Arkivet, Bergen (NOR) (Phonophani)
10/06 - tba, Dresden (GER) (Phonophani)
10/20 - Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL) (Alog)
12/04-08 - MadeiraDig festival, Portugal (Alog)
The playlist for my radio show this week:
01. At the Gates - Suicide nation
02. TALK 1
03. Moving Oos - Stronger
04. Eskju Divine - Hold on
05. Mechanical Bird - Sunday
06. TALK 2
07. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
08. DS13 - Thrash lifestyle
09. Montt Mardié - Metropolis
10. Junior Senior - Can I get get get
11. TALK 3
12. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
13. Kristofer Åström - I collect knives
14. Death Breath - His protoplasmic worship
15. TALK 4
16. Mob - Ghost track
17. MZ412 - Unhealing wounds
18. Ugress - Manhattan sapphire
19. TALK 5
20. Shining - Låt oss ta allt från darandra
21. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
22. Moneybrother - Det blir ingen dans
23. Amandine - For all the marbles
24. TALK 6
25. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle
26. Last Days of April - Aspirins and alcohol
27. M:40 - När bomberna faller
28. TALK 7
29. Espen Jørgensen - The immaculate conception
30. Motorpsycho - For free
31. The Carny - Man under the sun
32. TALK 8
33. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
34. Badun - Pulsen
35. Meshuggah - Future breed machine
36. Värttinä - Mero
37. TALK 9
38. Randy - Better than art
39. Closer - Open casket
40. Alog - Buffalo demon
41. TALK 10
42. On Trial - Speaking of witch
Outside of the lead track "King of men", the new Alog record "Amateur" is pretty darn disappointing. It's sonically interesting, as expected, but not compelling. So let's just stick to the song at hand then: "Son of king" is a pastiche of words and notes, cut and pasted together to form a cohesive piece of music. I find the narrative hard to follow without the subtitles of the video, but even then, I'm more interested in the sound and cadence of the words than what they are saying. As for the instrumentation, everything is percussive: xylophones, bells, chimes, wood block, maybe even some thumb piano. The spliced-together nature of the arrangement creates a stuttering, jittery effect, but it still flows fairly smoothly despite its ricky-ticky nature. The best part however, comes around minute three when the voices drop out and the music breaks down to nothing but alarm clock. Slowly the piece builds up again with disparate melodies being carried by the wooden and metallic elements. The backing rhythm remains stable from there on out and the voices become more insistent, eventually running along just as steadily. It's an amazing piece of work, not just technically (I can only imagine the hours spent putting each tiny sample together), but also quite pleasing to listen to.
Alog - Son of king
Almost Cool review the new Alog album "Amateur": http://www.almostcool.org/mr/2035/
Not too far off from my own assessment: "Much more inconsistent than their previous outings, Amateur has some amazing highs and rather bland and unflattering lows, but is still worth seeking out if you're a fan of their past work."
The self-titled debut by this Danish trio is situated squarely in the fertile soundscape where electronica, jazz and post-rock meet. Like Norway's Alog, Badun's tracks tend to be short and evocative, but they rely more heavily on their rhythm section to guide the way. Fretless bass and Fender Rhodes sonics abound, and the percussive brush strokes are infinitely subtle. This isn't difficult music, but neither does it play safe by being merely ambient-pretty or groove-anchored. Instead, this music glides aloft on its own glitch-driven air currents, remarkably sure of itself even if the listener is sometimes left guessing. It's all a bit on the chilly side aesthetically, but if you just stick it on without analyzing too much, this is intriguing stuff.
- Kevin Renick
Check out the video for "Song of king" from Alog: http://www.alog.net/soundclips/sonofking.html#top
The clip was directed by Moscow-based artist Julia Zastava and was shot in the old palace of the Orlov family, famous for being the location where the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918 during the Bolshevik Revolution.