XLR8R has posted a sample and some more details about Kim Hiorthøy's new project Drivan: http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2010/06/kim-hiorth-y-and-drivan-release-
Definitely sounds way more pop-oriented than any of Hiorthøy's previous work that I've heard. I'm optimistic.
Jaga Jazzist will be releasing a new remix EP in July entitled "Bananfluer overalt" featuring contributions from Sprutbass, Final, Prins Thomas and others.
Lovly.no, the Norwegian music industry's new web initiative, is now online. What they say:
This is a music scouting service created by all music organizations in Norway to promote Norwegian music and show that there is a lot of good services where the public can listen to and buy music. And we're doing that through helping the public discover new Norwegian talent, not with a whip and a pointing finger...
The service is crawling blogs, twitter. last.fm etc to create top 10 lists showing the artists with most online buzz. The public can read tweets and the latest headlines from blogs about their favourite artists, listen to free 30 sec samples or click on listen/buy buttons that will launch icons for a lot of services available in Norway or share their favourites on Facebook and Twitter.
The goal is to promote Norwegian artists, ease discovery of new music, increase traffic to music blogs, showcase all the good services and get more bloggers to write about new Norwegian music.
Seems weird to me that they're not running the site in English to attract an international audience, but it does appear that they're doing a decent job of assimilating a lot of data from around the web.
Black metal in 2010, part I. Did the genre desert me or did I simply lose interest? I've been listening to this new Withershin EP ("The hungering void") and pondering these questions because, while I can tell the music is good, I still can't force myself to care. Well-executed melodic Swedish black death ala Dissection...? There's certainly room for more besides Watain. And yet, I feel nothing. I don't mean that in an ironic kvlt way either -- I'm really surprised by my lack of enthusiasm. So where did things go wrong I wonder? The genre did go through a certain amount of growing pains around the turn of the century and now things seem pretty evenly split among two major strains. First, we have the upper-tier established acts who have been going at it for years, some more progressive than others (Enslaved, Mayhem), others more content to drift towards the mainstream (Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir and seriously, WTF is up with this nonsense?). Some just keep on keeping on (Dark Funeral, Marduk), a few decided to abandon the genre completely (Darkthrone sorta, yes Ulver). Then, on the other hand, we have the new BM underground which, from my point of view, seems all too willing to embrace and accept sketchy politics and increasingly shitty, poorly recorded music. A race to the bottom, as I've mentioned here before I believe. The fact that I hear the new Burzum is getting a third vinyl repress bums me out. That means that competent bands like Withershin don't have a place anymore and boring, jaded dudes like me will shrug it off. I think my major hangup must be the lack of mystery in today's BM -- 15 years ago these bands were legitimately terrifying and sounded barely human. They burned down churches and killed each other and lived way off in some distant land that seemed far beyond reach. I distinctly remember hearing Emperor for the first time and how it sounded like absolutely nothing I had ever experienced. Then, a few years later, I remember seeing Emperor's first video and how amazingly disappointed it made me. No longer the aural expression of pure evil, here were a bunch of average metal dudes making an average metal video and playing dress-up in the woods. To say nothing about how boring they were live when I eventually saw them on tour, but the magic was forever lost and bands like Withershin have no hope to reclaim that. I don't know what's to be done though. Has the grim masquerade run its course? Can we start smiling at each other and simply enjoy the music for what it is, not what it used to represent?
Withershin - Wherein I exalt
Norwegian folk/pop act Katzenjammer has a new website: http://katzenjammer.no/
Check the concert listings for some upcoming US dates.
Eight finalists have been chosen to be potential recipients of the lucrative A-ha stipend: http://www.vg.no/musikk/artikkel.php?artid=10008166 (in Norwegian)
The artists in question: Shining, Hanne Hukkelberg, Moddi, Adjagas, Casiokids, Lars Vaular, Susanne Sundfør and Pink Robots.
The always-busy and unpredictable Zweizz has announced that he's joined up with Goylem Space Klezmer, a Norwegian klezmer act "inspired by the dream of space exodus": http://www.myspace.com/goylem
Renown Norwegian singer/songwriters Ane Brun and Thomas Dybdahl will share the stage for the first time on the roof of the Oslo Opera House on August 7. They will be performing their own material as well as duets and will be backed by the Opera Orchestra under the direction of Christian Eggen. Ticket info: http://www.operaen.no/Default.aspx?ID=27239&ProductID=PROD568
How did I not know about this? , the esteemed avant/whatever label run by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver, will be releasing Nidingr's new album "Wolf-father" on June 5, their very first-ever black-metal release. Also, like Ulver's own renown BM-trilogy, this new album is inspired by Norse mythology. Hear a couple samples at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/nidingr
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Kopfer Kat - UberVolt
02. TALK 1
03. Pan Sonic - Radio Qurghonteppa
04. Johannes Heldén - Vortex count
05. Dear Euphoria - No more time to weep
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
08. The Shock! - In silence
09. MF/MB/ - The big machine
10. TALK 3
11. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
12. Kausal - The conquistador
13. The Nature - Din medicin
14. TALK 4
15. Ignatius - Så jävla religiös
16. Okkultokrati - Tomb City rockers - Pungent stench
17. Haust - Anti-Reproductive
18. TALK 5
19. Carolina Wallin Pérez - Utan dina andetag
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.
This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:
01. Karpe Diem - Aldri Solgt En Løgn
02. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
03. Lars Vaular - Helt om natten, Helt om dagen
04. Venke Knutson - Smiles - The Very Best Of
05. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og Deilig - Knutsen og Ludvigsen
06. Gitarkameratene - Kanon! Gitarkameratenes aller beste
07. Thomas Dybdahl - Waiting for that one clear moment
08. Bobbysocks - Let It Swing - The Best of Bobbysocks
09. Keep Of Kalessin - Reptilian
10. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
11. Trond Granlund - Sanger jeg lærte av faren min
12. Ingenting - Ingenting live
13. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
14. Arve Tellefsen og Trondheim SO - Plays Ole Bull
15. Aleksander With - Still Awake
16. John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt
17. Chand Torsvik - Kongeriket Norge
18. Jenny & Arne - From Our Hearts
19. Trondheimssolistene - In Folk Style
20. Knut Magne Myrland - Sjelespor
The second episode of Listen to Norway's podcast series "99 Minutes" is now available: http://www.listento.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2010052814203489182421
Featured acts include Casiokids, Biosphere, Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas, Shining and Apoptygma Berzerk plus an interview with Jørgen Skjulstad of
That means two things. First, there will be no repeat of my radio show, so if you want to listen, you'll need to tune in on Sunday (that's 11pm ET on Sirius XMU). Like always, I'll be playing a ton of great new music (The Bear Quartet, Dear Euphoria, Pan Sonic, Haust, etc.). Secondly, updates here will probably be pretty sparse as I'll hopefully be off doing other things besides sitting in front of the computer. Thanks!
War, earthquakes, volcanoes, oil spills... there really is no better adjective to describe our current world situation and no better soundtrack to our impending doom. Let Okkultokrati be your guide as the viking apocalypse draws nigh.
The album "No light for mass" is out now via / and I believe the vinyl should be ready in about two weeks.
Okkultokrati - Ragnarokian
Clash Music reports back from this year's SPOT Festival in Aarhus, Denmark: http://www.clashmusic.com/live-review/spot-festival