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"Over the years, I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting countless wonderful people in every corner of this beautiful planet, and a lot of times these music enthusiasts have expressed a very similar-sounding story. That our presence – whether it be via a studio recording or our ferocious show – is capable of transporting them to a better place and washing away all earthly worries. Doesn't this sound amazing – especially during these challenging times?"
This gentle voice belongs to the vocalist-guitarist Jonne Järvelä, who happens to be the creative force behind the unique Finnish ensemble KORPIKLAANI. Having experienced multiple triumphant years within the inner circle of folk-influenced heavy metal, Jonne now acknowledges his position as one of the most recognisable artists ever coming from the land of a hundred thousand lakes.

KORPIKLAANI – preceded by Jonne's own project SHAMAANI DUO (1993-1997) and the band SHAMAN (1997-2003) – was founded somewhere deep in the primeval northern forests in 2003. Ten celebrated studio albums, numerous world tours and hundreds of millions of digital streams alongside multiple other releases, have established KORPIKLAANI’s status as one of the leaders of innovative heavy music. For their diehard legion of fans, they are known as Folk Metal Superstars.

"I have always been fascinated by ancient Lappish/Samish culture and the infectious melodies of aged folk songs. However, that's only one side of the coin as I have loved rip-roaring metal since I was a frantic kid looking for some rebellious sounds. My butt was kicked by the likes of MOTÖRHEAD, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST", says Jonne.
"Since the early 2000s, KORPIKLAANI has combined these elements as we have tirelessly attempted to pump new life into the ancient tales of joy and heartbreak, and added the enormous energy of current heavy metal into that folk metal melting pot.We have always been on a mission to create something new and unprecedented."

Here and now, KORPIKLAANI’s fearless journey continues on – and this time, the journey is powered by rather serious subject matter. Their eleventh full-length studio record "Jylhä" (which has no direct translation but can be described as majestic, or wild and rugged in a beautiful way) brings all the well-known and essential ingredients to the table: heavy-duty guitar riffing, rhythmic folk melodies and more.

What about the tales of the wilderness then? The fascinating and miscellaneous tales have always been a crucial part of KORPIKLAANI’s journey within the realms of unspoiled Finnish nature, ancient Scandinavian myths, shamanistic voyages and beyond. "Did I already mention that "Jylhä" offers some new angles?", the singer/guitarist laughs. "Well, lyrically, there are definitely some previously unknown passages – such as fables connected to the infamous Lake Bodom murders in Southern Finland in early 1960s."

KORPIKLAANI’s long-time lyricist Tuomas Keskimäki – the renowned Finnish poet and author, comments: "When I am coming up with narratives, interesting wordplays and other ideas for KORPIKLAANI, I often feel like I am diving into some absorbing fantasy world. I would describe this state of mind as some kind of a deep trance", says Keskimäki.
"As a whole textual piece, "Jylhä" is rather widespread. For example, there are stories about the fragility of life, revealed by using nature metaphors. ‘Miero’ is one of these tales: after all, it's a fact that the lifetime of a human being is just one blink of an eye compared to the eternal aeons of the cosmos."
"On the darker side, there are several murder songs - I wasn't really planning these rather untraditional lyrics, they just happened... One of these is ‘Kiuru’, and that story is inspired by a famous Finnish double homicide case, which took place in the small village of Tulilahti in 1959. In these lyrics, the character called Kiuru – Skylark in English – acts as eyewitness and a prophet, but at the same time, this creature also functions as an allegory of many things... All in all, I am really happy with the lyrics and all these new themes!"

When asked about his current sentiment regarding the new KORPIKLAANI opus "Jylhä", the commander of the forest clan sighs and smiles. "Using "Jylhä" as our solid steppingstone, we are able to reach completely new heights. For me, it's crystal clear that KORPIKLANI has never been better."
It is a fitting album for our dark times, summed up well by the song ‘Huolettomat’ (The Careless). It talks about living in the present moment, alongside a story of joy and celebration. Today is today, tomorrow is uncertain.

Saga: Ólafur Stephensen 01.02.1936 – 28.04.2016 Wife: Klara Stephensen Children: Ingibjörg “Día” Ambonguilat Stephensen, Stephan Stephensen, Magnús Stephensen & Ólafur Björn Stephensen

Ólafur was born in Reykjavik. His parents were Stephan Stephensen, a shopkeeper at Verðandi, and Ingibjörg Stephensen, a housewife.


Ólafur graduated from The Commercial College of Iceland on June 16, 1956 and then studied public relations as well as marketing and propaganda at Columbia University in New York where he graduated in 1962.

Ólafur was a pioneer in the advertising services in Iceland which with him turned away from being solely a profession of illustrators to a new era of marketing. Ólafur touched on many subjects through his career. Alongside his study Ólafur worked for NBC News and META educational TV. He reported for UN Radio and Voice of America as well as for AFRTS under the pen name of Sonny Greco. Ólafur was the managing director of The Icelandic Red Cross, a jazz pianist in Harlem, the spokesperson for the media center of the NATO ministerial summit in Reykjavík in 1968 and hosted a program on the Icelandic National Television. Ólafur was the first Scandinavian citizen to become a member of the Advertising Club of New York, the first president of the Reykjavik chapter of JC as well as the first vice-president of JC International, the host of a jazz program on Icelandic National Radio, a judge for the American Advertising Awards and an active Freemason in Iceland as well as Portugal. Ólafur was awarded a Badge of Honour by the Finnish Red Cross in 1967.

Ólafur founded both ÓSA advertising agency and later Gott Fólk and was the first elected president of the Icelandic Advertising Association. He wrote a large number of published newspaper and magazine articles on his trade of advertising and marketing and released a book on the subject, “New and Better”, in 1987. Ólafur Stephensen released three jazz albums with his jazz trio named Tríó Óla Steph, played music both in Iceland as well as internationally with various jazz combos and was a big fencing enthusiast.

‘Nordic Soul’ singer, producer, composer and DJ Astrid Engberg feels the light on new album, Tulpa. Overcoming a life-changing brain trauma through sonic explorations of contemporary electronic-organic jazz layered with strings, horns and percussive minimalism. Interplaying between contemporary soul, classical, electronic music, jazz improvisation and her hiphop roots, Astrid sketches sonic landscapes that are both steeped in her Scandinavian roots and infused with the kaleidoscopic hues of her many travels.

Principal is the new solo project by producer and musician Rasmus Allin, who’s first album Treacherous Dub will be released on the Copenhagen-based label StereoRoyal in July 2020.

Best described as an homage to old-school Jamaican dub, Principal’s music features live recorded drums and other instruments. Fused with electronic elements, it celebrates the sound of the original dub pioneers.

Born in 1970, Rasmus Allin has been working as a producer, musician, and songwriter since the mid-nineties, primarily within the realm of electronic music. Inspired by the British trip hop and drum ‘n’ bass scene, he soon gravitated towards Jamaican dub, rocksteady, and reggae. "I found my inspiration in the old Jamaican dub masters like Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, and Scientist. I’ve spent endless hours in the studio trying to replicate their sound, using old tape delays, filter boxes, and modulation effects,” he says.

In 2002, Allin formed the band Junkyard Productions, playing major venues and festivals like Elysee Montmartre, Le Triptyque, Télérama Dub Festival, and Roskilde Festival while touring through Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and France. Alongside this, he continued to hone his skills in producing, co-writing, and remixing music, working with top Danish pop and reggae acts the likes of Natasja, Pharfar, Wafande, Shaka Loveless, and the British girl band All Saints.

Treacherous Dub will be released on vinyl and all major streaming platforms, and will be Allin’s first album of pure instrumental dub tracks —an ambition he’s been wanting to fulfil for years. Marking his debut as a solo artist, the album also marks his premiere as a visual artist, with the album cover lithograph made by Allin himself. For Rasmus Allin, the collaboration with StereoRoyal offered “the perfect opportunity to give the tracks the finishing touches.”

StereoRoyal is a Danish library music label founded in 2010 by and specializes in off-kilter music for film and TV. Originally, the label focused on electronic genres, but over the years has grown to include a broader variety of music produced by some of the most talented composers in Scandinavia.

Entitled ‘My Heart Is Hungry And The Days Go By So Quickly’ Danish singer and songwriter Jacob Bellens presents his fifth solo album. Thanks to his unique voice and his talent for heartfelt melodies, over the years Jacob, also known as frontman of I Got You On Tape and Murder, has become one of the most distinctive figures on the Scandinavian music scene. Slightly darker in tone than its predecessors ‘Trail Of Intuition’ (2018) or ‘Polyester Skin’ (2016), the new album lets us see the world through Jacob’s eyes.
Somewhere between left-field pop and a classical singer/songwriter approach, the songs were recorded in two sessions with producer Mads Brinch, drummer Tobias Laust, bass player Jonas Westergaard, keyboardist Malthe Rostrup and guitarist Tobias Fuglsang. “So many good friends and amazing instrumentalists have contributed to the sound“, explained Jacob. “And mostly, people were playing what they felt the song needed, which was an incredibly inspiring way of just letting the process develop naturally, and take on a life of its own.” As such, the recordings give off a distinct light-footed and organic feel. Rich in metaphors, the lyrics deal with personal perceptions based on everyday life occurrences that at the same time hint at the meaning of life in general - or at least suggest a higher perspective. The sonical expression is timeless but also modernistic and the lyrical point of view is refreshingly diverse, never just black or white. The sad songs have uplifting, often surreal qualities, and the lighter, uptempo songs also invite to a certain darkness. A flower basket full of difficult emotions, sprinkled with magical fairy dust that somehow makes everything worthwhile.

pparel Music is delighted to welcome aboard one of the most talented house music producers in the scene, Goddard, who’s the protagonist of APLTD012. The twelfth release of the Apparel’s limited catalogue is a brand new 4 tracks EP called “Signals” by the Mancunian featuring a 4-hands collaboration with Harry Wolfman and a remix by Jad & The. Every single track has been chosen carefully since the beginning of the project to make this record a representative work of the artist who perfectly blends his musical knowledge with the label’s imprint. The opening track “Fourth Dimension” is a teamwork between Goddard and the above mentioned Wolfman and is the ideal start with its crunchy, slightly distorted beat, bold bassline and spacey chords and arpeggios, surely a track for the DJ’s out there to play out to a busy dancefloor. A2 is the title track “Signals” and it lowers the heartbeat, displaying all Goddard’s talent on the keys and creating an impeccable fluctuating soundscape of his musical characteristics: the beat is an oscillating, yet solid structure while the different timbres of his synths evaporate and reappear conceiving a dreamy, spacey track. Side B begins with the whimsical chords of “It’s Not So Cold In Tromso” where the artist takes the listener to a brief and intense trip to see the Norwegian northern lights; the track is made by a strong rhythm section and flighty, far-out, harmonies which really evoke Scandinavian landscapes. B2 is a free interpretation of the previous track by the Australian Jad & The who amalgamates a jungle-ish beat to Goddard’s introspective harmonic section telling his opinion on the trip to “Tromso”.

Signals EP will be released the 2nd of December on 12” vinyl and we’re more than happy to welcome Goddard to Apparel Music’s family.

orwegian techno institution Ploink launches annual series entitled Affinity with its debut release featuring names like Skatebård, HndS, Roeglin, Fraunhofer, and Priq. Based in Bergen, Ploink has been flying the flag for Norwegian techno for well over two decades, organising some of the country’s best events and festivals. Co-founded by Thomas Urv and Miss Mostly, the label was born five years ago and has since released music from an array of home-grown talent including Mental Overdrive, KSMISK, Prins Thomas, +plattform, Joaquin Ruiz, Christian Tilt, and more.

Launching the label’s new Affinity series, Berlina Für Techno’s Roeglin is first with “Norm” which opens with glitched stabs, vocals and a tight drum pattern. Picking up the pace, Fraunhofer- formerly known as Dortmund -returns to the label bringing a shuffling rhythm, crunchy cymbals and spacy synths in “Saturn”. Bergen dance music royalty Skatebård remixes “Wake Up” by London-based Scandinavian duo HndS, maintaining the energy with thumping bass and bouncing chords. Tying it all together, Norwegian producer and drummer Priq’s “Area” sweeps in with decayed keys, pulsing percussion and a gripping atmosphere.

Congestion EP is Frak's killer collab with the unconventional Go! Finger music platform. The Swedish trio shows off athletic skills producing fresh modern techno bangers, on the heels of a three decade trajectory, filled with countless highly appreciated releases. Some kind of "glorious habit", captured this time by the catchy Madrid label on vinyl. Bizarre 4/4 analogue-treated techno madness at its best! A brilliant vinyl slice of yesterday and today's nastiest Scandinavian floor-destroyer-dance-punk weirdo science.

Trentemøller returns with his fifth studio album 'Obverse' in September 2019! Anders Trentemøller is a well-known multi-instrumentalist, but perhaps the one he’s most adept at is the studio itself. 'Obverse' is the result of him expanding that skill even further. 'Obverse' often feels like an instrumental album because it started life as one, the driving philosophy being “what if the pressure of having to perform these songs live is removed entirely?” Granting yourself the freedom to chase down every idea a studio offers comes with privileges. What happens when you reverse a synth part mid-verse? Why not send an entire track through a faulty distortion pedal? Inspiration reveals itself in a variety of forms and, before long, a simple chord progression contorts into something entirely new. It’s a work method that yielded great results for the legendary German Kosmiche/Motorik experimentalists of the 1970’s. Intentional or not, 'Obverse' embodies more than a little of that spirit without even a hint of pastiche.

So it only makes sense that 'Obverse' would stray from its original roadmap. In due time, half of the nascent compositions featured singers, including Lina Tullgren, Lisbet Fritze, and jennylee, of Warpaint, another band deeply influenced by dream pop. While 'Obverse' was born from a different work ethic than previous efforts, it also continues an arc that started in 2006. Each successive effort has represented a logical next step beyond the album before, and 'Obverse' absolutely picks up where Fixion left off.

For the past decade Trentemøller has been perfecting this form of sonic chiaroscuro to conjure up images of severe landscapes, and to mirror the Scandinavian climate, where half the year the sun barely sets, and the other it barely tops the horizon. While there has been a film noir element in his previous work, 'Obverse' is the first time each song has felt like a collection of pocket soundtracks.

By fusing together a love of dream pop, dark synth-based music, film scores, and a deep connection with the stark Nordic panoramas, Anders has created an inimitable language. Ultimately 'Obverse' resides in a genre all its own.

Elossa Records proudly present it’s second release; PEU 2! PEU is Scandinavian Italo-Disco from Espoo, Finland. Emotional, serious and powerful music, produced by Lassi Jahnsson and Teemu Keisteri.

MUTANT- TECHNO TRACKS FROM SHINOBY.
FRAK DELIVERS A REMIX OF A BIZARRE BRAND OF SCANDINAVIAN TECHNO. IT'S WIDE ARRAY OF DANCEFLOOR FOCUSED ANALOGUE MAYHEM! TIP!

Norwegian techno label PLOINK returns with ‘Kambodsja Work’ EP from co-founder Thomas Urv.
With over two decades of experience running techno events in Norway, Thomas Urv and Miss Mostly’s PLOINK set up as a label in 2014 and has since acted as a platform for an array of talent hailing from Scandinavia. Artists like Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, KSMISK, Christian Tilt, +plattform, and more have all made contributions to the imprint, which releases mind-bending techno out of its base in the idyllic city of Bergen.
Erratic subs, floating pads and unearthly vocals form ‘Trump Is Cartman’, leading into the pumping kick and metallic FX of ‘Sockets Below’. Next up, ‘Cambodian Chipher’ reveals industrial drums and electric piano before moving into the shuffling beat, rolling bass and rhythmic drones of ‘Ustaoset2019’.

The sixth and final part of Eel Behaviour is here. Opening up with the pacy, acid-tinged power of Panmella Calix's "Tip", you could be forgiven for thinking that this dancefloor destroyer out of Scandinavia was made in the mid-nineties (and you could be right!). Suneel Shark's "Blunt But Fair" got lost in the Irish Sea many times before we finally reeled in the DAT on a fishing trip close to Portmarnock. The Arctic Ocean resident sprung out of the water on this one, in naturally fast and slippery style.

On the flip, French techno supremo Zadig delivers an acid-rave-breakbeat combo on "Red Eye", recalling the early era of labels like UR, Missile and Synewave, and creating a massive bomb in the process. That then brings us to Jon Hussey, who wraps up the record with an expert slice of bubbling, trippy acid. "Engine Brood" and its hypnotic properties transport us to another dimension, and the end stop on our Eel Behaviour journey. As ever, artwork is from Adult Art Club's Jonny Costello, with this one coming on clear vinyl.

Jan Bertil Svensson: co-founder of the legendary Börft Records, member of arch techno-primitivists Frak, the man responsible for Villa Abo and all-round underground don active in the field of machine music since 1987!

Whilst Jan's output will always conjure comparisons to Techno with a capital T, he has (and continues to) plough a singular and peculiar path in the realm of electronic music. For the Glasgow-based Full Dose, he presents his first ever solo 12' under the name of J.B.S: a four tracker of sluggish, minimal funk that bears the hallmarks of his most classic work as Villa Abo, and adds dashes of the brutal grit that his Studio SS project is infamous for. If there's any sort of recurring theme in Svensson's work, it's playfulness and humour, a particular Scandinavian form of sonic banter that cuts right through the po-faced, black-clad heteronomy of much of today's electronic landscape. The music on this record, with it's odd blend of stripped-back synth pop and brutish dungeon funk evokes exactly that: a body of work that doesn't even seem capable of taking itself too seriously, yet evades anything resembling a recognisable piss take. After all, nobody said that humour and credibility in music had to be mutually exclusive, and J.B.S is a master at weaving the two together at will.

In a world where dance music is often subjected to ludicrous conceptual analysis, sometimes the combined effect of hot circuitry, sincerity, vivaciousness and an anomalous attitude are the only thing for it. But then again, this is not just dance music either...

A long time ago, in a Norway far far away in time, keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft introduced his New Conception of Jazz to the world. We're talking about the late 90s, when Bugge's cosmopolitan blend of jazz, hiphop and techno beats was pretty much the coolest music coming out of Norway at that moment. That was a golden time for Norwegian music, in fact, when the rest of the world began to sit up and take notice that something was stirring up north, and realised the music was more than just glacial tones hurtled from icy mountaintops and frozen lakes. This was the sound of urban Scandinavia.

A few years later came the electronic dance genre 'space disco'. Along with Todd Terje, Bjørn Torske and Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas was at the epicentre of this next big wave to surge out of Norway. Now, the two generations have come together in this exclusive collaboration between Bugge and Prins Thomas on the Smalltown Supersound label. Jazz and electronics combine for that energising vitamin D shot of Nordic sunshine.

The Rainbow Studio in Oslo is a familiar name to anyone who follows the ECM label - many of its classic 1970s jazz albums were recorded there under the eye of resident producer Jan Erik Kongshaug. Bugge and Thomas booked a couple of sessions at the legendary space with Kongshaug at the controls, and improvised some tunes in the style and spirit of some of their favourite ECM moments, like the fresh, open sounds of Codona, Egberto Gismonti, Oregon and Kenny Wheeler. Bugge had previously done a remix of Thomas's 'Bobletekno' in 2015 but this is the first time they have worked together as active musicians. The results - also partly taped at Thomas's home studio - fuse programmed rhythms, live synths and percussion, all captured in a sumptuously spacious acoustic.

For an even more authentic touch they called up one of their all time local heroes and one of Norway's most famous jazz drummers, Jon Christensen, who's been the go-to guy for Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Keith Jarrett and many more. At 75 years he's still pretty spry behind the kit, as you'll hear on several tracks here.

Make no mistake, though, this is not retro pastiche but contemporary music, coasting on gently insistent programmed grooves and bubbling basslines. The whole thing feels not so much like a consciously hip fusion of DJ and jazz musician, more like two great musicians totally enjoying themselves. Which is exactly what it is.

Key facts:
Bugge Wesseltoft is one of Norway's leading jazz figures. He set up Jazzland Recordings in 1996. His solo Christmas LP It's Snowing On My Piano remains Norway's best selling jazz album!

Prins Thomas's real name is Thomas Hermansen. His label, Full Pupp, means 'full breast'. He's released several albums under his own name, as well as collaborations with Bjørn Torske and Lindström. Check out his amazing Paradise Goulash mixtapes.

2x12"

Scandinavian duo KSMISK return to Norwegian techno imprint PLOINK to drop their debut album this
February. Real names Truls Kvam and Robin Crafoord, KSMISK made a name for themselves as Trulz & Robin with releases on Planet Noise and Cymasonic, not to mention Prins Thomas' Full Pupp and Rett I Fletta. Since launching their KSMISK project in 2015 the pair have returned to some of these labels whilst also dropping two releases on renowned Bergen-based techno label PLOINK, of which 2017's 'Magma EP' is the precursor to their inaugural album 'Mikrometeorittene'.
Opening the package is the ominous and beatless 'Lonsdaleite', setting the tone for an otherworldly aesthetic throughout. Off-kilter kicks then rain down in 'Silicate' as sinister drones ebb in and out of the mix before meandering back into a ghostly ambient cut named 'Vesta'. Crunchy percussion and tantalising atmospherics then make up 'Blitz', moving into the twisted and syncopated 'Marinate' until the raw sounding 'Spherules' exhibits a compelling groove combined with echoing effects. The dusky 'Wustite' sees the album retreat from 4/4 once again, returning for the effervescent 'Westergas' before concluding on a melancholic outro entitled 'Chondrites'. For this release 2x12' LP PLOINK will release 100 numbered and limited grey vinyl as well as the usual black vinyl.

Malmö's own Sune fills in for Better Listen's tenth release, continuing a run of sweet Scandinavian finds for the label.

The Butter Love EP is a true reflection of the Crime City man's sound; jovial, dusty disco and soul samples adorned by heady drum machine programming.

Temperatures are dropping and we're all feeling the effects. Bordello A Parigi is letting the cold winds of the north swirl inside its doors with Russia's Volta Cab bringing a fresh 2LP to the table. A spread of influences come together for the eleven tracks of Rise Again. Take 'Emerald's Phantasy', a piece built on layers of percussion that blends elements of disco with notes of techno. 'Dark Room' is a different affair. Arctic chords are cut with electro and distant vocals for an unsettling treat. 'Kruger' stomps to a terse beat before lush pads bloom in a work that builds to dizzying peaks. Warm blasts balance these colder moments, the rich grooves of 'Savage Fury', the floor filling funk of 'Board Scandinavia' and the removed romance of 'Sweet Exorcist' all show another shade to the Volta Cab sound and of course there's more. Rise Again is an audio collection of vibrant colours and hues, tracks pitch from icy blues to autumnal ambers and fiery reds; a musical kaleidoscope that stretches across a spectrum of styles.

Written, performed and produced by Thomas Moen Hermansen @M57 Studios Asker Jan-Sept 2016

Published by Smalltown Supermusic/Sony ATV Scandinavia

Mastered by Schnittstelle , Photos by Ragnhild Fors, Design by Metric Design

After the slightly more conceptual "Principe del Norte"album, "5" takes two steps forward and one step back
collecting a batch of tracks that was recorded right after it's preceder and in tandem with the recent "Square One"album with Bjørn Torske.
A "freedom"album of sorts, beyond the slightly misleading album opener "Here comes the band" there's a variety in these tracks tracing inspiration from 35 years (unhealthy)obsession with all things "good music" played enthusiastically.
"5" also marks the launch of my new label "Prins Thomas Musikk".

A run through the tracks with a couple of hints to titles and inspiration:

"Here comes the band"
A planned album of a fake band consisiting of me only was ditched. This is their only entry...
Very loosely inspired by "Bandwagonesque"era Teenage Fanclub

"Villajoyosa"
Melodic ideas hummed into a handheld recorded and specific notes about instrumentation scribbled down while on holiday in Villajoyosa in Spain turned into this little ditty when back in slightly colder Norway.

"Bronchi Beat"
Made in bed during a rough patch of bronchitis. Heavily influenced by prescription cough medicine.
Orbe from Madrid made a dizzy techno version which comes out soon enough...

""
I find great inspiration in working on new ideas while travelling the skies. Partly inspired by a detour into the soundtrack of my early teens (Paul Hardcastle, Warp 9, Maze, Mtume...)this particular one was started on a bumpy flight home from Athens and later finished in my tiny M57 Studio(R.I.P.)

"Æ"
Another bronchitis-ridden idea. Slow and low is the tempo. Beat originally inspired by Brian Briggs "AEO", melodies beamed in from Wally Badarou.
"Æ"is the norwegian pronounciation of the A in Acid refering to the 303 screeches going through the "song"

"Ø"
By the title you might think I'm running out of ideas. Not sure what happened here and why...

"Lunga Strada"
The track that took me the longest to complete hence the "long road".
Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes which will
be released on a separate 10"

"London til Lisboa"
Another idea made on a plane when I should have tried to catch some sleep.
Direction steered by Plaid and Pat Metheny. Thank you for the inspiration

"Å"
Initially the final track AND then: scrapped idea for the alphabet soup of "Principe del Norte".
Later evolved into what we have here. Comes with a really nice remix by Pional on a separate 12"

"Venter på Torske"
The final recorded addition to the album. Made while waiting for Bjørn Torske to reply on a text message...

"Aske Hermansen"
In all seriousness, this is probably as soppy as it gets with me.
Tears into my computer keyboard, made on the road missing my wife and kids.

Andre Bratten was born in Oslo and grew up in a suburb of the Norwegian capital, which borders on the deep, dark Scandinavian forest. Like most kids in the late 1990s, he was bitten by the hiphop bug, but he also got turned on by the Led Zeppelin records he picked out from his father's record collection. He's broadminded enough to be into everything from the Norwegian electronica masters Røyksopp to Metro Area, Sigur Rós, Eno, Cluster and Weather Report. Currently dwelling in the heart of the city, his efforts with the synthesizer coincided with a huge boom in Norwegian electronic music, his productions recently came to the attention of Norwegian 'cosmic disco' mogul Prins Thomas and his Full Pupp colony. Andre's tracks share the exploratory vibe of the 80s synth pop pioneers, and misfit electronic pop musicians like John Foxx, who were forced learning to sculpt new sounds with new tools. Yet he updates those sounds to a contemporary rhythm matrix, in parallel with the dayglo analogue dance music of Lindstrøm, Todd Terje and Prins Thomas himself - and he just happens to share the central Oslo studio space used by that glorious trinity. But Andre has always known his own mind and was never going to be content with being just another anonymous insect in the logpile. So his debut album, Be A Man You Ant, is a string individual statement, his 'I am Spartacus!' moment. It computes almost infinite variations on the sounds he could extract from a single modular synthesizer - 'the limitations are inspiring', he says. So you'll find squelchy bugs in the bassbin, weird analogue squeegee smears, bright drum machine splats and the occasional significant pause. The spaces in his music are at least as important as what fills it.

KSMISK drop three atmospheric techno cuts for their second release on Norwayís PLOINK this August.
Made up of Truls Kvam and Robin Crafoord, the Scandinavian duo are well known under their Trulz & Robin moniker and have released on the likes of Prins Thomasí labels Full Pupp and Rett i Fletta, not to mention their own imprints Cymasonic and Cymawax.

ëMagmaí is a deep and mesmerising production that continues to evolve as more elements are incorporated, blending crunchy kicks with serene pads and otherworldly effects.
ëLavaí is a dark and suspenseful number in comparison, establishing a raw hook and ominous nuances at its base whilst sci-fi inspired synths cut in and out of the mix.
Finally, an ebbing beatless track titled ëTuyaí generates a melancholic aesthetic to conclude the release.


Mixmag - September 2017 (Techno Review):
'Seductive stuff from one of our favourite labels (..)
Ploink is fast becomming one of our favourite techno labels, and the Norway-based imprint brings the goods once again with this killer new cut from KSMISK. Magma is probably about as deep as the earth's own magma pools, with a bassline that penetrates every atom of your being as it pulls you into its seductive web.'
9/10

REPRESSED !!
Frak are Björn Isgren, Johan Sturesson and Jan Svensson, a trio of synthesizer lovers from Sweden. The band was formed when Svensson and Isgren's older sisters were best friends and they introduced their little brothers to each other. Inspired by Severed Heads, DAF, Human League, Devo, Skinny Puppy, the boys began collecting analog equipment and started Studio Styrka. While the band were still in their early teens they released the first FRAK cassette album in 1987 on their own record label Börft.

Almost 30 years later, FRAK continue to release their bizarre brand of Scandinavian techno with their debut release on Dark Entries. 'Sudden Haircut' was recorded in 2015, a ten-minute brooding, heavy hitting acid attack full of 808 drum claps aimed at the dance floor. The three remaining songs come from a studio tape the band found in their archives named 'FRAK "After The Silence" 2001-2010' 'Synthgök' and 'Synthfrilla' were recorded in 2010 and originally released on the 'Börft' EP by Sex Tag Mania in 2012. Utilizing a 808, 303, 101 and MS-10, both are supreme cuts of electro leaning acid techno that perfectly fit the sweatiest moments of any club land experience. The deliciously rugged final track 'First Glimt I Ögat' is a vintage unreleased Frak song from 2001 recorded one month before the track 'Second Coming' (later released as B1 on 'Börft' EP).

All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Designer Eloise Leigh has created a playful DIY jacket based on a mysterious black and white photo of the band in their classic tin foil masks. Each copy comes with a black and white postcard featuring a distorted back stage photo of FRAK in their teens. 'Forget all you know about Swedish electronic music, this is Börft crew, the core underground of "söta bror's" techno history - here represented by Frak - a full out techno acid punch.' Juno Records

Your Planet Is Next: a bold threat! Are we talking about Earth The apocalypse Well, with the Doomsday Clock set 30 seconds closer to catastrophe following recent political happenings, Arvid Wretman might be on to something. Or is it a message for planets beyond; a warning of our inevitable interplanetary colonialism in light of the above Wretman's celestial, machine-driven other worldly tracks suggest an attempt to communicate beyond the realms of E*rth.

Making his recorded debut in 2014 with a limited edition self-released cassette tape, Your Planet Is Next quickly caught the ears of those paying attention. He followed up with Junk Yard Connection's debut long player, featuring a more refined set of electro productions that bounced jovially, chugged menacingly and punched erratically and since then; has released a more dusty, experimental cassette offering on Opal Tapes as well as a fantastically lighthearted and life affirming EP for Studio Barnhus (featuring a cover of Cher's 'Believe', believe it or not!)

Fast forward to 2017 and Arvid crash lands on planet Acid Waxa (rumoured to be something of a spiritual home coming) in slick Scandinavian style with I Just Disco; 4 irresistible cuts spanning acid, house, electro and outsider pop at it's most charming and with a tour of the UK to boot!

CA2+ first appeared on last years compilation Scandinavian Swords II and Gait Cycle EP further showcase excellent, sterile and cerebral noise rhythms from this upcoming Stockholm producer.

Double 180 gram, half-speed vinyl re-release of the orchestral epic. Norwegian Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed masterpiece «The Mechanical Fair» finally gets it's long awaited vinyl release

Jampacked with a wellspring of harmonic slingshots, pumping beats and melodic rollercoasters, critics called The Mechanical Fair «the best movie you'll never see» and drew comparisons to Igor Stravinsky's «The Rite of Spring» upon it's original release in 2014. It's apparent appeal to an surprisingly wide range of musical communities finally brought it right into DJ dance-wiz Todd Terje's hands. And make no mistake: the physicist hands doesn't settle for an iPad. It craves vinyl. His wholehearted endorsement led the captain of the Olsen Family to clear the rights, assemble his own killer remix and requisition Grammy-winning cutting engineer Matt Colton for a gorgeous double 180 gram, half-speed vinyl re-release of the orchestral epic.

Originally written for a quintet including heavily merited jazz cats Erik Nylander, Ole Morten Vågan, Petter Vågan and Even Helte Hermansen in 2013, The Mechanical Fair expanded at the initiative of the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, growing bolder and more powerful with the addition of the adventurous and Grammy-winning chamber orchestra The Trondheim Soloists in 2014.

Having just spearheaded seven genre-blending shows in just six days as the «Artist in Residence» of this years prestigious Molde International Jazz Festival, the multi award-winning Norwegian violinist/multiinstrumentalist, composer and producer Ola Kvernberg (35) can look back at an already impressive recording- and performing career. The once 17 year old jazz manouche violin sensation quickly and impatiently moved beyond the jazz realm for inspiration - resulting in seven albums as a solo artist, eight feature films as a movie score composer and countless additional recordings as a sideman. His list of collaborators range from jazz legends Pat Metheny and Joshua Redman, via post/prog-rock act Motorpsycho, to collaborations with world renowned novelists Lars Saabye Christensen and Jo Nesbø. His fearless attitude and relentless drive towards the boundaries of genres has given him a well-earned high standing on the Scandinavian scene today.

Don't miss out on this rollercoasting, genre-twisting magnum opus as it finally hits is true potential on the Olsen label on November 11 this fall.

Meet Thorsteinssøn. The Iceland-born-Denmark-bred Gunnar Thor Viggosson better known as one half of 76-79 with Tommy Vicari Jnr and bossman at Comfortable Records and Vanity. Right now, though, we're calling him the man behind the first Pets artist album this year... Deliciously cosmic and cheerily schizophrenic, 'Academy Of Heroes' is inspired by a brilliant creative project Thorsteinssøn practiced during his years living in Amsterdam: Solar Industry Radio. A project that would begin with a made up artist or band name in styles ranging from cosmic funk,scandinavien disco to noise collages of the galaxies. A joyously backwards project that inspired a rich rainbow of styles, the content was then represented 24/7 online, collaged with strange jingles and sifi snippets. Genius. Returning to those creations, Thorsteinssøn and Pets have weaved together a full album that cherry picks from his thunderous proliferation: from the strutting west coast deep house of '1976' to the introverted electro boogie of 'N M T F R' by way of the poignant chords of 'Untitled Disco Six', the wry acid wriggles of 'Channel DISQ' and the Trans Am twinkles of 'Beneath A Steel Sky', the 14 collection acts as an immersive, timeless collage. A smorgasbord of synthetic exploration, rich in sci-fi, space and robotic sympathy, pieced together with the same spirit of his cult radio transmissions, it works just as well on the cans as it does in the dance... And it's en route with an equally alluring package of remixes. An album, a radio show for freaks or simply a journey into Thorsteinssøns world.. Whatever... He really is a creative maverick. !

Launched in 1996, PLOINK has been a core brand in Norwegian techno for two decades now, booking the likes of Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Carl Cox, Radio Slave and Richie Hawtin, as well as launching a
record label that champions Scandinavian artists. With the likes of Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, Nordenstam, Mind Over MIDI and label founder Thomas Urv appearing thus far, 96-16#3 is the third and final
instalment in the 20-year celebratory releases.
One of Norway's well established electro/techno artists over the past 15 years, Skatebård begins proceedings with the sinister 'Kapitalsystemets Belastning' featuring menacing bass and otherworldly synths,
before Bergen's Kahuun demonstrates a concoction of keys, effects and atmospherics with 'Sherlock'.
Next, Kristiansand's +plattform, who's just launched his Graatone imprint, introduces powerful kicks and eerie drones in 'Reluctant', making way for the percussive and rhythmic 'Helle Farben' from analogue-loving duo Dormund. Faarikaal Records founder Henrik S' 'Phobos' then ventures into sci-fi realms with spacey aesthetics and echoing stabs until Krill Music boss Espen Lauritzen ties up the release with the intricately produced 'Tromsø'.

Our planet... IS NEXT! Yes, this is in fact the case, at least according to one Stockholmdwelling, 30-something (wishes-he-was-a) failed pop star, real name Arvid Wretman. Just how he fell from his position as poster boy of Kärrtorp's ever-vibrant noise scene to the pill-popping, Cher-covering discotheque pleaser standing before us today, we could not tell you. What we do know is that Studio Barnhus stands ready to ride that cash train all the way 'til the bitter end! So yeah, wanna pop some pills Or do you wanna chill Varför alltid dansa och spela det ena ...and do you, or not, believe in life after love These and many other questions are posed, but never answered, on this YPIN EP, the starting point of what we hope will be a particularly lucrative bizniz venture between those two powerhouses of Scandi-tronica, Your Planet Is Next and Studio Barnhus. PS. Your Planet Is Next's live show will bring added marketing value and guaranteed customer satisfaction to your dance party

Thomas Urv and Miss Mostly's Norwegian techno imprint PLOINK drops the second in its trilogy of releases celebrating the brand's 20-year anniversary.
Following on from the first release that featured renowned Scandinavian artists such as Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, Urhaug, Nordenstam, Christian Tilt and Hutmacher, the label's next outing sees five more
members of the local scene make appearances.
First up, promising newcomer Saftronic drops the chuggy 'Exit', incorporating soaring synths and spellbinding atmospherics, before PLOINK founder Thomas Urv, who's also preparing the label's debut album, delivers a dense low-end and infectious whirrs in 'Set Lucky'.
Known for his longstanding contribution to ambient and techno with releases on Beatservice, Club Craft, Berserk Fabric, Diametric and Silent Season, renowned Norwegian producer Mind Over MIDI crafts intricate
arpeggios and echoing effects in the arctic inspired 'Ice Plains'.
Releasing on PLOINK before, KSMISK, who are also known as Trulz & Robin, conjure up a sinister production named 'Yme' that features dusky aesthetics and twisted nuances, until Argentinian born CementO concludes the package with the undulating 'Nordisk Skjønnhet'.

In autumn 2015, Swedish dream-pop duo Korallreven bid us all farewell by releasing the "round-the-world-in-a-day" sounding final single Here In Iowa, alongside memorable shows in New York City and Scandinavia. Now, they return for one last time with a disco dub dream remix of said song by the mighty Peaking Lights. This forms part of a 12" EP released by Be With Records. The record - limited to just 500 copies - will see its worldwide release for Record Store Day on 16th April 2016.

The 12" will also, for the first time on vinyl, include Korallreven's breathtaking cover of Guns & Roses' November Rain from 2014 as well as Shine On, the duo's rework of their own 2010 single Honey Mine, featuring Taken By Trees' Victoria Bergsman.

From the guys:

"Hard to say if Here In Iowa was an end or a start of something new. You'll see! Whether or not, we hold it as one of our highest heights and, after this beautiful season, we truly deeply madly felt that it was worth some extra limelight. And hey! Thanks for the remix, Peaking Lights! It's so wonderful! Life surely is."

Hitting you like the soundtrack to some wonderful film you will never see, the depth and emotion of the sound of Farbror Resande Mac will take your breathe away.
They have crafted a wonderful EP for Back To The Balearics, which offers the listener a refreshing break from the norms of electronic music making.Across the 5 tracks they cover a variety of moods and themes with great technical skill and top class production values, while creating musical patterns that conjure up images of star studded Scandinavian skies, Balearic sunsets and the buzz of great cities at night.So why not step off the musical beaten track with Farbror Resande Mac on Back To The Balearics You won't regret taking the wander...

This sampler 12" contains a special selection of Prins Thomas edits. Includes tracks by The Mackenzie, A Thunder Orchestra, Zazou Bikaye & CY1, and A Split - Second.
Dear Vinyl Enthusiast,
Thank you for purchasing this individual Paradise Goulash sampler 12".
I've cherrypicked 4 very special songs, edited them slightly where I thought they could benefit from it, quality checked the mastering personally and made sure only the highest quality virgin vinyl was used in the pressing.
All audio has been sourced from the highest quality formats available to use and they can (should) be played loud on both big club rigs as well as on your home stereo.
Prins Thomas, 28th of July 2015

Plenty Headroom' EP is a twisted techno release from Kahuun on Scandinavian label PLOINK with remixes from anonymous Norwegian act Vakum and label boss Thomas Urv.
PLOINK started life as a club in Bergen where it has hosted the biggest techno parties in the region. 2014 saw it expand into an imprint, supporting Norwegian artists with releases from the likes of Vakum, Nordenstam, Christian Tilt and label founder Thomas Urv. Bergen producer Kahuun has been DJing across Europe for well over two decades now and saw his first 12' on Paper Recordings in 1999 followed by a string of releases on the likes of Hi Fi Terapi, Bagpak Records and Sex Tags UFO.
'Plenty Headroom' incorporates stabbing, abrasive pads that tumble downwards over a muted, staccato bass and a 4/4 beat. 'Enlargement' then gets more frantic with a faster tempo and galloping bounce, overlayed with punchy warm synth sounds. Thomas Urv's remix of 'Plenty Headroom' delivers the darkness one would expect from the PLOINK founder, underpinned by a crunchy, compressed sub bass line. Tying everything up Vakum's rendition demonstrates a heady buzzing synth that builds a tension over a pounding four to the floor.

Recorded in a Bunker somewhere in the ancient basque region, Sagas of Subterranean life is a collection of 5 sagas that are heavily influenced by Scandinavian life and European culture in general. Showcasing a versatile collection of 5 bits that range from moving distorted house jams to synth blops and violating techno, ''NORSE'' is not just a collaboration between soul notes head honcho ''Kastil'' and Rotterdam based ''Gitchell Moore'', it's also a project that tends to avoid genre-restrictions and box thinking.

Odd Sequences X Violating Drum Patterns X Palindrome Titles = Sagas of Subterranean life.

SUPPORTED BY:
RODHAD, DAVE CLARKE, DEEP SPACE HELSINKI, ARNAUD LE TEXIER, STRANGER, ASAN REGAL, EXIUM, RAIZ, HECTOR OAKS, VIKTORIA, EKSERD, XHEI, GREY PEOPLE, TOM TRAGO, PAUL MAC, POSTHUMAN, PHOTONZ, JONAS KOPP, DVS1, TOMMY FOUR SEVEN, BAS MOOY, EOMAC, RUB-N-TUG, TENSNAKE, RANDOMER, EL TXEF A , FABRICE LIG, LAST WALTZ, PERTHIL, DENITE, TRUNCATE, DARKFLOOR, DEEPBASS, BLEAK, NX1, KLANKMAN, LAURENT GARNIER, MARCEL DETTMANN, HEKKLA,