Music Business in Norway

Music
Business
in Norway
edition 6 midem 2003
Sondre Lerche
business contacts
Gåte
Terje Rypdal
local acts
Satyricon
market profile
Johanna Demker
essential releases
Kaizers Orchestra
Maja Ratke
Bertine Zetlitz
welcome
norway now
It’s one thing to say that Norwegian music is creative,
exciting, extremely well written and professionally produced. But it’s another thing to be able to back it all up
with numbers.
The Norwegian music industry is virtually unique
among the world’s markets in that it has seen sales
increase over the last few months – bucking the downward trend that seems entrenched in most other international territories.
But what is it that is attracting these new and returning
customers to the joys of music? Sales figures show that
Norwegians are buying Norwegian music – and they are
buying a wider range of artists and genres than ever
before. International audiences are also catching the
Norwegian fever with artists of all types gaining fans
across the globe.
While many of these are artists that you would expect
to do well internationally, some of this year’s top sellers
have been unusual acts from tiny independent labels.
Whatever the genre, Norwegian artists build their audiences the old-fashioned way: with wonderfully creative
music and a lot of hard work. And that approach is spilling over to the international marketplace with rising
exports of Norwegian albums and artists – another trend
that looks to be steadily increasing.
Come hear what all the fuss is about!
Inger Dirdal, Managing Director
Music Export Norway
news
come rain come shine
COME SHINE
During the past few years, a number of contemporary jazz
albums have entered the Norwegian album sales charts. In
November 2002, the young quartet Come Shine entered the
top 40 with their second album of jazz standards, Do Do
That Voodoo.
Singer Live Maria Roggen, pianist and arranger Eivind
Skomsvoll, drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen and bassist
Sondre Meisfjord have been giving Norwegian jazz new contemporary directions through other projects. As Come
Shine, their daring and respectful interpretations of songs by
so cato salsa
is back in town
They rock, they dance, they sing in perfect harmonies –
and they are among the best live bands Norway has ever
seen. And Cato Salsa Experience are just getting started. This deliciously groovy quartet caused a stir among
garage rock aficionados when they released their debut
album A Good Tip For A Good Time, which included the
underground hit “So, The Circus Is Back In Town,” in
2000.
When Swedish acts such as The Hives, Division Of
Laura Lee and International (Noise) Conspiracy made
Scandinavian garage rock a hot item all around the
world, the press soon set their sights on Cato Salsa
Experience, who with their classic sixties songs and raw
the Gershwins, Cole Porter and the like reach the hearts of
both contemporary jazz lovers and the more conservative
audience and critics.
These timeless jazz hits are merciless in determining the
qualities of a jazz performer. Come Shine's concerts and
both of their albums have made critics embrace them as a
truly shining example, including American Michael Bourne of
Down Beat. Come Shine recently toured Vietnam and India,
and will tour the Nordic countries in 2003.
www.comeshine.com
www.curlinglegs.no
sound is a band the world has been longing for. Even
high-brow U.S. magazine Vanity Fair featured Cato Salsa
Experience in a piece on Scandinavian rock acts.
The hype soon became international, and after brief
U.S. and Japanese tours, Cato Salsa Experience did a
nation-wide tour of the U.S. with the super-hot Swedish
act Soundtrack of Our Lives. The combination proved
hugely successful, as both bands share the everlasting
chase for combining the best groove available with first
class catchy pop melodies.
After releasing A Good Tip For A Good Time through
their own label Gerralda Records, Cato Salsa
Experience soon inked a U.S. deal with indie giant
Emperor Norton, and the U.S. is a high priority for the
band in 2003.
www.catosalsaexperience.com
CATO SALSA EXPERIENCE
Published by Music Export Norway
P.O.Box 110 Smestad, N - 0309 OSLO
Tel +47 24 12 96 99 Fax +47 24 12 96 98
Editorial by Asbjørn Slettmark, Faro Publishing
Design: Union Design [www.union.no]
Printhouse: Bryne Offsett
Proofing: Hacate Entertainment Group
Frontpage artist: Sondre Lerche
Contributor: Marte Rognerud
Copyright: Virgin Records LTD
news
an injection of
sweetness
BE RTI NE ZETLITZ
Despite having reached just 27 years of age,
Bertine Zetlitz is one of Norway’s veteran
artists. She hit the spotlight in 1997 with the
double Spellemannpris (Norway's equivalent
to Grammy) winning Morbid Late Night
Show, while her sophomore outing Beautiful
So Far established Bertine as one of
Norway’s most promising international artists.
Songs such as “Apples and Diamonds,”
“Adore Me” and “Fate” have graced
Norwegian radio waves and given Bertine the
hits upon which she has built her huge fan
base. But unlike many pop artists, Bertine is
first and foremost an album artist. According
to her biography, when releasing her debut
album, Bertine was asked how it feels to sing
other peoples' songs. The press did not believe that a 22-year-old girl could write such
complex music, and there was soon a con
sensus among critics that Bertine's talents
were way too big for the Norwegian market
alone. Her first steps on the international
stage came when she joined the Lilith Fair
tour, touring the U.S. with artists such as
Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Sarah McLachlan and
Liz Phair.
So when work on album number three,
Sweet Injections, became serious, it only felt
right to pull in producers from the top international shelf. Magnus Fiennes, Yoad Nevo,
Howie B and Richard X have added their production magic to the haunting pop tracks – all
written by Bertine herself – and helped to
create an album that will shock, confuse and
thrill listeners in Norway and the rest of the
world. Sweet Injections is an eclectic mix of
pop, disco, house and other dark, danceable
rhythms, combined with Bertine's challenging
lyrics and beautiful vocals.
www.bertine.com
NATHALIE NORDNES
teenage daydream
The local Virgin office in Norway has a special ability to discover the best young
song writing talents in Norway. First, the well crafted and elegant pop songs of
Lene Marlin gave the Norwegian music industry one of its biggest success stories with two million albums sold world-wide. Sondre Lerche proved that you don’t
have to be more than 19 to write mature pop songs of international class with his
debut album Face Down. Obviously not satisfied, Virgin then went on to sign
Nathalie Nordnes, a teenager with the song writing skills of Laura Nyro and Joni
Mitchell and the voice of an angel. An educated piano player, Nathalie Nordnes
soon realised that she wanted to do more than play rigid versions of other peoples' compositions. Once she had started writing her own pop songs, there was
no turning back, and after being discovered by local musicians in Bergen, the
path to Virgin was short.
Nathalie Nordnes made her public debut in front of a million TV viewers when
she surprisingly did a duet with Sondre Lerche at Spellemannprisen, the
Norwegian industry's annual award show, in early 2002. Her soothing voice
made her an instant success with the audience, and expectations for her debut
album shot through the roof.
Nathalie’s debut single “All Or Nothing” is a perfect example of her song writing skills. Based on a floating piano groove, the song slowly crawls upon you and
grabs hold, just the way a good pop song should.
Nathalie Nordnes’ debut album will be released in the spring of 2003.
www.nathalienordnes.com
news
TURBONEGRO
darkness and denim
sinister babies
Queens Of The Stone Age, Therapy?, Hot Water
Music, The Redidents and Blümchen (!) were
among the acts paying tribute to the late
Norwegian deathpunk legends Turbonegro on
Alpha Motherfuckers – A Tribute To Turbonegro,
which was released in June 2001. The release
fuelled rumours of a reunion, and during the
summer of 2002 Turbonegro played three already classic concerts in Sweden, Norway and
Germany.
The concerts were followed by an announcement of a permanent reunion, and on April 28th
Swedish label Burning Heart will release
Scandinavian Leather, Turbonegro's first studio
album since the 1997 release of Apocalypse
Dudes. Jello Biafra once called Turbonegro the
most important European band of the nineties,
and this decade will see them expand into one of
the world's most important bands.
www.turbonegro.com
With the sound of Sixteen
Horsepower, the doom philosophy of
Black Sabbath and a pop sensibility
not unlike Brian Wilson, Emmerhoff &
The Melancholy Babies has slowly
made their mark on the Norwegian
music scene. The band, led by vocalist and main songwriter Gunnar
Emmerhoff, eventually signed with the
newly formed indie label Bauta, an
re-d
defining european
jazz since 1970
wunderkammer
Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal and the
German record label ECM Records have
been shaping the identity of European jazz
for years. Rypdal's 32nd ECM recording,
Lux Aeterna, offers a wide perspective on
Norwegian jazz. A live recording of a work
commissioned by the Molde Jazz Festival in
2000 for the new organ in Molde Church,
Lux Aeterna could be argued to belong to
the ECM New Series label of contemporary
music. Critics brought forth comparisons
with composers such as György Ligeti and
Erkki Sven Tüür. The work is performed by
Rypdal (guitar), Iver Kleive (organ), Palle
Mikkelborg (trumpet) and the Bergen
Chamber Ensemble.
www.ecmrecords.com
TERJE RYPDAL
imprint under the successful distributor Tuba Records.
Just before Christmas, Bauta rereleased the excellent Emmerhoff &
The Melancholy Babies album
Loosebox, which spawned the surprising radio hits “This Summer’s Done”
and “Baby Sinister.” Relentless touring and a new album will be the only
two things that matter for Emmerhoff
in 2003.
www.emmerhoff.com
EMMERHOFF
Folk and punk inspired rock group
Wunderkammer was destined to achieve rock star status in Norway after
their self-titled debut album was released in 1999. Critics almost fainted of
enthusiasm, and the route to success
was carved out. But then Mr.
Wunderkammer, Pål Jackman, decided to pursue his career as a movie
director instead. Jackman made the
movie “Detektor,” which became a
huge hit domestically, and remains
one of the most successful debut
movies ever to come out of Norway.
But the hunger for strange rock’n’roll came back, and Wunderkammer
reformed to release Today I Cannot
Hear Music on the newly founded
label Honeymilk Records.
www.wunderkammer.net
WUNDERKAMMER
news
be prepared for kaada
KAADA
John Erik Kaada has emerged as one of the most
interesting personalities in many different kinds of
Norwegian music. His versatility is exercised on a
variety of vintage keyboard instruments, including
the Hammond B3-organ, the Hohner Clavinet, various Moog and Arp synthesisers and the Wurlitzer
piano.
John Erik Kaada entered the record market with
the trio Cloroform in 1998. After four albums, the
unheard-of grooves of Cloroform had reached rock,
jazz and electronica fans. The Kaada solo album
Thank You for Giving Me Your Valuable Time could
be filed under big beat as well as rock or experimental. His next recording, Captain Clavinet may be the
first ever clavinet solo album in the world.
2002 has been a seminal year for the keyboardist,
composer, re-mixer and film scorer. By the start of
the year, Kaada had only scored one full-length motiURBAN CONNECTION
jazz as foreign policy
The Norwegian Jazz Forum has taken an
important step to promote the wonderful
world of Norwegian jazz. For people who
know the Norwegian jazz scene, a triple CD
with samples from 40 fresh albums seems
too little to display the full range of topquality Norwegian jazz to the international
scene and market.
This triple promotional box set, called
jazzCD.no (Jazz from Norway), was produced in close co-operation with The
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Thus, good Norwegian jazz is recognised
as good Norwegian foreign policy. Foreign
jazz labels have followed that policy, signing
a number of remarkable Norwegian performers and bands, even entire labels, who are
leading the new directions of European jazz
and related improvisational music.
jazzCD.no is aimed at jazz festivals and
clubs around the globe. With all shades of
jazz represented, the CD includes facts
about line-ups, labels, booking and management – complete with website addresses. This triple album offers an important
insight for the wider exploration of the vital
parts of the border-breaking world of jazz
from Norway.
The compilation has made room for
artists from small labels such as Bergland
Productions (Urban Connection [pictured]),
Sofa (Paal Nilssen-Love), bp (Kornstad
Trio), Jazzland (Sidsel & Bugge), Rune
Grammofon (Arve Henriksen) and Curling
Legs (Come Shine). In addition, it includes
artists such as Trygve Seim (on German
Label ECM) and Tri O'Trang (on Dutch label
Buzz).
www.jazzforum.no
on picture. In 2002, he scored more than a handful,
including two of the three nominees for Norwegian
Movie of the Year. To everyone's surprise, Kaada himself was awarded the special movie industry award
The Gold Clapper for his achievements in film music.
At the same time, he finished building his own recording studio.
On February 25th 2003, American label Ipecac
Recordings will release Kaada's solo debut album.
To Kaada's existing fans in Norway, it seems only
natural that it is released by the label of Greg
Werckman (ex-Alternative Tentacles) and Mike
Patton of Mr. Bungle and Fantômas (ex-Faith No
More). Now, John Erik Kaada is prepared for an even
greater year in 2003.
www.kaada.no
www.ipecac.com
www.cloroform.com
www.everybodylovesitwheniplaytheclavi.net
features
the tip of a jazz iceberg
Several new Norwegian names have recently appeared on
the German label ECM Records. However, their ECM
albums are merely the tip of an iceberg.
Trygve Seim received The German Record Critics Award
for his ECM debut Different Rivers. The next album gives
reference to bands The Source and Cikada. Seim also
appears on several recordings on a number of Norwegian
labels.
Accordionist (photographed by CF Wesenberg) Frode
Haltli's ECM debut Looking on Darkness is contemporary
music. In 2002, he also released a Norwegian traditional
album with the band Rusk on Grappa Musikkforlag and a
jazz/impro album on the label Sofa as part of that company's No Spaghetti Edition.
In March 2003, ECM releases the Tord Gustavsen Trio.
Gustavsen is a part of the band Nymark Collective (Herman
Records), the duo Aire & Angels (Bergland Productions)
and the session and tour band of platinum-selling jazz singer Silje Nergaard (Universal Music).
www.ecmrecords.com
www.haltli.com
www.tordg.no
FRODE HATLI
til death do us
apart
Nobody really knew what happened when Kaizers Orchestra
came out of nowhere and sold
80,000 copies of their debut
album Ompa Til Du Dør (in
English, Ompa Until You Die).
The band had been touring
Norway for years with their
eclectic mix of rock’n’roll, Tom
Waits and Balkan folk music,
cut in a frame clearly inspired by
movie director Emir Kusturica’s
cult movie Underground. All of
a sudden, their fan base grew
bigger and bigger and the
press started paying attention
to the phenomenon.
An already legendary concert
at the Roskilde Festival in
Denmark gave Kaizers
Orchestra their first break in
Norway’s neighbouring country,
and the tour that followed saw
the band establish what looks
to be the start of a glorious
Norwegian adventure in
Denmark.
www.kaizers.no
KAIZERS ORCHESTRA
frequently low
LOW FREQUENCY IN STEREO
For several years, Norwegian musicians have been fascinated with the postrock movement
fronted by bands such as Tortoise and, to a certain degree, Radiohead. In Norway, The Low
Frequency In Stereo has, together with Salvatore, been the most eager exponents for postrock,
but Norwegian record companies had not shown too much interest.
However, Salvatore eventually signed with indiepop label Racing Junior, while The Low
Frequency In Stereo decided to move to Copenhagen, Denmark to increase their postrock
skills – ironically ending up signed to Norwegian Bergen-based label Rec 90, home of Poor
Rich Ones and Sister Sonny, amongst others.
The Low Frequency In Stereo released their debut album in Norway late 2002, after having
made an impression on the European underground music press with Moonlanding ep in 2001.
www.lowfrequency.dk
features
rock the city
They have already changed the name of their home city Os on the west coast of
Norway to Os Rock City, and the release of their debut album will see Furia move
from local celebrities to national rock icons. Their first release Furia ep immediately
went gold, and tireless touring of every available concert venue in Norway has
made the five girls of Furia one of the country's most sought-after concert attractions. It is said that hard work always pays off, and Furia is a perfect example.
Furia inked a deal with Norwegian indie MTG in 2002 after winning the prestigious talent competition Zoom, and started to work on their debut album with several
Norwegian producers. The result will be released in Norway in late January.
www.furia.no
FURIA
traditional music
rocking at nr 1
With rock interpretations of traditional
songs, five piece rock band Gåte went #1
in their first chart week with their debut
album, Jygri. After 10 weeks in the charts,
the album reached 20,600 shipped units to
receive a gold record. Gåte's achievement
should have been impossible, since it is traditional music, a debut album – and it is
performed in Norwegian.
But Gåte’s success follows a distinct
change in the Norwegian record market.
Solely promoted through an EP release,
extensive touring and good press coverage, Gåte has taken both critics and the
public by storm – all without TV advertising.
The album is nominated for the Alarm
Award for Rock Album of the Year. Gåte
means riddle – but it sounds as though this
band has it all figured out.
www.gaate.no
GÅTE
songwriter wanted
JOHANNA DEMKER
A Norwegian songwriter with a monster
hit in the entire French speaking world
seems unlikely, but Johanna Demker
has done it. Her debut album was released in Norway early in 2001. Reviews
were good, and her radio releases
reached the Norwegian airplay charts,
but album sales were a huge disappointment. However, Johanna and her
publisher never lost faith in her songs,
and one of them ended up as one of the
largest airplay hits and best sellers in
France during the spring of 2002:
"J'attends l'amour" performed by the
artist Jenifer. Now, Demker is wanted
as a songwriter for the next album of
Jenifer's, and for other French artists as
well.
www.grappa.no
TERJE GEWELT
a dozen of
jazz please
Since earning his Professional
Diploma at Berklee College of
Music in 1987 and studying with
Jaco Pastorius, Dave Holland and
Arild Andersen, Terje Gewelt has
been one of the most sought-after
session bassists in Norway,
regardless of the genre.
In 1998, Gewelt started his own
record label, called Resonant
Music.
Four years later, the label's catalogue has grown to a dozen titles,
spanning several generations of
highly acclaimed Norwegian jazz
performers – from mainstream
acoustic to electric jazz rock – in
addition to artists such as Ahmad
Mansour and Roy Powell. A compilation of samples from his first 11
releases is prepared for Resonant
Music's MIDEM debut in 2003.
www.resonant-music.com
features
SONDRE LERCHE
stars in his eyes
It has been a busy year for prodigal Norwegian songwriter
Sondre Lerche. In 2001 he signed with Virgin Records, and
was soon named as the follow-up to the huge success of another Norwegian youngster, Lene Marlin, who sold 2 million of her
debut album Unforgivable Sinner.
Lerche received rave reviews in Norway for his debut album
Faces Down, but the route to international success turned out
to be longer than that of Lene Marlin. And according to Virgin,
this was always the plan.
Because Sondre Lerche is viewed as one of the most gifted
songwriters of his generation, he knows that at the age of 20,
he has all the time in the world to achieve success.
2002 saw the release of Faces Down through the international Virgin network Labels Vision, and critics in important markets such as France, the U.K. and the U.S. were stunned by the
mature song writing of the Norwegian youngster. Just listen to
what the influential American magazine Rolling Stone had to
say about Faces Down: “When did Scandinavia get so damn
warm and cuddly? On his debut LP, nineteen-year-old
Norwegian Sondre Lerche combines a rich Donovan-ian voice
with mellow orchestral charm.”
Combine that with this review from W Magazine, and you
have a pretty accurate picture of Sondre Lerche and his music:
"…a 19-year-old Nowegian prodigy, whose velvety vocals and
deft songwriting are showcased on the uncommonly assured
Faces Down, an easygoing mix of Sixties pop, bossa nova and
bachelor-pad aural wallpaper." The musical powers and influences of several decades, spanning from classics like Burt
Bacharach, Jeff Buckley, Elvis Costello, Steely Dan and Cole
Porter, to more recent favourites like A-ha, Beck and High
Llamas have formed Sondre Lerche as a songwriter.
One of the domestic highlights of his career occured when
A-ha performed their song “Locust” at their sold-out gig at
Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. Not only did Lerche, who had performed as support artist at the concert, get to hear his favorite Aha-song, he was invited on stage to sing it, as well. We are
pretty sure that in a few decades, another youngster will have
stars in his eyes when superstar Sondre Lerche invites him to
play his favourite song with him at a stadium concert…
www.sondrelerche.com
features
i want my mtv award
Most of the millions of viewers who watched the MTV Europe Music
Awards on 14 November had probably never heard of Röyksopp until
that day. After losing out in the three first categories they were nominated in, Röyksopp finally got the biggest prize of them all, the Best
Video award for “Remind Me.” Beating out other nominees Eminem,
Basement Jaxx, Primal Scream and The White Stripes, Röyksopp's
thundering live performance proved it was not just about the video
images.
Ever since their debut So Easy on Mikal Telles infamous Tellé
Records label, Röyksopp has stood out from the rest of electronica
Norway. The duo, originally from Tromsø, and now residing in Bergen,
was soon picked up by the U.K. label Wall of Sound. And since the
postcard-inspired video for “Eple” hit the airwaves, everything has
been going Röyksopp’s way.
The MTV award was the culmination of a year of hard work and growing success for the Norwegian electronica duo. Their album Melody
AM is closing in on double-platinum sales in Norway, and paved its
way to number nine when it debuted in the U.K. album chart. Sold out
tours and high-profile support gigs for Moby have certainly helped the
Röyksopp cause, and the singles “Eple,” “Poor Leno” and “Remind
Me” (the latter two featuring Erlend Øye from Kings Of Convenience
on vocals) have been hot items in clubs around the world.
small town big sound
Joakim Haugland started Smalltown Supersound as a teenager in his
native city of Flekkefjord because he wanted to sell tapes of the local
bands he liked. Almost a decade has passed since the silent birth of
Smalltown Supersound, and Haugland has secured Jaga Jazzist a global record deal with the prestigious U.K. label Ninja Tune – and his
releases by electronica genius Kim Hiorthøy are being celebrated as
nothing short of sensational.
Releases from noise artists Sir Dupermann and Lasse Marhaug
have caused confusion among Norwegian journalists who want to
view Smalltown Supersound as a hipster label for the electronica elite
of Norway.
"What annoys me is that Smalltown Supersound has gained a
reputation as a label for “experimental” music. I only release music
that I like, and it is not a pre-schemed thing that it has to be experimental for us to release it. I am also sick of everything being explained
to death," says Haugland. He sums up the easy-going philosophy of
his successful indie label, saying, "If you like it, fine, it does not need
to be understood more than that."
Röyksopp's laid-back take on modern club music is not too far away
from the funky grooves of French pioneers Air, but Röyksopp's distinct
Nordic atmospheric sound has helped them create an identity in a
genre where artists are often invisible and anonymous. 2003 will definitely be another year of great success for this award-winning duo.
www.royksopp.com
RÖYKSOPP
Jaga Jazzist is one of the artists that makes music Haugland likes.
Their album The Stix debuted at number three in the Norwegian
album charts, and the U.K. label Ninja Tune was soon on the phone to
sign the band for a world-wide release.
And with Kim Hiorthøy releasing the exclusive compilation Fantasin
Finns I Värkligheten, Japan Selector in Japan, Haugland's first tape
releases in Flekkefjord seem like a long time ago. But he still does it to
release the music he likes. Only now, the rest of the world seems to
be in on it as well…
www.smalltownsupersound.com
JOAKIM HAUGLAND
perspective and profiles
perspective electronica
perspective contemporary
The biggest thing by far that has ever happened to
Norwegian electronica was when Röyksopp took home the
award for Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards in
November 2002. The Tromsø duo is an important part of the
creative Norwegian electronica scene, counting Bjørn Torske,
Ralph Myerz, Athome Project, Mikal Telle, Datarock and Bel
Canto among their friends and colleagues. Independent
electronica labels such as Beatservice and dBut also made
an international impact in 2002, with the latter achieving success for both Perkulator and Palace of Pleasure. The website
Plus47.com also proved an important resource for Norwegian
electronica, while the project Way Up North, helmed by club
veteran Peer Osmundsvaag, helped Norwegian artists reach
out through Jockey Slut and domestic touring.
The Norwegian scene of contemporary music has grown
remarkably in 2002. Contemporary composers find their way
into new segments through crossovers with jazz-related
improvisation music and with the internationally expanding
Norwegian electronica scene. The composers themselves
also expand into electronica and what must be called contemporary improvisational music, and the lines between the
genres are erased by new projects of both recorded and live
re-mixes. Their albums more often appear on labels outside
those of the Norwegian Society of Composers and Ny
Musikk. At the same time, the first Norwegian composer of
contemporary music, Fartein Valen, and the greatest living of
the kind, Arne Nordheim, keep finding new audiences in new
generations.
profile ralph myerz and the
jack herren band
Imagine a band mixing thundering dub and big beat with an
unhealthy obsession for the rock’n’roll excesses of Kiss.
Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band is this band. The trio
consists of two drummers and a technology wizard, and has
grown to become one of the most exciting live acts Norway
has seen in years. The band is currently present on the
American television show Will & Grace with their underground classic “Nikita,” and American label Emperor Norton
travelled directly to Bergen from the U.S. to sign Ralph Myerz
and his reckless crew. Their debut album will be released in
2003, and is destined to become an instant electronica classic. And to hammer it in, at the end of their legendary live
shows RM&TJB always play “Rock And Roll All Nite” over the
speakers. Loud. You have been warned.
www.ralphmyerz.com
RALPH MYERZ & THE JACK
profile maja ratkje
Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje made her solo album debut
Voice on Rune Grammofon/ECM in 2002. Not yet 30 years
of age, her works have been performed at venues in approximately 40 nations scattered on all five continents. In 2001,
she was the first-ever winner of the Arne Nordheim Award. In
2002, her works provided the album title for the electroacoustic compilation Sinus Seduction (Aurora) and for
accordionist Frode Haltli's debut album on ECM New Series.
Ratkje has recorded new albums with her all female improvisation quartet Spunk, a new duet called Fe-male and her new
project Music For Shopping - the latter two of which are only
available on vinyl. Among her favourite instruments we find
the voice, violin, samplers, vacuum cleaner parts and the studio itself.
www.notam02.no/~majar
MAJA RATKJE
HERREN BAND
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Moonflowers – All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace
(Universal)
Frost – Melodica (Universal)
Kaptein Kaliber – Pop Ultra 1, Pop Ultra 2 (Tellé Records)
Kim Hiorthøy – Melke (Smalltown Supersound)
Jaga Jazzist – The Stix (Smalltown Supersound/Ninja Tune)
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Ensemble 96 – Ars Nova III, Wolfgang Plagge: Liknarbraut (2L)
Frode Haltli – Looking On Darkness (ECM New Series)
Maja Ratkje – Voice (Rune Grammofon/ECM)
Birgitte Stærnes/Iver Kleive – Terje Rypdal: Sonata & Nimbus
(MTG Productions)
Various Artist/Composers – Sinus Seduction (Aurora/Norwegian
Society of Composers/Grappa Musikkforlag)
perspective and profiles
perspective metal
perspective hiphop
2002 saw the Norwegian metal scene produce some of its
best releases in years. Both Satyricon's dark epic Volcano
and Sons Of Northern Darkness from Bergen's almighty
Immortal created an international stir upon release, and both
bands raised the standard drastically with their new albums.
Immortal will also headline the successful Oslo metal festival
Inferno in 2003.
The groove-oriented metallers Lowdown had to postpone
their highly anticipated debut album, and Black Balloon
Records also held back the new El Caco album Solid Rest.
The two albums will probably launch Black Balloon into the
elite of interesting European metal labels. The 80s are not
forgotten in Norway, and Thunderbolt impressed even the
national media with their Iron Maiden and Helloween inspired
classic metal.
The Norwegian hip-hop scene was expected to get a big
commercial break two years ago. The compilation
“Scandalnavia Vol 1” was a huge success, while debutantes
Tungtvann were welcomed as the saviours of Norwegianlanguage hip-hop. Despite the media attention, Norwegian
hip-hop albums – with the exception releases by Tungtvann
and Klovner I Kamp – did not reach as far as expected until
Paperboys came along with No Cure For Life and the major
hit “Barcelona.”
The Norwegian hip-hop scene is still centred around
Tommy Tee with his Tee Productions and the nationally broadcast radio show National Rap Show, but there are also thriving scenes in Trondheim (Alien Breed), Lillehammer (Dirty
Oppland) and Bergen (Spetakkel).
profile satyricon
They call themselves Paperboys in plural, but there is really
only one ‘boy. Vinnie Vagabond's sneaky and floating voice is
the defining element of the groovy and deliciously commercial
Paperboys sound, and has helped this lot go from obscurity
to the top of the charts within a couple of months.
Pushed forward by the platinum selling single “Barcelona,”
Paperboys’ debut album No Cure For Life (Bonnier Amigo)
became one of the best selling Norwegian albums of 2002.
A slight problem with sampling clearance for “Barcelona”
delayed the Scandinavian release of the album a couple of
weeks, but now that that problem's out of their way,
Paperboys are ready to take on the rest of the world – as well
as Barcelona.
www.bonnieramigo.com
profile paperboys
Veterans Satyricon surprised most people in the black metal
scene when they signed to major label EMI/Capitol for the
release of their Volcano album. But Satyricon has always
done things their own way, and that has been the key to their
success in both the domestic and the international metal
scenes. Touring with Pantera in 2000, Satyricon laid the
foundation for becoming black metal's first superstars, but
Volcano is still a groundbreaking piece of dark music, with
not one compromise being made on the way. The song “Fuel
For Hatred” nevertheless became the first black metal track
ever to be playlisted by national radio, and the video for the
song made by Swedish video genius Jonas Åkerlund caused
a scandal when it was broadcast on national TV during the
daytime.
www.satyricon.no
SATYRICON
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Lowdown – TBA spring 2003 (Black Balloon Records)
Enslaved – TBA March 2003 (Osmose Records)
Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors (Jester Records)
El Caco – Solid Rest April 2003 (Black Balloon Records)
Thunderbolt – Demons & Diamonds (FaceFront Records)
PAPERBOYS
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Equicez – TBA (Pass-it Records)
Tungtvann – Påfyll (H2O/EMI Capitol
Diaz – Velkommen hjem Andres (Tee Productions/Virgin)
Various artists – Scandalnavia vol 2 (Tee Productions/Virgin)
Klovner i kamp – TBA (MTG/Virgin)
perspective and profiles
perspective classical
perspective jazz
Norwegian performers and composers lead the way in classical record sales in Norway. Edvard Grieg as performed by
pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and cellist Truls Mørk, along with a
number of orchestral albums of Norwegian classical favourites, have increased the media focus on classical music. This
seems to have had an effect on both retailers and consumers,
generating an increase in the supply of classical albums in
October. According to GGF/IFPI Norway, full-price classical
albums are up 60 percent in volume after ten months. Due to
decreases in other price categories, over-all classical album
sales increased by 12 percent, which is identical with the
growth in the total album market. Virtually all the growth in
classical album sales happened in October.
2002 has been another landmark year for Norwegian jazz in
the media, in concerts, on albums and in the charts.
Contemporary jazz/electronica orchestra Jaga Jazzist went all
the way to number three on the album charts with their
second album The Stix. Standard jazz quartet Come Shine
made their chart debut with their second album. Following
remarkable local recordings the past few years, Norwegian
jazz artists have been recruited by prestigious labels abroad.
Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble released two new albums on
the Munich-based ACT label. Helge Lien Trio released their
new album on the acclaimed Japanese label DIW. And now
Tord Gustavsen Trio and accordionist Frode Haltli follow in
Jan Garbarek's and Terje Rypdal's footsteps with debut releases on the famous ECM label.
profile leif ove andsnes
Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes is by far the most popular, critically acclaimed and award-winning Norwegian classical artist of the past 15 years. His career as a recording artist
has reached a new level with his most recent release, Grieg
Lyric Pieces. Raving critics around the globe and a
Gramophone Award have convinced the mass market in his
home country. Already the classical best seller of the year in
Norway at 15,000 units sold by early December 2002, EMI is
certain Andsnes will enter the over-all top 40 album sales
chart and receive his first-ever gold record (20,000) by
Christmas with Grieg Lyric Pieces. The achievement will be
secured by the largest media campaign ever for an EMI
Classics artist's album in Norway.
www.andsnes.com
profile erlend skomsvoll
The young pianist, composer and arranger Erlend Skomsvoll
made headlines with his concerts with Chick Corea and Pat
Metheny at the Molde International Jazz Festival. As an arranger and orchestra leader with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra,
he took both the audience and Chick Corea himself by storm
with his arrangements of Corea'a originals in 2000. The success was repeated the following year with Pat Metheny as
soloist and composer. However, in a review in the American
jazz magazine Down Beat, the Skomsvoll/Corea concert was
overshadowed by a concert featuring Skomsvoll's jazz standards quartet Come Shine. Last November, the second
Come Shine album Do Do That Voodoo made it into the top
40 of the Norwegian album chart.
www.comeshine.com
LEIF OVE ANDSNES
ERLEND SKOMSVOLL
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Leif Ove Andsnes – Grieg Lyrical Pieces (EMI Classics)
Truls Mørk – Grieg: String Quartet in G Minor & Sonata for Cello
and Piano in G Minor (Virgin Classics)
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra/Eivind Aadland (cond.)/Nils
Økland (hardanger fiddle) – Norwegian Rhapsody, Orchestral
Favourites (BIS)
Grieg Trio – Beethoven + (Simax Classics)
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra/Terje Boye Hansen (Cond.), The
Trønder Opera Chorus and soloists – Hjalmar Borgstrøm: Thora
på Rimol (Simax Classics)
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Come Shine – Do Do That Voodoo (Curling Legs)
Hot Club De Norvége/Ola Kvernberg/Angelo Debarre – Angelo Is
Back In Town (Hot Club Records)
Jaga Jazzist – The Stix (Smalltown Supersound)
Ole Jacob Hystad Quartet – Tune In, Take Off (Taurus/Gemini
Records)
Marit Sandvik Band – Even Then (Mother Song) (Taurus/Gemini
Records)
perspective and profiles
perspective world ethnic
perspective traditional
In 2002, Norwegian traditional and ethnic music appeared everywhere. Trance act Galaxee managed to get two singles
based on traditional music into the Norwegian single charts and
Nordic Dance Charts. Young rock/traditional fusion act Gåte
went #1 with their debut album Jygri, released by Warner Music
Norway. Sami contemporary ethnic music star Mari Boine has
been a hit ever since Peter Gabriel released her 1989 album
Gula Gula on the Real World label. In 2002, her new album on
Universal Music, Eight Seasons, went top-10. These chartbusting sensations are seen as a result of a change in media coverage of the genre and album releases in every segment, and the
retailer's recognition of the tremendous curiosity of vast numbers of record buyers.
To most Norwegians, traditional music is associated with the
Hardanger fiddle and traditional dance music of a conservative
and excluding kind. Throughout the past few years this perception has slowly changed, allowing more loose interpretations of
both the expected traditional music and a number of unexpected traditions to emerge on the scene. Some recordings and
artists have been eagerly embraced by both magazines and the
largest daily newspapers in Norway, revealing the world of traditional music to a wider audience. Surprisingly, the most widely
celebrated new performer on the scene is traditional singer
Elias Akselsen, who represents the until recently ignored and
suppressed Romani tradition in Norway.
profile frode fjellheim
Singer and kantele player Sinikka Langeland is a vital part of the
Finnskogen Kulturverksted, the cultural workshop of the "Finnish
forest" in Eastern Norway. Her recordings of traditional music
span from her Finnish heritage – from both ancient Karelia and
her home area in Norway – to traditional songs from different
places throughout the country. In 2002, she released two very
different albums on the Heilo label. On Runoja she interprets
local and Karelian traditional songs in both modern and ancient
ways. Her Christmas album Stjerneklang, a collaboration with
German organist Andreas Liebig, merges Norwegian psalms
over traditional folk songs from different places with the baroque
corals of Johan Sebastian Bach.
www.sinikka.no
profile sinikka langeland
Frode Fjellheim has a long record as a keyboardist, composer
and arranger for theatre, film, TV and festivals, and as a record
producer. His band Transjoik has been received with rave reviews for albums and concerts all over Europe and in New York
City. Their fusion of jazz, rock and techno with the ancient vocal
trance music of the Sami people's shamanism, the yoik tradition,
is unique. Fjellheim made his album debut with traditional fiddler Annbjørg Lien in 1989. The most recent releases of
Transjoik's are Remix Project-singles, i.e. a live recording remixed by Transglobal Underground. During the last couple of
years, Frode Fjellheim has worked on albums with Tone
Hulbækmo, Iren Reppen and Finnish Sami singer/songwriter
Ulla Pirttijärvi.
www.transjoik.com
FRODE FJELLHEIM
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Mari Boine – Eight Seasons (Emarcy/Universal)
Gåte – Jygri (Warner Music Norway)
Sinikka Langeland – Runoja (Grappa Musikkforlag)
Annbjørg Lien – Aliens Alive (Grappa Musikkforlag)
Karl Seglem – Nye Nord (NOR-CD)
SINIKKA LANGELAND
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Elias Akselsen – Hjemlandsklokker (VIA Music)
Flukt – Spill (2L)
Agnes Buen Garnås – Han rider den mørke natt (VIA Music)
Sinikka Langeland – Stjerneklang (Grappa Musikkforlag)
Rusk – Rusk (Grappa Musikkforlag)
perspective and profiles
perspective rock
perspective pop
Scandinavia has seen an explosion in vital rock acts the last
five years. In Norway, the highly profiled reunion of punk
heroes Turbonegro was the main events of 2002, while platinum selling Madrugada, hardcore heroes Amulet and the touring addicts Gluecifer made 2002 a glorious year for
Norwegian rock. Artists such as Cato Salsa Experience and
JR Ewing flirted with American audiences, while psychedelic
rock veterans Motorpsycho released their twelfth studio
album It’s A Love Cult, which bowed at number one on the
album charts. Anticipation for a new album from Euroboys is
high, while debutantes The Mormones will undoubtedly give
the term drum&bass a whole new meaning.
The Norwegian pop scene has been dominated by retro philosophy and a strict love for the classic 60s pop tradition of
The Beatles and The Byrds. This was emphasised in 2002,
when The Margarets finally released their debut album, ten
years in the making, entitled What Kept You? – and it immediately went gold.
Though modern R&B music has taken the step from being
a hit-single-market-only into a significant trend visible in the
Norwegian album charts, we have yet to see an emerging
Norwegian R&B scene. At the other end of the scale, Zuma
were raising the flag for 80s-inspired escapist pop with their
2000 debut album Juna, while the follow up single “Joy In The
City” created high hopes for their sophomore album Rainboy.
profile madrugada
Madrugada conquered the Norwegian record buying audience from day one with their debut album Industrial Silence in
1998, and went double platinum in the process. The last
years have been spent polishing their rough and melancholic
sound, delivering dark outstanding rock’n’roll master pieces
The Nightly Disease and the 2002 release Grit. The quartet
has built a huge fan base throughout Europe through relentless touring, presenting their often two-and-a--half-hour-long
intense rock shows. 2003 will see Madrugada continue touring as much as possible, helped by the overwhelmingly
beautiful ballad “Majesty” and the Stooges riffing of “Ready”.
www.madrugada.net
profile number seven deli
"A couple of years ago, people used to see us as some weirdos for doing harmony vocals and having serious rehearsals,"
Johnny Hide of Number 7 Deli once said when confronted
with Number Seven Deli being one of the hottest tickets in
the Norwegian music industry. The pop quintet eventually
signed to BMG after having scored a surprise radio hit with
the Byrds-sounding classic pop song “In the Wrong Arms.”
Number 7 Deli will release their debut album in Norway in
February, supported by a nation-wide tour and, of course, the
most beautiful harmony vocals in North Europe.
NUMBER
SEVEN
MADRUGADA
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Amulet – TBA spring 2003 (Sony Music)
JR Ewing – Ride Paranoia (Primitive Records/Gold Standard
Labaratories)
Hello Goodbye – Heart Attack (Racing Junior)
The Mormones – TBA spring 2003 (Trust Me Records)
Turbonegro – Scandinavian Leather (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
DELI
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
Zuma – Rainboy (Grappa/BMG)
Uncle’s Institution – Brand New Fool (Honeymilk Records)
Thomas Dybdahl – …That Great October Sound (Checkpoint
Charlie Audio Production)
Lene Marlin – TBA (Virgin Records)
Briskeby – TBA (Universal Music)
perspective and profiles
perspective dance trance
Trance is recovering from the decline it suffered when the major record labels abandoned this would-be trend after a too-slow
start in the late 1990s. In the hands of
smaller record labels specializing on the
segment, Norwegian acts are leading trance
music into hit status. Trance music started
off as single-selling hit music, a natural
development considering its youth-oriented
audience. Galaxee of Nordic Records, 2
pm of Tribe Records and El More of
Universal Music Group have all released
top-10 selling singles in Norway in 2002.
While DJ mix albums only appear on the
compilations charts, Norway got its first
non-compilation trance hit album in the selftitled debut of 2 pm, which reached #20
and stayed in the top-40 for six weeks last
summer.
profile galaxee
Galaxee emerged as the new hot
Norwegian trance act on the Nordic scene
in 2001. Their first single entered the
Norwegian Dance Chart, the Swedish
Dance Chart and the Finnish Dance Chart.
Their approach to trance/techno is similar to
that of 2pm, who use classical themes.
Galaxee's first single track, "The Crow
Song," is based on a Norwegian public
domain folk song, while their second single
"Lullaby" is based on probably the most
well-known traditional song throughout
Scandinavia. All four of their singles have
entered the Norwegian single sales chart.
Galaxee is Kai Abrahamsen, Kai Thorsberg,
Odd-Andreas Wåge. Their singles and
debut album have been released by the new
label Nordic Records.
www.galaxee.com
GALAXEE
ESSENTIAL RELEASES:
2pm – 2pm (Tribe Records)
DJ Polar – TBA (MTG Productions)
Galaxee – Welcome to Our Galaxee
(Nordic Records)
Inemotion – TBA
(Nordic Records) Summer 2003
Pacific Blue – Evolution
(Nordic Records) March 2003
market analysis
this is norway
NORWEGIAN CHARTS 2002
NORWEGIAN AWARDS 2002
NO. 1 AT THE NORWEGIAN CHARTS 2002 (25 FIRST WEEKS)
SPELLEMANN AWARD 2002
(NORWAY'S EQUIVALENT TO THE GRAMMY)
Artist tittle
Label
ALBUM SALES CHART
Anastacia – Freak Of Nature
(Sony)
Robbie Williams – Swing When You're Winning (EMI)
Scooter – Push The Beat
(Edel)
Shakira – Laundry Service
(Sony)
Alanis Morissette – Under Rug Swept
(Warner)
Kaizers Orchestra – Ompa til du dør (Farmen - Independent)
Celine Dion – A New Day Has Come
(Sony)
Kent – Vapen & ammunition
(BMG)
A-ha – Lifelines
(Warner)
Eminem – The Eminem Show
(Universal)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
(Warner)
Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
(Sony)
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
(EMI)
Gåte – Jygri
(Warner)
Beck – Sea Change
(Universal)
Mark Knopfler – The Ragpickers Dream
(Universal)
Odd Børretzen/Lars Martin Myhre – Kelner! (Tylden & Co.)
Bjørn Eidsvåg – Tålt
(Sony)
Robbie Williams – Escapology
(EMI)
SINGLES SALES CHART
Anastacia – “Paid My Dues”
Scooter – “Ramp (The Logical Song)”
Shakira – “Whenever, Wherever”
A-ha – “Forever Not Yours”
Ronan Keating – “If Tomorrow Never Comes”
Eminem – “Without Me”
Elvis Vs. JXL – “A Little Less Conversation”
Elvis vs. JXL – “A Little Less Conversation”
Avril Lavigne – “Complicated”
Las Ketchup – “The Ketchup Song (Asereje)”
Origin
USA
UK
Germany
Colombia
Canada
Norway
Canada
Sweden
Norway
USA
USA
USA
UK
Norway
USA
UK
Norway
Norway
UK
Number 1
2 weeks
2 weeks
3 weeks
2 weeks
3 weeks
1 week
3 weeks
2 weeks
4 weeks
6 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
3 weeks
1 week
1 week
2 weeks
1 week
5 weeks
1 week
(Sony)
USA
(Edel)
Germany
(Sony)
Columbia
(Warner) Norway
(Universal) Eire
(Universal) USA
(BMG)
USA
(BMG) Holland/USA
(BMG)
Canada
(Sony)
Spain
3 weeks
2 weeks
11 weeks
3 weeks
2 weeks
2 weeks
1 week
11 weeks
4 weeks
10 weeks
HIT 40 AIRPLAY CHART (MUSIC CONTROL NORWAY)
Anastacia – “Paid My Dues”
(Sony)
USA
A1 – “Caught In The Middle”
(Sony)
UK
Sophie Ellis Bextor – “Murder On The Dancefloor”(Universal) UK
Shakira – “Whenever, Wherever”
(Sony)
Columbia
A-ha – “Forever Not Yours”
(Warner) Norway
Kent – “Dom Andra”
(BMG)
Sweden
Vanessa Carlton – “A Thousand Miles”
(Universal) USA
Elvis vs. JXL – “A Little Less Conversation”
(BMG) Holland/USA
Kent – “Kärleken väntar “
(BMG)
Sweden
Avril Lavigne – “Complicated “
(BMG)
Canada
Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland – “Dilemma”
(Universal) USA
Robbie Williams – “Feel”
(EMI)
UK
4 weeks
3 weeks
7 weeks
2 weeks
8 weeks
1 week
1 week
10 weeks
1 week
8 weeks
1 week
3 weeks
20
Music Business in Norway
General Awards:
Spellemann of the Year: Morten Abel (Virgin)
Song of the Year: Morten Abel – “I'll Come Back And Love You Forever” (Virgin)
Music Video of the Year: Röyksopp – “Eple” (Wall Of Sound/Virgin)
Norwegian hit of all times: Odd Børretzen/Lars Martin Myhre – ”Noen ganger er det
allright” (Tylden, independent)
Album Awards:
Pop soloist: Morten Abel – I'll Come Back And Love You Forever (Virgin)
Pop group: Savoy – Reasons To Stay Indoors (EMI)
Rock: Kaizers Orchestra – Ompa til du dør (Farmen, independent)
New artist: Sondre Lerche – Faces Down (Virgin)
Metal: Dimmu Borgir – Puritanical Euphoric Misantropia (Nuclear Blast)
Hip hop: Klovner i Kamp – Bjølsen hospital (MTG Productions)
Electronica: Röyksopp – Melody AM (Wall Of Sound/Virgin)
Blues: Bjørn Berge – String Machine (Warner)
Children: De gyngende seismologer & various guest artists – Uhu! (Norske Gram/EMI)
Traditional Music: Per Sæmund Bjørkum – Berg og vatn (Heilo/Grappa Musikkforlag)
Open Cathegory: Anja Garbarek – Smiling & Waving (Virgin)
Folk: Halvdan Sivertsen – Tvil, håp og kjærlighet (S2 Records, independent)
Classical: Rolf Lislevand – Alfabeto (Astrée Naïve)
Contemporary: Peter Herresthal – Arne Nordheim Complete Violin Music
(Aurora/Society of Norwegian Composers/Grappa Musikkforlag)
Dancing orchestra/Schlager: Scandinavia – De aller beste live (United, independent)
Jazz: Urban Connection – Urban Connection (Bergland Productions, independent)
(Spellemann Awards 2003 is scheduled for February 22nd. Nominations were ready
in January and published at Spellemann.no)
ALARM AWARDS 2003
(Scheduled for February 15th, to be held during and in cooperation with by:Larm in
Trondheim)
Nominees are decided by the votes of 60 music journalists, and awards are decided
50 percent by the journalists and 50 percent by votes from the public.
Pop Album of the Year:
Jim Stärk – Ten Songs And Hey Hey (bp)
Monopot – Optipess (Smalltown Supersound)
Loch Ness Mouse – Key West
Hello Goodbye – Heart Attack (Racing Junior)
Thomas Dybdahl – ...That Great October Sound (CCAP)
Rock Album of the Year:
We – Dinosauric Futurobic (Black Balloon Records)
JR Ewing – Ride Paranoia (Primitive Records/Gold Standard Labs)
Gluecifer – Basement Apes (Sony/SPV)
Madrugada – Grit (Virgin/EMI)
Gåte – Jygri (Warner)
market analysis
Metal Album of the Year:
Satyricon – Volcano (Capitol/EMI)
Immortal – Sons Of Northern Darkness (Nuclear Blast)
Red Harvest – Sick Transit Gloria Mundi
Khold – Phantom (Moonfog)
Arcturus – The Sham Mirror
Norway has been one of the fastest growing markets for DVD players since the format was introduced, and has the largest number of DVD movies sold per DVD player
household. Norway is a global top five territory when it comes to the penetration of
the Internet, PCs, video games consoles and DVD players. Still, the record market
has turned from an expected decrease to record-breaking growth during second
half of 2002.
Hip hop/rap Album of the Year:
Gatas Parlament – Holdning over underholdning (Tee Productions/Virgin)
Tungtvann – Mørketid (EMI)
Paperboys – No cure for life (Bonnier Amigo)
Apollo – Mine Damer Og Herrer (Universal)
Somewhere, the Norwegians have found a key to the love of music as something
valuable. Some record company executives say that the Norwegians have come so
far in downloading and home burning of music that they have come to the point that
this is not interesting any more. The trend is over, and they have rediscovered the
value in keeping good music in its original packaging rather than as disposable PC
files and hand written CD-R discs.
Electronica Album of the Year:
Jaga Jazzist – The Stix (Smalltown Supersound/Warner)
Ugress – Resound (Port Azur/Tuba)
Kim Hiorthøy – Melke (Smalltown Supersound)
Kaptein Kaliber – Pop Ultra (Telle Records)
Safariari – Zebra Knights (Trust Me Records)
Jazz Album of the Year:
Håkon Kornstad Trio – Space Available (Jazzland)
Dadafon – Visitor (Via Music)
Bjørkenheim/Love/Flaten – Scorch Trio (Rune Grammofon)
Come Shine – Do Do That Voodoo (Curling Legs)
Nils Petter Molvær – NP3 (Universal)
Song of the Year:
Satyricon – “Fuel For Hatred” (Capitol/EMI)
JR Ewing – “Laughing With Daggers” (Primitive Records/Gold Standard Labs)
Tungtvann – ”Bransjehora” (EMI)
Equicez – “Live From Pass It” (Pass It Records)
Surferosa – “Lucky Lipstick” (artist’s own label)
Live act of the Year:
Turboneger
Jaga Jazzist
Gatas Parlament
JR Ewing
Ralph Meyers & the Jack Herren Band
Now we're talking business
The latest issue of this magazine concluded the record sales in Norway by May 31st.
At that time, the Norwegian market for recorded music matched the decrease seen
everywhere else in the western world. Since then, Norway has taken off in another
direction.
The Norwegian record market is a paradox by international standards. The past few
years’ annual IFPI reports on global sales concluded that downloading and home
burning have resulted in the drop in sales of recorded music. This year’s first half
interim report also pointed out the competition from DVD-movies and video games
as having a devastating effect on record sales.
Moreover, the message of music as entertainment and as art form has found important channels through new printed media after seven years in music press limbo. As
such music journalists have risen to the occasion. The development of the market
has turned from a focus on sales to a focus on music.
Chairman of IFPI Norway, Petter Singsaas of Universal Music Norway says, “It is
remarkable how strong the charts show that stranger kinds of music, and
Norwegian-language music as well, have gained a strong position in the market.
When the largest daily newspapers (VG and Dagbladet) use so much space to
cover music, they contribute to keeping up a good and healthy public focus on
music. The record store chain Platekompaniet is a strong part in that process as
well, with a focus on more than just TV-advertised repertoire.”
Drawing a conclusion on the remarkable development in the Norwegian record
sales seems simple, yet hard to copy. It is a process, and it has taken its time.
When the bestsellers fail, you must sell more of a wider variety of products. When
you aim them at their specific segments, the buyers will be more satisfied with the
music they buy. They then come back for more. You can sell the products for everyone to somebody, but you can sell products especially for you to everybody, as long
as the quality is right. Right now, that is the quality of Norwegian music.
market analysis
RECORD SALES 2002
(Source: GGF/IFPI Norway)
The Norwegian record market parted with that of the rest of the western world in
June 2002. Third-quarter record sales set an all-time high driven by local releases.
The increases have kept up, promising the first-ever year of total record sales from
distributors of over one billion Nok.
Local album sales started the year down against 2001 numbers. This changed totally during the summer. Year-to-date, local albums are the greatest gainer in the market with 14 percent. Classical is up 12 percent, while international album sales are
up 11 percent. The number of Norwegian artists signed to foreign labels is larger
now than ever before.
Record sales 2002 by October [value mNok]
720
Album value by origin 2002 by October 31st
78.7 %
678
17.7 %
735
2002
2001
3.7%
2000
International
Lokal
Classical
By May 2002, record sales were down when compared to the volume in 2001. Five
months later, 2002 sales have reached an all time high. While rising unemployment
and falling stock exchange indexes resulted in a decrease in hi-fi equipment sales,
the winner in the market is home entertainment software. Much of the increase is
powered by a broad supply of quality releases for distinct segments, rather than the
traditional total focus on big campaign titles.
Full price albums sales are up 9 percent against 2001 volume. Mid-price albums are
up 22 percent, while budget album sales are up 50 percent. The greatest gainers
are international budget albums and classical full price. Budget and mid-price products have proven to be an important part of the home entertainment supply, as
these are convenient collection supplement products when higher-profile, trafficmaking titles in music, DVD-movies and video games are released.
Album sales 2002 by October 31st [1.000 units]
10.160
Album value by price 2002 by October 31st
86.7 %
9.105
10.041
2002
2001
2000
10.7 %
2.5%
Full price
Mid price
Budget
norwegian delegates
2L (LINDBERG LYD AS)
P.O. Box 56, Bogerud
N - 0621 OSLO
Phone: +47 22628110
Fax: +47 85029980
Email: [email protected]
MR Morten LINDBERG
Managing Director
ADVOKATFIRMA SELMER DA
P.O. Box 1324
N - 0112 OSLO
Phone: +47 23116500
Fax: +47 23116501
Email: [email protected]
MR Thomas Steen BRANDI
Attorney at Law
ARTSPAGES INTERNATIONAL AS
P.O. Box 66
N - 6851 SOGNDAL
Phone: +47 57674951
Fax: +47 57674950
Email: [email protected]
MR Dagfinn BACH
CEO
MR Eivind BRYDØY
President
BLACK BALLOON RECORDS
Tollbugata 28
N - 0171 OSLO
Phone: +47 22337770
Fax: +47 22337770
Email: [email protected]
MR Christer HANSEN
Label Manager
Ever since its founding in 2000, Black Balloon
Records has developed into one of Norway’s
most exciting hard rock labels. The company’s
first release was the debut album of El Caco,
licensed to Music For Nations and released
worldwide in 2001. In 2002 Black Balloon
Records released highly acclaimed albums by
WE and Camaros. Forthcoming releases include
new material by El Caco and the debut album of
the company’s latest signing, Lowdown.
Black Balloon Records is looking for distribution/
licensing deals in various territories.
DBUT RECORDS
Brennerivn. 9c
N - 0182 OSLO
Phone: +47 22200908
Fax: +47 22209180
Email: [email protected]
MR Henrik MEHL
A&R
MR Andreas GILHUUS
Managing Director
MR Pedro FASTING
Lawyer
dBut Records is one of Norway's most exiting
and fastest developing independent labels. The
company’s active roster sports several of
Norway’s best established artists within their
genres. dBut’s focal point for 2003 is on one of
Europe’s most thriving scenes and genres at
the present time: Norwegian electronica. This
genre in itself represents great diversity and
variation, being brought forward by a pulsating
and vibrant collective of producers and musicians. dBut’s task in this respect is to present
this high-quality activity to a wider domestic and
international audience. For 2003 dBut will
maintain its international approach, widen its
scope and concentrate on new territories.
ETNISK MUSIKKLUBB AS
Masovngata 20
N - 3616 KONGSBERG
Phone: +47 32735660
Fax: +47 32735661
Email: [email protected]
MR Arne FREDRIKSEN
General Manager
GEMINI RECORDS AS
P.O. Box 96
N - 1381 VETTRE
Phone: +47 66904499
Fax: +47 66904489
Email: [email protected]
MR Bjørn PETERSEN
President/Producer
GRAMART
P.O. Box 8771, Youngstorget
N - 0184 OSLO
Phone: +47 23311240
Fax: +47 23311241
Email: [email protected]
MRS Marianne ANTONSEN
Chairman GRAMO
MR Jan Erik HAGLUND
CEO
MR L. C. FJELSTAD
Legal Advisor
GRAPPA MUSIKKFORLAG AS
Akersgata 7
N - 0158 OSLO
Phone: +47 23358000
Fax: +47 23358001
Email: [email protected]
MR Helge WESTBYE
Managing Director
Grappa Musikkforlag a/s (Grappa Music
Group), established in 1983, is the number one
leading independent record company in
Norway. The company’s name has come to
represent a broad musical scope, high quality
and first-rate Norwegian performers. The main
currents of Norwegian music are presented on
several labels. Grappa’s primary objective is to
present a wide variety of recordings of all musical genres, spotlighting everything from traditional music to contemporary musical trends.
norwegian delegates
KIRKELIG KULTURVERKSTED AS
P.O Box 4684, Sofienberg
N - 0506 OSLO
Phone: +47 22993450
Fax: +47 22993441
Email: [email protected]
MR Ole Edvard REITAN
General Manager
MS Hege Marit FOLKESTAD
Export Executive
M3:MUSIC AS
Prinsensgt. 3 b
N - 0152 OSLO
Phone: +47 22330091
Fax: +47 85030510
Email: [email protected]
MR Tom E SJOELINGSTAD
Managing DirectorLLabel Manager
MR Morten KNUDSEN
Marketing Director
MTG
Meltzersgt. 9
N - 0257 OSLO
Phone: +47 24118470
Fax: +47 23271834
Email: [email protected]
MR Larry BRINGSJORD
Managing Director
MUSIC EXPORT NORWAY AS
P.O. Box 110, Smestad
N - 0309 OSLO
Phone: +47 24129699
Fax: +47 24129698
Email: [email protected]
MS Inger DIRDAL
Managing Director
MS Maria SVOREN
Marketing Assistant
MR Mats NILSSON
Chairman of the Board
MR Tore NORDVIK
Board Member
MR Øyvind BERGE
Researcher
MS Rebeca TOLEDO
Marketing Assistant
Music Export Norway (MEN) was established in
2000 by the Norwegian music industry to provide access to information on Norwegian artists
and companies. In addition, MEN assists the
Norwegian music industry by organising international trade show participation and presentations
designed to increase the world wide awareness
of Norwegian music. Further, MEN acts as a
service and resource centre for exporters of
Norwegian music products.
MUSIKKLOSEN AS
St. Halvardsgate 33
N - 0192 OSLO
Phone: +47 22198282
Fax: +47 22198182
Email: [email protected]
MR Odd GJELSNES
Manager
MUSIKKOPERATØRENE AS
Sandakerveien 110 Inngang 1
N - 0484 OSLO
Phone: +47 22096900
Fax: +47 22096909
Email: [email protected]
MR Håkon GJESVIK
Managing Director
MS Stine FARSTAD
Export Manager
MR Sigbjørn TVEITE
VIA Music Representative
MR Knut VARNES
Curling Legs Representative
Musikkoperatørene (MO) offers a rich variety of
Norwegian high quality CD's, and is the distributor of about 20 large and 50 small indepen-
dent labels, - in Norway and for export. The main
focus is on jazz, classical and ethnic/world
music, and the most important labels are: Simax
Classics, Hot Club Records, NOR-CD, Curling
Legs, Heilo, Grappa, Aurora, MTG Classy,
MajorStudio, Odin, NKF-series and Herman
Records.
Many of the releases are considered to be
among the finest audiophile recordings, and are
highly appreciated throughout the world.
The Norwegian music scene offers both established and new artists on an international level.
It is said that no other country in the world has
as many musicians compared to the population.
Check it out! (MO is concentrating on
Norwegian labels, and do not import or license
at all.)
Curling Legs is a Norwegian independent
record company founded in 1992. Specializing
in jazz, the company has thus far released 75
titles and is internationally distributed in many
countries, including the U.S.A., Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, Scandinavia, Germany and England.
Curling Legs’ artists include: Sidsel
Endresen/Bugge Wesseltoft, Come Shine,
Solveig Slettahjell, Jon Balke, Sinatra
Songbook, Lars Danielsson and many more.
Managing Director: Knut Værnes
Website: www.curlinglegs.no
MUSIC INFORMATION CENTRE NORWAY
Tollbugata 28
N - 0157 OSLO
Phone: +47 22429090
Fax: +47 22429091
Email: [email protected]
MR Tomas Lauvland PETTERSEN
Information Executive Officer
Music Information Centre Norway (MIC) is a
resource centre that caters to the professional
music scene in Norway and abroad. From a
neutral-genre and non-biased position, MIC
norwegian delegates
aims to increase the impact of Norwegian music
domestically and internationally through active
profiling and informational activities. MIC’s two
websites, Ballade.no and mic.no/english serve
as two of the nation’s most important channels
of music information.
NOPA
P.O. Box 9171 Groenland
N - 0134 OSLO
Phone: +47 22179669
Fax: +47 22172560
Email: [email protected]
MS Anne LORENTZEN
Researcher
NORSK MUSIKKFORLEGGER FORENING
P.O. Box 822, Sentrum
N - 0104 OSLO
Phone: + 47 22425090
Fax: + 47 22425541
Email: [email protected]
MR Ken INGWERSEN
Board Member
MR Jon JOHANNESSEN
Board Member
NORWAVE AS
Verftsgate 2 C
N - 7484 TRONDHEIM
Phone: +47 73807200
Fax: +47 73807201
Email: [email protected]
MR Gunnar HORDVIK
Managing Director
Norwave is a record company founded in 2002.
Located in Trondheim, the company is well positioned to be one of Norway's leading labels for
Norwegian popular music. Headed by industry
veteran Gunnar Hordvik (who has been behind
popular releases from many key artists),
Norwave's artists includes _ge Aleksandersen,
Elisabeth Andreassen and the Norwegain Royal
Opera. In 2003 Norwave will continue its work
toward a Scandinavian expansion, including the
launch of its own distribution system aimed
towards the Scandinavian countries.
PHONOFILE AS
P.O. Box 5949, Majorstua
N - 0308 OSLO
Phone: +47 22556200
Fax: +47 23271834
Email: [email protected]
MR Erik BRATAAS
Managing Director
Phonofile presents Norwegian recordings online
through www.musikkonline.no and the English
language version www.musiconline.no, both
launched in September 2002. Through these
sites, Phonofile is Scandinavia’s largest online
consumer store, offering more than 42,000
tracks from over 100 Norwegian independent
labels, which are available for purchase as copyprotected downloads across a wide variety of
musical genres. Phonofile also licenses
Norwegian music to broadcasters and film producers through the service Phonofile Online.
For more information; contact
[email protected]
REC 90
P.O. Box 1291
N - 5811 BERGEN
Phone: +47 55323410
Fax: +47 55311875
Email: [email protected]
MR Torfinn N. ANDERSEN
Managing Director
RESONANT MUSIC
P.O. Box 225 Manglerud
N - 0612 OSLO
Phone: +47 92855607
Email: [email protected]
MR Terje GEWELT
Producer
RIKSKONSERTENE
P.O. Box 2835 SOLLI
N - 0204 OSLO
Phone: +47 22015500
Fax: +47 22831610
Email: [email protected]
MR Arnfinn REFSDAL
Head of Promotion – Classical
Rikskonsertene is a government-run organisation
under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Responsible for bringing live music to all parts
of the country, the organisation produces concerts for the public and for school children. In
addition, Rikskonsertene runs three programs
designed to launch the careers of the very best
of Norway’s young musicians within the classical, jazz and pop/rock genres.
TONO
P.O. Box 9171 Grønland
N - 0134 OSLO
Phone: +47 22057200
Fax: +47 22057250
Email: [email protected]
MR Cato STRØM
Managing Director
MRS Inger Lise MEY
Legal adviser
TUBA RECORDS AS
Hasleveien 15c
N - 0571 OSLO
Phone: +47 23234700
Fax: +47 23234701
Email: [email protected]
MR Øyvind HAGEN
Managing Director
norwegian delegates
MR Erik Solheim RØHNE
Sales Manager
MR Roar HALS
Label Manager
TYLDEN & CO AS
P.O. Box 4343, Nydalen
N - 0402 OSLO
Phone: +47 23401000
Fax: +47 23401001
Email: [email protected]
MR Tom HOVDE
Chairman
UNITED MUSIC
Dælenggt. 20
N - 0567 OSLO
Phone: +47 23229200
Fax: +47 23229201
Email: [email protected]
MR Ole Vidar LIEN
Managing Director
MRS Britt VIBERG
General Manager
VOICES MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT AS
PB 2010 Gruneløkka
N - 0505 OSLO
Phone: +47 23226666
Fax: +47 23226667
Email: [email protected]
MR Ketil SVEEN
Managing Director
MR Dag KROGSVOLD
Chairman of the board
MR Rune DANIELSEN
Label Manager
MR Tom JENSEN
Managing Director/Denmark
MR Jan SCHMIDT
Export Manager/Denmark
MR Ted JONASSON
Label Manager/Sweden
Voices Music & Entertainment (VME) is one of
Scandinavia`s leading independent distribution
companies. Founded 15 years ago, the company works both as a distributor and as a record
company. As a distributor, VME represents
Sanctuary, React, Global Underground,
Cooking Vinyl, WARP, Inside Out/SPV, Ninja
Tune, Thrill Jockey, Metal Blade, Massacre,
Overdose, Intergroove, Music Club and Fat Cat
Records, among others. VME also has several
in-house labels such as Head Not Found, Jester
Records, Beatservice Records, Smalltown
Supersound, April Records, Bad Afro Records,
Euphonious Records, Deathlike Silence, DJ
Beat Records Scandinavia, Face Front and
Trust Me Records.
WATERFALL RECORDS AS
Inkognitogt. 8
N - 0258 Oslo
Phone: +47 23085080
Fax : +47 23085081
Email: [email protected]
MR Kai ROBØLE
Managing Director
Wholesale
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UNITED MUSIC
VOICES MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT AS
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Dance
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Jazz/Blues
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Classic
TYLDEN & CO AS
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TUBA RECORDS AS
TONO
RESONANT MUSIC
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RIKSKONSERTENE
REC 90
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PHONOFILE AS
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NORWAVE AS
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Licencing
NORSK MUSIKKFORLEGGER FORENING
NOPA
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MUSIC INFORMATION CENTRE NORWAY
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MUSIKKOPERATØRENE AS
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MUSIKKLOSEN AS
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MUSIC EXPORT NORWAY AS
MTG
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M3:MUSIC AS
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KIRKELIG KULTURVERKSTED AS
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GRAMART
ARTSPAGES INTERNATIONAL AS
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GRAPPA MUSIKKFORLAG AS
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GEMINI RECORDS AS
Production
ETNISK MUSIKKLUBB AS
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DBUT RECORDS
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Music Pub.
BLACK BALLOON RECORDS
Rec. Comp./Label
ADVOKATFIRMA SELMER DA
2L (LINDBERG LYD AS)
norwegian delegates midem 2003
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Pop
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visit us at stand 11 02/13 09
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