norway – and so she thinks

Kate Havnevik – Falling

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:38:00 +0000

Falling off Nowegian pop artist Kate Havnevik‘s upcoming album &I is an abstract and pumping journey of a song, dark and animated and infused with sinister electronica under her sweet whoozy vocals and simmering melody. The album, funded by a Pledge campaign, is to be released by Continentica Records on March 3rd.

Farao – Skin

admin — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:50:28 +0000

Shimmering and shattering its way through a tale of an affair, Skin by Farao bristles with melcanholy and strength as it traverses genres. Mixing folk, pop, roots and blues, she blends what us lowly folk may categorise as types into glorious melodies and an enchanting ode, all smoothed together by a hauntingly beautiful voice. The talented Norweigian songstress played all instrumentation on the track, barring percussion, adding another element to the personal.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/85804539″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
All the words I want to hear
You said that I’d had nothing to fear
But she’s the one who’s taking your name
Apologies without the shame
You speak of love with her in mind
This has to end before it’s turning me blind
But you’re the one who went from my skin
And now you can’t go back again
And I let you in, on my skin, on my skin
How I let you in, on my skin, on my skin

Photo by Photographer Chris André Aadland

Bow To Each Other – Darling

admin — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 10:08:47 +0000

Released 22nd November on Diamond Records

Taking influences from 80s synth pop and 90s film music are Norwegian duo Bow To Each Other. Having met in Liverpool and bonded over bouncing ideas and inspiration from each other, they spend time between the UK and their native lands creating music like this, Darling, their first single from their as yet untitled album coming out next year. It’s ethereal and electro, but a little saccharin to cut it as mood music, and not exciting enough to be a pop tune. Twinkling keys remind me of the soundtrack to a wedding video, and whilst I’m sure it will do fine, it’s not one for me.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzF483KOH48]

Is there something in the fjords?

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:32:31 +0000

Norway. Officially titled Kingdom of Norway, this northern European country of 4.5 million people is best known for its beautiful fjords, cold climate, having the highest GDP in the world…and being a hot bed of musical talent? Harrys Gym and Katzenjammerare two very different, and more than very decent, bands to emerge.

The Norwegian seasonal cycles of six months of darkness followed by six months of light must do weird things to the mind. The evidence of Harrys Gym suggests that it must also do wonderful things for the music. In equal parts forbidding and frozen and delicate and personal, the hazy vibes of this four piece encapsulate the raw reality of the human experience. New single ‘Attic’ is a narcotic swirl of forceful intimacy that pulses along with intensity. Synths are enmeshed in a soulful swirling of slow guitars, and the captivatingly androgynous vocals intertwined are muscular and poetic, like a gossamer metal, or something equally incongruous. The bleak terrain of ice and all its frosty desolation has never been so appealing.
Take four captivating girls, thirty odd instruments, at least a dozen genres, stir it all together, chuck in some sparkle, and what do you have. Katzenjammer! This feisty raucous hodgepodge of folk, pop, Balkan, Mississipi country played on the tuba, balalaika, banjo, kazoo, glockenspiel, amongst others is wonderfully energetic, serotonin in a song. Hugely talented, Turid, Anne, Marienne and Solvig rotate instruments between and during songs, their scintillating charisma connecting with the audience, and ensuring that the sea shanty esque ‘To The Sea’ or farcical ‘A Bar In Amsterdam’ fall as far from gimmickery as they potentially could be. Single ‘Tea With Cinnamon’ is a sprightly and scintillating twee take on heartbreak. Katzenjammer’s kooky caberet is a reminder of the way entertainment once left audiences, before gloom became cool – beaming like the Cheshire cat on E, effervescent with excitement, loving life, and exclaiming ‘Paaartyyyyyyy!’

Francesca Baker