Phonophani, the solo project of Espen Sommer Eide from Alog, has a new track posted as part of the "Postawakeningsound" mp3 comp: http://www.skyapnea.com/postawakeningsound/
Other Scandinavian contributors include Prugelknaben (NOR) and Mikael Lind (SWE).

Pitchfork reviews the Alog collection "Catch that totem!": http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/a/alog/catch-that-totem.shtml
If you think it sounds interesting (I think it's great), you can buy it right here for a very reasonable price.

The winners of the 2005 Spellemanpris, aka the Norwegian Grammy:

Spellemann: Madrugada
Female artist: Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (Det Er Mine/V2)
Male artist: Robert Post - Robert Post (Universal)
Pop group: Röyksopp - The Understanding (EMI)
Electronica: Alog - Miniatures (Rune Grammofon)
Rock: Madrugada - The Deep End (EMI)
Metal: Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
Hip-hop/Rnb: Paperboys - When Worlds Collide (Bonnier)
Jazz: Hans Mathisen - Quiet Songs (Curling Legs AS)
Open class: Nils Petter Molvær - Er (Universal)
Best newcomer: Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Best song: Madrugada w/Ane Brun - Lift Me (Det Er Mine/V2/EMI)
Music video: Robert Post - Got None (Universal)

Full results: http://www.spellemann.no/vinner.html

Stylus reviews the new Alog collection "Catch that totem!": http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=3692

The long-lost Alog EP "Islands of memory" from 1999 has been recently rediscovered and will finally see the light of day and will be released in February with brand new artwork from Magnus at Grandpeople. Also on the way is a new album called "Just recording" on EN/OF featuring all new tracks except for a couple tunes featured on the recent "Catch that totem!" archival comp. Albanian artist Anri Sala will be providing artwork. Lastly, Phonophani, the solo project of Alog member Espen Sommer Eide, will have its self-titled 1998 debut album reissued via Rune Grammofon with extra bonus material. No date yet, but the release is supposed to coincide with the upcoming "Generator X" Norwegian tour alongside various other like-minded musicians and video artists.

Pitchfork acknowledges Alog with a track review: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/tracks/06-01-03.shtml#song3

The nominees for this year's Spellemann (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:

Female artist:
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (Det Er Mine/V2)
Lene Marlin - Lost In A Moment (EMI)
Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Maria Mena - Apparently Unaffected (Sony BMG)
Simone - Last Days And Nights (Daworks)

Male artist
Alejandro Fuentes - Diamonds Or Pearls (Sony BMG)
Magnet - The Tourniquet (Atlantic)
Robert Post - Robert Post (Universal)
Sofian - This Is Sofian (C+C Records)

Pop group:
Jim Stärk - Jim Stärk (Sweet Recordings)
Ravi & Dj Løv - Den Nye Arbæidsdagn (Sony BMG)
Röyksopp - The Understanding (EMI)

Electronica:
Alog - Miniatures (Rune Grammofon)
Datarock - Datarock Datarock (Yap/VME)
Toy - Toy (Smalltown Supersound)

Rock:
Bigbang - Poetic Terrorism (Gransport Records)
JR Ewing - Maelstrom (Sony BMG)
Madrugada - The Deep End (EMI)
My Midnight Creeps - My Midnight Creeps (MMC Records)
Serena-Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh (Honeymilk)

Metal:
Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
El Caco - The Search (Black Balloon Records)
Extol - Blueprint (Century Media)
Stonegard - Arrows (Bonnier)

Hip-hop/Rnb:
Cast - Problembarn (Pass It Records)
Paperboys - When Worlds Collide (Bonnier)
Tommy Tee - Tommy Tycker Om Mej (Tee Productions/C+C Records)

Jazz:
Hans Mathisen - Quiet Songs (Curling Legs AS)
Jimmy Rosenberg/Stian Carstensen - Rose Room (Hot Club Records)
Karin Krog/Bergen Big Band - Seagull (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)
Sigurd Køhn Quartet - This Place (Heidi Køhn)
Solveig Slettahjell - Pixiedust (Curling Legs AS)

Open class:
Arild Andersen Group - Electra (ECM/Grappa)
Beady Belle - Closer (Jazzland)
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must (Smalltown Supersound)
Nils Petter Molvær - Er (Universal)
Shining - In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster (Rune Grammofon)

Best newcomer:
Animal Alpha - Pheromones (Racing Junior)
Audrey Horne - No Hay Banda (Dog Job/Tuba Records)
Draumir - Draumir (Playground/Little Hill)
Marthe Valle - It's A Bag Of Candy (Grammar Records)
Sofian - This Is Sofian (C+C Records)

Best song:
Alejandro Fuentes - Stars (Sony BMG)
Kurt Nilsen - Never Easy (Sony BMG)
Madrugada w/Ane Brun - Lift Me (Det Er Mine/V2/EMI)
Maria Mena - Miss You Love (Sony BMG)
Ravi & Dj Løv - Tsjeriåu Me De Månråus (Sony BMG)

Music video:
Maria Mena - Miss You Love (Sony BMG)
Animal Alpha - Bundy (Racing Junior)
Ravi & Dj Løv - E-Ore (Sony BMG)
Robert Post - Got None (Universal)
Röyksopp - What Else Is There (EMI)

For all categories, go here: http://www.ifpi.no/spellemann/nomlst.html
Winners will be announced on January 28.

Indieworkshop reviews the new Alog collection "Catch that totem!": http://indieworkshop.com/music/2180/
As mentioned with my mp3 post on Friday, this is a very recommended release.

I'm kind of cheating with today's mp3 post. My normal modus operandi for Fridays is to post an older track and this song only kinda/sorta qualifies as this particular piece was originally released in 2002 on M-narsitik, but I only just heard it for the first time on the recently released "Catch that totem! (1998-2005)" collection that Alog recently released via Melektronikk. I consider these guys to be my favorite electronic act right now (their latest album of all-new material "Miniatures" made my top 10 for 2005) and this new disc of odds and ends is a fine addition to their discography. This particular is based on the song "Vitamine" by the Swiss group Velma, but Alog didn't have the lyrics at the time and decided to make up their own instead and ended singing the tracklist for the "Duck-Rabbit" album that they were working on at the time. Having never heard the original, I can't really judge how well it compares, but I like it just the same. Note: I hope to be getting copies of this CD in the mailorder by the end of the month, but you can always order it directly from the band or the label.

MP3: Alog - Catch that totem!

I'm kind of cheating with today's mp3 post. My normal modus operandi for Fridays is to post an older track and this song only kinda/sorta qualifies as this particular piece was originally released in 2002 on M-narsitik, but I only just heard it for the first time on the recently released "Catch that totem! (1998-2005)" collection that Alog recently released via Melektronikk. I consider these guys to be my favorite electronic act right now (their latest album of all-new material "Miniatures" made my top 10 for 2005) and this new disc of odds and ends is a fine addition to their discography. This particular is based on the song "Vitamine" by the Swiss group Velma, but Alog didn't have the lyrics at the time and decided to make up their own instead and ended singing the tracklist for the "Duck-Rabbit" album that they were working on at the time. Having never heard the original, I can't really judge how well it compares, but I like it just the same. Note: I hope to be getting copies of this CD in the mailorder by the end of the month, but you can always order it directly from the band or the label.

Alog - Catch that totem!

Top 10s for 2005: It's a trap!

Podcast: Best of 2005

Check out a video of Alog performing live in the Netherlands: http://video.lombox.nl/meertv/uitzendingen/179/179_imp08.mov

The nominees for this year's Alarm awards, the alternative to the Spellemansprisen (Norway's version of the Grammy):

Rock:
Richochets - Isolation
Madrugada - The Deep End
Serena-Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh
JR Ewing - Maelstrom
My Midnight Creeps - My Midnight Creeps

Pop:
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive
Loch Ness Mouse - 11-22
Maria Mena - Apparently Unaffected
Anja Garbarek - Briefly Shaking
Sofian - This Is Sofian

Metal:
Stonegard - Arrows
Grimfist - 10 Steps To Hell
El Caco - The Search
Scum - Gospel For The Sick
Solefald - Red For Fire

Hip-hop:
Paperboys - When Worlds Collide
Cast - Problembarn
Onkl P - Det kunne vært deg
Warlocks - The Never Ending Story
Tommy Tee - Tommy Tycker Om Mej

Free music/electronica:
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Cloroform - Cracked Wide Open
Toy - Toy
Supersilent - 7
Alog - Miniatures

Club:
Røyksopp - The Understanding
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Lindtrøm & Prins Thomas
Datarock - Datarock Datarock
Annie - DJ Kicks
Future Prophecies - Warlords Rising

Jazz:
Kornstad/Wiik - Eight Tunes We Like
Shining - In The Kingdom Of Kitch
The Thing - Live At Blå
Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground
Atomic - Bikini Tapes

Song:
Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
Röyksopp - What Else Is There
Ane Brun - My Lover Will Go
Superfamily - Taxi Dancing
Mira Craig - Boogieman

Live:
Madrugada
Turbonegro
Purified in Blood
Richochets
Kaizers Orchestra

Newcomer of the year:
My Midnight Creeps
Mira Craig
Sofian
Superfamily
Animal Alpha

Vote for your favorites here: http://www.alarmprisen.no/

Alog, one of my favorite Norwegian electronic acts, will be touring to support the release of their new record "Catch that totem!", out November 28 on Melektronikk. Dates:

12/02 - Im Ausland, Berlin (GER)
12/03 - Sheune, Dresden (GER)
12/05 - Dublin (UK)
12/06 - Spitz, London (UK)
12/08 - Impakt festival, Utrecht (NL)
12/10 - KC netwerk, Aalst (BEL)