Artist: Haust
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A group of Oslo-based artist expats (2 Australians, 1 Canadian) have put together something called the "Starving Artist Kokebok", or "cookbook" for the Norwegian-impaired, a book and CD package featuring artwork, stories and of course recipes from 37 fellow Oslo-based bands, artists and journalists. Also included is a 19-track CD:
01. Simon Says No! - Sleeping Heart
02. Death is Not Glamorous - Clear Lines
03. Lionheart Brothers - Bring it Down (Kokebok Edit)
04. Maribel - Soothe
05. Pica Pica - The Man with the Magic Hands
06. CCTV - We Belong (Radio Edit)
07. Einar Stray - Arrows
08. Pilemil - Ghost
09. Hiawata! - Valley Boys
10. Happy Dagger - 2012
11. Manhattan Skyline - The Below
12. Spirits of the Dead - White Lady Black Rave
13. Årabrot - The Minute
14. The Bee's Niece - Stolen Bike
15. Norma Sass - Japan
16. The Loch Ness Mouse feat. Stella Mwangi - New Graffiti (Single Edit)
17. Center of the Universe - Sing it Again
18. Rosix Noir - Binden Sie Meine Hnde (Remix)
19. The White Tiger Prepade - Powerful fast forward knowledge pushing scared inprinted gem stones levitating by seemingly apathic sound movement reactions
Other contributors include Benea Reach, Haust, Je Suis Animal, Lydia Laska, My Little Pony, Silver and lots more. There will be a release party on November 18 at Rubber Soul featuring an exhibition of the original artworks followed by a show at Revolver later in the evening. More info: http://starvingartistkokebok.blogspot.com/
I don't have money to burn, but if I did, I'd put out a comp with the best, most nihilistic, purely negative and dystopian-minded bands Scandinavia has to offer. And I don't know about how things look from where you sit, but I consider it to be the sound of our current zeitgeist and guess what? There are more than a few excellent specimens that fit the bill -- Haust and Hebosagil are two prime examples I've brought up in this context before; Frivolvol makes it a trinity. Listen, it takes a lot of effort to sound this ugly and it's obvious these dudes are pissed. Musically speaking, this is actually one of Frivolvol's more tamer moments (that instrumental section is almost... pretty), but those vocals sound like gargled glass; from the high-pitched screeches to the harsher, more forced low notes. His pain is yours to share. Unfortunately I wasn't provided a lyric sheet with my copy of their new album "Blades of steel", so I can't compare and contrast with the utter hopelessness expressed on previous record "Who needs maps when we got time", but my gut feeling is that things have not improved. All the better for us, the listeners, probably not so much for the guys in the band.
Frivolvol - It smells like something died here
Fierce Norwegian acts Haust and Next Life will be releasing a split 12" via Fysisk Format before the end of the year.
Okkultokrati share members with Haust and more than a slight resemblance soundwise, but they are definitely way more on the current pessimistic hardcore zeitgeist tip than the latter. Haust mix hardcore aggression with black metal nihilism, Okkultokrati are just aggro. If you dig on the contorted sounds of Sex Vid, Total Abuse, Cult Ritual or any other like-minded negative creeps (overused Brainbombs references are a surefire tip-off), you'll probably dig this too, especially if you wish those bands had a heavier rhythmic integrity. The debut "Knarkskog EP" (free d/l here) won't usurp "Communal living" as the subset standard-bearer, but it's way better than some and bodes well for the future.
Okkultokrati - Neandertime
Norwegian hardcore act Okkultokrati (feat. member(s) from Haust) have just released their debut 7" EP "Knarkskog", but since it's limited to a mere 200 copies and we live in a digital age, they're kinda offering it as a free download. Go here for linkage: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=433682046&blogId=505488133
Nö Music interviews the mighty Haust about their summer festival plans, among other things: http://www.nomusicmedia.com/2009/06/24/stranded-with-haust-at-hove/
I should have probably talked this up a few months ago when it first came out, but it kind of doesn't matter because Hebosagil's debut EP "Cosmic" still sounds just as good today as when it was first released as a digital download back in 2007, likewise as it did when Rusto-Osiris reissued it on CD earlier this year. I try not to be one of those "the demo was the best!" sort of guys, but it's true so far -- the full-length follow-up "Colossal", though quite good, was not great. "Cosmic" remains one of the most punishing releases of the 00s so far and tracks like "Temple" prove it. It encompasses all things heavy: brutal, detuned riffs; blazing, face-melting leads; painful, harsh vocals; and so on and so forth. I just love the rawness of it all, too -- you can't talk about Hebosagil without bringing up just how distorted and crazy the recording is. It's completely disgusting, yet every instrument somehow remains distinct. I don't know how they did it, but they win. Other than maybe Haust, no other band brings the sound of the new world dystopia to life better than this.
Hebosagil - Temple
Coming on September 7 via Fysisk Format: Nernes/Skagen - Ad Undas 2LP. Full details (in Norwegian) are here: http://fysiskformat.tigernet.no/?cmd=16
Also on the way from the label this fall:
10/05 - Dominic - Nord
10/19 - Årabrot - I rove
11/16 - Haust - tba
Fysisk Format (Haust, Snöras) will be releasing Le Corbeau's new album "Evening chill/Montréal of the mind" on May 25 in both CD and LP formats. Le Corbeau is the solo project of Øystein Sandsdalen from Angora Static/Serena Maneesh/Infidels Forever and you can listen to a few samples here: http://www.myspace.com/lecorbeaurecord
Norwegian label Lilac Sky has been resurrected as Lilla Himmel Plater. Expect a new 7" from Okkultokrati (ft. members from Haust) later this year.
Here's the playlist for last week's radio show on 12/28, a special all-jazz program to close out the year:
01. TALK 1
02. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
03. Saft - Marching for no. 1
04. Auton - El Dorado
05. TALK 2
06. The Splendor - Canary Islands
07. Kornstad/Opsvik - Happy house (live)
08. TALK 3
09. Yttling Jazz - Konstant krease
10. Jonas Knutsson - Glaciär
11. Moha! - Teknosangen
12. Oskar Schönning - Faustine
13. TALK 4
14. E.S.T. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) - Leucocyte (ad initio)
And in case you happened to catch it, here also is my Sirius XMU top 10 most important albums of 2008 playlist:
#10 - Fucked Up - Days of last
#09 - Commando M Pigg - Baby doll
BEST COVER SONG - The Kid - Mayhem troopers (Cortex)
#08 - Katzenjammer - Le pop
#07 - Tobias Hellkvist - Wintervarm
#06 - The Goner - Field ceremony
BEST REMIX OF 2008 - Firefox AK vs Laid - Once I was like you
#05 - Haust - Ugly fucking Oslo
#04 - Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Which way to go
#03 - Sort Sol - White shirt
BEST LIVE ACT OF 2008 - Sex Vid - Cleansing
#02 - Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
#01 - Lukestar - White shade
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
2008 has been an ugly year in many, many ways. Bush is still president, the economy is a mess, new scandals seem to pop up every day. It's only fitting that some of the year's best music reflects it and no band does that better than Norway's Haust. Every song on their debut album "Ride the relapse" is unrelentingly harsh with the cold edge of black-metal, but also imbued the passion of hardcore punk. All you need to know about "Ugly fucking Oslo" is right there in the title -- the brutality of the song is obvious before it even starts.
Besides the track I've posted today, also be sure to check out the new podcast mix I've added to the articles section. Like I said, Haust is simply one of many bands out there reflecting the zeitgeist. Perfect tunes for bad times.
Haust - Ugly fucking Oslo