«Superstar», the debut record from Norwegian art-pop outfit Mall Girl, represents an exciting new chapter for the buzzed-about band. The release follows a string of successful singles, including their 2018 track “Slay Queen,” which introduced them as an act to watch in the alt-pop arena. The chaotic year of 2020 brought a string of infectious, vibey singles, including “My Sweet Mall Girl” and the fierce “Bad Girl." 

Members Iver Armand Tandsether, Hannah Veslemøy Narvesen, Eskild Myrvoll and Bethany Forseth-Reichberg were forced to get creative when the pandemic hit, sidelining best-laid plans to flesh out some songs before heading into the studio together. 

"Because of COVID regulations and the four of us living in two different cities, we changed the way we worked with the songs quite radically in the months leading up to the studio recording,” Narvesen says. "We’ve always been very oriented towards the live performance of the songs, including when we compose them together in our rehearsal space. That way of working has led to some challenges when recording, as you end up listening to the songs in a different manner and might figure out you should have done everything differently."

While others put their creative endeavors on hold, Mall Girl opted to try something different. Many of the songs on «Superstar» were tracks that the band regularly performed, but they wanted to seize the opportunity to evolve their sound even more.

“We actually ended up ‘remote composing’ big parts of the album, with everyone working from their own home studio and bouncing ideas back and forth,” Narvesen explains. "This was a very welcome change of workflow for us, and it lead to us making some songs which probably wouldn’t have turned out that way had we been together in the same room."

This experimental shift in their creative process led to the creation of songs bursting with infectious hooks, hypnotizing grooves and punchy lyrics. It brings all of the edginess from their previously releases, just through a slightly different lens.

“In many ways I think we’ve kept most of the spirit in the music, just the joy of playing together while exploring different genres and breaking conventions.”

Recorded at Studio Paradiso in Oslo with longtime collaborator Marcus Forsgren, «Superstar» runs the gamut of emotions and moments of reflection on our fleeting experiences. “Feel Like Crying,” the first song Mall Girl ever wrote together, taps into the overwhelming question of where we all belong in the universe. “Machine Gun Mystery” dives into a darker realm, presenting an alter ego we all wrestle with, who thrives on power. The beautiful chaos of love is at the center of “You And I,” while “Dance Alone” highlights just how much can be said through a wave of silence. 

As a whole, «Superstar» finds Mall Girl fully realized, with a fresh perspective that positions them as one of pop’s most intriguing new acts.

Mall Girl - Bubbly Cool Drink

“This song is a public apology to everyone who’s ever tried to call me. It’s not you, it’s me :)"

Sofie Tollefsbøl: vocals, backing vocals
Andreas Rukan: bass
Jørgen Kasbo: guitars
Ola Øverby: drums, percussion
Kai von der Lippe: keyboards
Lyder Øverås Røed: trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangements
Solveig Wang: bass clarinet, Moog bass

Produced by Fieh.
Recorded at Kapsel Studio by Christian Løken.
Mixed by Russell Elevado.
Mastered by Alex DeTurk at The Bunker Studio Brooklyn NY.

In the Sun in the Rain

Fieh - Telephone Girl

The electro-duo Ost & Kjex icecold and stylish remix of the Atlanter song Kaktos. 

Spotify: http://tinyurl.com/pyftge8 
WiMP: http://tinyurl.com/oo3nhwh 
iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/nj7yxl5 




Atlanter - Kaktos (Ost & Kjex remix)

As the holiday season is quickly approaching, The Northern Belle releases the Christmas tune “Silver Bows & Bells” along with Louien and Signe Marie Rustad.

The new Christmas song from The Northern Belle celebrates the collaborative spirit of the nordicana scene, as well as the holiday in itself. Featuring Louien and Signe Marie Rustad, this is a classic Christmas ballad, complete with beautiful harmonies and The Northern Belle's secret weapon, the Hardanger fiddle.

The Northern Belle, Louien & Signe Marie Rustad - Silver Bows & Bells (DWYBO Records)

Kritikerroste Bow To Each Other fikk mye oppmerksomhet for debutalbumet sitt ”The Urge Drums” som kom i januar 2014. Det høstet blant annet terningkast 5 i VG, Dagbladet, Aftenposten, Dagsavisen, BA, BT, Stavanger Aftenblad og Klassekampen for å nevne noen få. Dagens Næringsliv sa blant annet "Norskkanadisk lykketreff” i sin overbegeistrede anmeldelse, og Gaffa ga terningkast 6 med setninger som ”Stilsterk, elektronisk pop-eleganse”.

Nå er den norsk-kanadiske duoen allerede tilbake med en overskudds-EP med tre knallsterke nye låter, samt den tidligere utgitte singelen Swim Out og tre solide remixer av låter fra debutalbumet. Musikken til Bow To Each Other fortsetter å utforske lydbilder inspirert av elektronika, hip-hop og stemmeharmonier, men har denne gang færre akustiske elementer involvert sammenlignet med debuten.

Bow To Each Other sier selv dette om låtene på EPen: 
På de nye låtene har vi jobba med produsent Snorre Bergerud, en god studievenn fra tiden på LIPA i Liverpool. Vi har som på albumet tatt utgangspunkt i et elektronisk lydbilde, men denne gang med færre akustiske elementer utenom vokalen. Refrenget på When They Kick You bryter det helelektroniske med et innslag av horn - et av Megans favorittinstrumenter, som hun lenge har hatt lyst til å inkorporere i musikken vår. Alle låtene har blitt spilt inn som et puslespill, delvis i vårt kjellerrom, delvis i Snorres studio, og de overnevnte horn i Bergen av våre gode venner Kristin Austreid og Anders Bjelland. Filer har blitt sendt fram og tilbake, og kommunikasjonen har i stor grad foregått på facebook-chat. Det har vært en spennende (og av til nervepirrende) situasjon å ikke være i samme rom når musikken har blitt forma, men vi føler likevel at resultatet absolutt har gjort det verdt spenningen og at låtene ble slik vi ønsket. 


Bigger And Stronger (Atella remix)

When Bror Forsgren (The Lionheart Brothers, Jaga Jazzist, Silence The Foe) is making his solo debut at the age of 34, he doesn’t go easy on anything. As the title on the great art deco-inspirered cover indicates at first sight, «Narcissus» is a grandiose and uncompromising piece of pop music. 

The album’s theme is centred around the big questions. Lost love, innocence and faith in God are all important elements in the universe Bror Forsgren has created for «Narcissus». The arrangements, which none other than TrondheimSolistene have orchestrated, are grandiose and intricate. Despite its «wall of sound»-approach and several prominent musical guests (Lars Horntveth, Mathias Eick, Marte Eberson and others), the album still comes across as an intensely personal affair. 

Bror Forsgren himself describes the album like this: 

- I’ve always dreamed of making an album with grand orchestration, whilst managing to keep the music timeless. I’m a big fan of Scott Walker and loves his ability to intertwine velvety pop music and modern composition. My vision for this album has been to create a work where my natural pop habitat melts together with the classical and the modern. 

Already on the opening track, «Waiting For That Holy Music», it’s clear that this isn’t just any album. Its musical landscape evokes the previously mentioned Scott Walker and other greats like The Beach Boys, Brian Eno and Ennio Morricone. But «Narcissus» is by no means an exercise in the name of pastiche art. The way Bror Forsgren takes elements from these greats and builds his own sonic cathedral, shows that he’s an impressively confident artist with a clear vision. 

The album’s nine songs form a fascinating musical journey where we join Forsgren down to the deepest valleys. Luckily, you might say, there’s also light at the end of the tunnel. In several ways this anecdote from Bror Forsgren’s trip from Oslo to Trondheim to record TrondheimSolistene, illustrates the album very well. 

- I arrived early at the railway station, but because of delays and technical problems with the airport express train, I had to take a taxi to Gardermoen airport. Five minutes before my flight’s departure time, I arrived at the airport and ran through the security check. If I didn’t catch this flight, the whole recording, lots of money and the album I’d been working on for two years would go down the drain. When I arrived at gate 23, I discovered that the flight had been moved to gate 19. I ran the long way to that gate, but when I finally arrived there, the gate had only just closed. I tearfully explained my situation to one of the officials at the gate, who despite strict regulations let me come on board. And thus «Narcissus» became a reality, Forsgren says. 

In other words it’s been a long, difficult and, at times, dark process. But on the other hand, with «Narcissus» in his back pocket, Bror Forsgren has landed on his own two feet. However, he gladly admits that his many supporters and musicians have been invaluable. 

- I’m very lucky to have been joined by so many competent people and I’m extremely grateful for this. Without all their help «Narcissus» wouldn’t have existed. 

«Narcissus» will be released on Jansen Plateproduksjon on 25 September.


Bror Forsgren - In A Time When God Was One (Radio Edit)

2015 seemed like a whirlwind for the band Undergrünnen. That’s not surprising, because the music the band are making often feels like an uncontrollable force which pulls and tears at you until you no longer can avoid letting the band devour you entirely. 

When we summarize the past year, this band from Haugesund is unavoidable. Their eponymous debut album was critically acclaimed by everyone, and the newspaper Dagbladet named «Skjønne Du Ingenting» their fifth best song of 2015. At the close of the year, they were nominated for the Norwegian «Grammy», Spellemannprisen, in the category “best rock album of the year”. Not exactly undeserved, if we’re being modest.

We quote Dagbladet: «The Haugesund band blend primitive rock, garage rock, afro beat and kraut rock. The power trio’s suggestive music has a wild drive, and you’re carried away whether you want it or not. Do you see?»

Undergrünnen still see no reason to rest on their laurels, and already now you get two brand new songs, plus a remix, on their forthcoming «Ørkesløs Fryd EP». They continue to pour out psychedelic garage rock, inspired by African steppes and German kraut rock clubs. The songs are chock-full of steroids and combustible explosives, while the band as usual take off in a wild pace. That’s Undergrünnen in a nutshell, and that’s what you’re being served on this EP. The song ”Adieu” was originally recorded by the Nigerian band Ofege on their excellent album ”Higher Plane Breeze” from 1977. 

Said about Undergrünnen:
5/6 ”a hectic, energetic kind of rock'n'roll, with guitar playing that reminds you of intense jazz, and with rhythms that have been travelling in Africa… Undergrünnen is first and foremost an overall expression that intrudes and impresses with its intense conviction.” - Dagsavisen

5/6 ”This combination of a fast pace, a good noise factor, riotous rhythms and a churlish musical behaviour is extremely energetic and absorbing.” – Bergens Tidende

9/10 ”Undergrünnen is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Norwegian guitar-based music in 2015.” –Ny Musikk Hver Dag

«Ørkesløs Fryd EP» will be released on 11 March by Jansen Plateproduksjon.


Adieu

JEWELS (PRINS THOMAS DISKO MIX)

ELECTRIC EYE - BLESS (AL LOVER REMIX)

2016 looks like being DBUB’s most prolific year so far. They released their fourth album, «Pineapple Pizza», in March, and September 9th they will re-issue their debut album, «Juvenile Jungle», and simultaneously issue four brand new songs on the EP «Fight!». Three releases in one year should justify a few pats on the back, but still the band have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

A common misconception is that DBUB are leaning heavily on the retro rock trend, and in particular good old garage rock. It’s been a while since the boys listed The Sonics as their main source of inspiration, and people who have followed the band the last couple of years obviously know that they’ve grown to become one of Norway’s best power pop/-rock bands. And let it be said: Not many bands make cooler riffs and choruses than DBUB right now. 

After «Pineapple Pizza» was released earlier this year, the band have mainly been on the road, and especially in the US. The Americans welcomed them with open arms, and they were added by more than one hundred radio stations. This made them one of the most played bands on American college radio. Their fans are screaming for more, and that’s just what DBUB intend to give them!

On «Fight!» you get four new songs, with the guitar distorted to the max and with melodies that you’re guaranteed to sing along to at your next party. The EP’s title do not describe the band’s love for fist fights or meaningless quarrels, but it’s rather a tribute to the fight for quality music. Because quality music exists, and DBUB is a steady supplier of just that.

Fight! EP

Fight!

Death By Unga Bunga - Fight! (Single)

You can’t deny that there’s something sorrowful about the music of the Norwegian band Chain Wallet, but beneath the heavy layers of synth and reverb, you will find pop gold in its purest form. 

The band are due to release the second single from their forthcoming debut album, and «Faded Fight» is another highlight in a long line of great, dreamy pop songs from
Chain Wallet. 

The band is a breath of fresh air in today’s Norwegian music scene, and their gloomy but catchy pop songs are a good introduction to the band. Even though Chain Wallet don’t have many genre colleagues in Norway, the band easily joins the ranks behind international indie greats like Wild Nothing, Twin Shadow, Diiv and Beach Fossils.

The band say this about «Faded Fight»: In a blog, someone called our lyrics «nonsensical», and the mantra «can't you see – we're not making any sense at all» is a comment on this careless remark. It’s not a love song but a portrayal of a romantic failure. It’s the record’s most to-the-point pop song, with an uplifting chorus that is a stark contrast to the romantic failure that’s being lyrically depicted. The main character has begun reaching for the moon, and we are giving the couple in the song two more weeks, maybe.

«Muted Colours», the first single from their forthcoming debut album, recieved more than 90.000 plays in just two weeks, and right now everything is pointing upwards for Chain Wallet. «Faded Fight» is available digitally from August 17th, and the album «Chain Wallet» will be released on 7 October.

Faded Fight

Chain Wallet - Faded Fight

Torgeir Waldemar took the Norwegians and Norway’s music media by surprise with his eponymous debut album in 2014. Who’d have thought that the dark-clad, long haired and bearded man was going to deliver an album that would bewitch and fascinate us. An acoustic masterpiece, it was as if it had been created in the rehearsal room of a young troubadour from Laurel Canyon circa 1970. 

While his last album cultivated a pure, acoustic expression, this time Torgeir Waldemar has adopted more powerful measures. And nothing is more natural for him. With his many years as a guitar hero in various rock bands, it was just a question of time before distorted notes also would manifest themselves in his solo career. «No Offending Borders» is a gloriously composite work, spanning from honest, acoustic laments to grandiose rock songs. 

«Bottom of the Well», the album’s second single, is now out on Jansen Plateproduksjon. Torgeir Waldemar gives his listeners a bleak and violent song, and he says this about it: «Bottom of the Well» describes a situation where you notice that the end is nigh. When you know you’re standing on the platform waiting for the last train that will take you to the other side, where you will find peace. Phew. 

Here Torgeir Waldemar returns to the sound of his debut and shows that he still has the ability to write slow, quiet songs that nevertheless tugs at your heartstrings. Hold on.

No Offending Borders

Torgeir Waldemar - The Bottom Of The Well

We’re now starting to see the results of the hard work the boys in Norway’s Death By Unga Bunga have been putting in since their debut album was released in 2010. Following the release of their fourth album Pineapple Pizza in 2016, the band have headlined shows on a coast-to-coast tour of the US, they’ve been riding high in the college radio charts, and they’ve been listed by more than one hundred radio stations in the Americas. Not bad for a small nordic rock band.

Few bands write power-pop songs as compelling and catchy as these guys, and they’re a treat to watch live as well – both for your five and a half year old baby sister and for your mother-in-law at sixty-two.

Soon they will tour the US again as support to the legendary Stiff Little Fingers on their 40th Anniversary Tour. The boys are excited to hit the US interstate again crisscrossing the country as they play to the biggest rooms and crowds they’ve taken the stage for yet on this side of the Atlantic.

But before that, more music will be released. In conjunction with the start of the tour, on September 8th the first taste from their forthcoming album will hit stores with the single “Bye Bye”, to be released as a 7-inch with the title track on side A and “Into the Night” on the B side.

What Death By Unga Bunga are saying this about the songs:
“Into the Night”: We’ve been on a life-long quest to show people how NOT to suck, so listen up kids; you might just learn something. After extensive studying of the rock’n’roll cookbook, we found that guitar solos are still really, really cool. We did not hold back on this one.

Into The Night

Buy 7" vinyl here!

Death By Unga Bunga  - Into The Night

Band of Gold are back, and they continue where their debut album left off. After their success the last time, it would have been easy to lose the feeling of freedom that made its mark on both the recording and the music. But it was never a risk that this would happen here. Quite the reverse. The band went into the studio and did just what they wanted, and the collaboration between Nina Mortvedt and Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen, AKA the core of Band of Gold, works best when they do just what they lilke.

When Band of Gold released their debut album in autumn 2015, they were a pleasant surprise for many people. Both Nina and Nikolai have spent a long time on the Norwegian music scene, but this was a project they’d worked on in the quiet. When the album was released, though, it was no doubt that this was a band that had the right to live. The positive reviews were many, the fans flocked to their concerts, and the whole thing peaked when they won the Nordic Music Prize during by:Larm 2016, as the first Norwegian artist ever.

But now Band of Gold are no longer a secret. Now there are expectations. And they have been fulfilled.

«Where’s the Magic» is the band’s second album – an album about the passion we all seek and crave for. It’s not hard to find passion in Band of Gold’s songs. It’s on every chord here, and we get a ferocity that the debut album from 2015 didn’t have. On «I Wanna Dance With You Again», the first single from «Where’s the Magic», Mortvedt’s vocals are admirable, and underneath its lovely arrangement we find a pop song that’s completely irresistible.

But the album doesn’t just have grand pop songs. «Where’s the Magic» also contains experimental songs that challenge the listeners, ballads so beautiful that they will bring tears to your eyes, and slow pop songs that will force you to play the album again.

A rock solid sequel, from a band that’s better than ever.

Band of Gold - I Wanna Dance With You Again

‘Old songs played again’ someone said, and that’s what Torgeir Waldemar is doing on «Jamais Vu» where he is playing new versions of his old songs. But this isn’t recycling, and we can almost guarantee that you will discover something new in these songs. Both his debut album and the sequel, «No Offending Borders», were praised by national and international press, and the songs soon started to live their own life. Especially for Torgeir Waldemar himself, who continuously played different versions of the songs live, in his rehearsal space and finally in the studio. 

‘Jamais vu’ is a lesser known notion than ‘déjà vu’, and its meaning is quite simply the opposite. Where ‘déjà vu’ is a new experience that feels well-known, or it’s as if you’ve experienced that situation before, ‘jamais vu' means that a well-known situation or experience feels unknown or new. 

«Songs never stand still, at least not for me. They want to go on. After some years of playing them live, many have moved far away from where their starting point was. That’s why I often experience Jamais Vu and that’s how this release was born», Torgeir Waldemar says. 

On «Jamais Vu» you’ll get «Sylvia (Southern People)», «Among the Low» and «Summer In Toulouse» from Torgeir’s latest album, «No Offending Borders», in acoustic versions, and «Streets» and «Take Me Home» from his debut album in electric versions with larger arrangements. You’ve heard the songs before, but you have never heard them like this.

Jamais Vu

Torgeir Waldemar - Streets (Electric)

Is it blues? Is it world music? Is it underground pop? You can choose whichever you want, it’s not important for Orions Belte to be pigeonholed. They’re playing instrumental music inspired by Nigerian 70’s rock, postcards from the French Riviera, Formula One races at the Monza track in Italy, and when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in 1971. Eclectic and unique – are you able to “hear” how it sounds?

Øyvind Blomstrøm and Chris Holm mainly make a living out of being on the road with other bands, and they’re almost always traveling from town to town, country to country. When their roads crossed for the umpteenth time in 2016, their mutual dream of starting an instrumental project was finally underway. Holm’s companion from the Bergen scene, Kim Åge Furuhaug, wanted to join in on the fun, and then Orions Belte was born. 

Their debut album «Mint» is founded on old traditions but still feels new, and you’ll have to look for a long time to find anything like it. Texas band Khruangbin may be the best comparison as per today, but Orions Belte really belongs in their own galaxy. A galaxy where they are the soundtrack to movies that haven’t been made yet, where landscapes are colored and where the trio does just what they want to, the way they want to do it. 

The result is «Mint», an album filled with songs that fit as easily into street parties in Oslo and London, as in private casinos in Paris and night clubs in Lagos. Orions Belte, a small piece of the world from Norway.

Le Mans

stream/dl

Orions Belte - Le Mans

Stream/buy/LP/CD

Orions Belte - Joe Frazier

Ready to give Razika one more chance? Three years have passed since the last record “Ut til de andre” – an eternity in the music business today. But with hits such as “Vondt i hjertet”, “Faen ta deg”, “Om igjen”, “Oslo” and many more, Razika were never in danger of disappearing from the collective consciousness.

With brand new single “En sjanse til”, Razika returns with an irresistible pop tune which overflows with exuberance and lovely synths. The single, and the upcoming album marks a new start for the band, with both a new record label, Jansen Records, and a new collaboration with producer Matias Tellez, who hasn’t worked with Razika since their debut album in 2011.

The members of Razika have known each other since primary school; have played together since the age of 15 and the band has been going for close to thirteen years now. Pretty unique in today’s music industry, especially considering the members are still in their twenties. 

The band says the following about work on the new album:

“Since New Years, it has been quiet from the Razika camp. Making album number four proved to be easier said than done, but after a period of trial and error we finally resolved it!

We’re back and are very happy to announce that we will release our new album “Sånn kjennes verden ut” on November 30th. Together with Matias Tellez, we have created an album we are extremely proud of and which we look forward to sharing with you!”

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First up is lead single, the aural anti-depressant “En sjanse til”.

Sånn kjennes verden ut

En sjanse til

Buy/stream

Razika - En sjanse til

Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.

“Ride”, the first single from the upcoming album, and is a jangly pop tune with a big hook, that sets the stage nicely for “No Ritual”. 

While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches – they found out what kind of album they were going to make. 

While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”

Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.

Chain Wallet - Ride

Drama – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk are about on their upcoming album. The band burst onto the Norwegian scene with their self-titled debut album, garnering broad appreciation way outside of their home country. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up is near – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance. First single is the energetic “Dancing Like This”, a melancholy and wide-eyed love song, which guarantees to get stuck in your head.

Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as a united Norwegian music press. Internationally, outlets such as Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent and Clash Music gave the group standing ovations for their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Dire Straits and Aztec Camera to Haim.

With the sophomore album, “Drama”, a more confident band is on display. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and several guest musicians, Hajk has done whatever necessary to fullfill their creative vision.

The title “Drama” relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.

It’s been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they’re eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy up-tempo pop songs. In short, drama.

Hajk - Dancing Like This

Chain Wallet is the sound of dreamy mythologies presented in widescreen, while simultaneously nodding back to an era where everything was in four-by-three. Picking up where the hazy, melancholic and undeniably catchy debut left off, the band now returns with a lusher – and at the same time, more eerie – sound.

While Chain Wallet’s first album was dreamed up in their rainy hometown of Bergen, the sophomore effort No Ritual found them emerging to a small cabin on a remote beach in the southwest of Norway. Here, among surfers – and while walking the beaches – they found out what kind of album they were going to make. 

While you still can catch a glimpse of Mary Chain here or Johnny Marr there, Chain Wallet are really establishing their own musical identity with No Ritual. Playing an important part in expanding the band’s sound on this record is Chiara Cavallari of the psychedelic shoegaze band FOAMMM. The guys say: “We had been wanting to collaborate with Chiara for a long time, and her ethereal presence is fortunately scattered all over the album.”

Both of Chain Wallet’s albums have followed loose and murky storylines about a conflicted protagonist. Where the first album revolved around themes like unresolved ambition and attempts of letting go of the past, No Ritual finds our anti-hero in state of spiritual limbo, while reaching out and trying to establish new symbolic meanings. The album is a post-apocalyptic dive into the mythical life of the millennial mind.

preorder/stream single

Chain Wallet - No Ritual

Drama – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk are about on their upcoming album. The band burst onto the Norwegian scene with their self-titled debut album, garnering broad appreciation way outside of their home country. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up is near – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance.

Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as a united Norwegian music press. Internationally, outlets such as Noisey, Stereogum, Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, The Independent and Clash Music gave the group standing ovations for their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Dire Straits and Aztec Camera to Haim. On “Drama” Hajk embrace their urban influences, naming artists such as Solange, Frank Ocean and Thundercat.

With the sophomore album, “Drama”, a more confident band is on display. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and several guest musicians, Hajk has done whatever necessary to fullfill their creative vision. 

The title “Drama” relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.

It’s been a while since the band recorded the songs for their debut album, and you can hear that they’re eager to get going. This time they are taking the sound of their debut a few notches further. We get the simple but grand ballads and we get the catchy up-tempo pop songs. In short, drama.

Hajk - Breathe

Orions Belte - Cherchez La Ghost

With styles ranging from funk bangers to Latin American psychedelia to more low-key ethereal moods, this collection of songs will make you think of legends like Todd Rundgren and Marcos Valle one moment, and contemporaries like James Blake and Thundercat the next. 

Channelling everything from Jon Lord and Dr. John-type organ action in indie rock band The Switch, to carrying the torch for fans of Sun Ra and galactic jazz music as the frontman of Dr. Kay and His Interstellar Tone Scientists, Arthur Kay has been a prominent figure on the Oslo music scene for a decade. A sought-after musician, his impressive versatility is further validated through his touring commitments with acclaimed Norwegian rapper Ivan Ave, and instrumental psychedelics Orions Belte.

Holiday Pay

“The days were long at the cabin we stayed in for the summer. Daring to touch an electric fence for the first time. Having to escape cows on your way to the beach...

When you already finished the magazine you brought in the first couple of days, you turned to the books that were available. Jack London. Jules Verne. Always classics in those kinds of shelves. I read some of them. Never read Don Quijote, though. 

One day, I will (it's in my shelf now).”

Hot, quiet and long childhood summer days with nothing to do – we've all been there. Feelings of boredom and restlessness in the most cheerful way. It's memories like these that sets the scene for Orions Belte's new, sundazed EP "Slim".

Orions Belte first displayed their exotic flair on 2018 debut album "Mint". As the perfect soundtrack for lazy, summery days, the album opened people's eyes to the Norwegian psychedelic trio. Carefully arranged by the band, "Slim" contains song by artists they strongly admire – and contains ingenious reworkings of Ghostface Killah and Milton Nascimento, as well as a Robert Maxwell original paying tribute to Norwegian beat group The Pussycats and the late Mac Miller.

Orions Belte - Bean

Thunderball

Hella Gorgeous - Single

Hella Gorgeous

Goofy Geese - Hella Gorgeous

We used to sing songs together 
You used to say I’ll love you forever 
And I, I used to hug you goodbye 
Just to get a smile and a breath in your eyes 

Sing me a last song 
Just sing me a last song 
That can bring me peace 
Bring me peace 
Bring all the pieces together 

I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun 
I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun 

And now that you’re gone 
I need to find new ways to carry on 
Like when the sun is shining 
Is that the silver lining, that can 

Bring you home 
Bring you home 
Bring you home 
To me again 

I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun 
I wanna go up above the clouds just to see the sun 

I wanna go up 
I wanna go up a bove the clouds 
(I wanna go up)

Above the Clouds - Single

Above the Clouds

Goofy Geese - Above The Clouds

Building upon the success of their recent third album “We Wither, We Bloom”, Nordicana frontrunners The Northern Belle are poised to release their first ever holiday single. It has become a catchy and jolly Christmas number, with a nostalgic, romantic and melancholy lyrics – complete with bells for the final chorus.

“We Wither, We Bloom” was released on August 28th, and received widespread praise in both the US and the band’s native country, Norway. Outlets such as NPR - All Songs Considered, American Songwriter, Parade Magazine, Wide Open Country, Cowboys & Indians and Refinery29 have all praised the band’s unique Nordicana sound, clever lyrics and energy.

The Northern Belle -(Dim Down)The Christmas Lights

Jansen Records is a Oslo, Norway record label with the good stuff.

Jansen Records

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