FSC Norway

[Malagant]

FSC February 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - February 2015 - Röyksopp & Robyn - Monument (TIE Remix)​

Representing Norway in FSC February 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the accomplished and popular Norwegian Electro-Pop duo Röyksopp in a musical collaboration with the Swedish Electro-Pop Star Robyn. Here is some more information about them.

Röyksopp is a Norwegian Electro-Pop \ Electronica \ Electronic Music duo from Tromsø, Norway. The group consists of the members Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Röyksopp was formed in 1998.

The word ‘röyksopp’ is alas a stylized version of the Norwegian word for the ‘puffball mushroom’, "røyksopp". The band has stated that the word could also evoke the mushroom cloud resulting from an atomic blast

They have experimented with different genres within electronic music, like ambient, house music, synth-pop and non-Euro American sounds. The band is also known for its elaborate concert performances, which often feature eccentric outfits.

Since their 1998 debut, the duo has gained critical acclaim and popular success around the world. To date, Röyksopp has been nominated for 1 Grammy Award, Brit Awards, won a total of 7 Spellemannprisen awards (Norwegian Grammys), performed worldwide tours, and produced albums which have topped the charts in several countries, including 4 consecutive number-one albums in Norway.

Röyksopp solidified their place in the Electro-Pop \ Electronica scene with their 2001 debut-album “Melody A.M.”, released on the Wall of Sound record label.

The album ”Melody A.M.” became a commercial success in 2001, in Norway and also internationally. Popular singles from this album were “Eple”, “Poor Leno” and “Remind Me”. The band's popularity was boosted by several graphically experimental music videos, many of which were put into heavy rotation by MTV.

Their 2nd album, “The Understanding”, was released in 2005. Popular singles from this album were “Only This Moment”, “49 Percent”, and “What Else Is There?”, a song which featured the Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson on vocals.


Röyksopp: Album Discography

2001 Melody A.M.
2005 The Understanding
2009 Junior
2010 Senior
2014 Do It Again [EP with Robyn]
2014 The Inevitable End


Their 3rd album, called “Junior”, was released in 2009. It included the singles “Happy Up Here” and “This Must Be Here”, as well as the popular radio-hit “The Girl And The Robot” which featured the Swedish singer Robyn on vocals. This song subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC June 2009.

The 2009 album “Junior” was in 2010 followed by its ‘ambient twin’, “Senior”, which was more quiet/atmospheric in style (or as they themselves termed it, "..withdrawn and introspective.. made to create an atmosphere and an ambiance.."). This was their first album to consist solely of instrumental tracks. The song “The Drug” gained some popularity and the album sold fairly well, although the press reviews were more mixed this time around due to the album’s more laid-back\less instant sound.

In December 2012 Röyksopp released a new Electro-Pop single called "Running To The Sea". It featured the talented Norwegian pop-artist Susanne Sundfør on vocals. This was subsequently the Norwegian entry in FSC March 2013.

In May 2014 Röyksopp released a new EP-album called “Do It Again” in a musical collaboration with the Swedish Electro-Pop Star Robyn. The EP - or ‘mini-album’ - which included 5 songs, was preceeded by the popular Electro-Pop title-track single “Do It Again” in April 2014, which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC July 2014.

Another popular song on the 2014 Röyksopp-EP album was “Monument”, which was later remixed in several versions, including an official ‘Inevitable End Version’ or ‘TIE Remix’ as it was also called.

“Monument” (TIE Remix)”, the first single off Röyksopp’s November 2014 CD-album ‘The Inevitable End’, was released digitally on 8th September 2014. This is the song the Norwegian jury has chosen as the Norwegian entry here in FSC February 2015.

In November 2014 the aforementioned Röyksopp CD-album ‘The Inevtiable End’ was released, and it was preceeded by a second single from the album called “Skulls” in early October 2014. In a press-release Röyksopp claimed that their new album would be their last release in a traditional album-format and that any future releases from the duo would be in other - perhaps more experimental - formats.

Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12th June 1979), better known by her stage name Robyn, is a famous Swedish Electro-Pop artist. Robyn became known in the late 90s for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know (What It Takes)" from her debut-album ‘Robyn Is Here’ (1997). In 2005 she released an album called ‘Robyn’ which featured Electro-Pop and Electronic Dance Music. Very popular in Sweden, it later got an international release and proved to be a big success for her. It included many popular singles. In 2009 she featured as vocalist (featured singer) on the popular Röyksopp radio-hit “The Girl And The Robot” and then in 2010 she released a trilogy of very popular albums called “Body Talk“ (parts 1 to 3). In 2013 she embarked on another musical collaboration with the Norwegian Electro-Pop duo Röyksopp on their aforementioned ‘Do It Again’ project.

Röyksopp and Robyn embarked on a successful joint ‘Do It Again Tour’ in summer 2014.

They are without doubt very talented and popular Scandinavian musicians/singers/songwriters, together in collaboration and/or on their own, from whom we will hear more in the coming years.

The Norwegian entry for FSC February 2015, “Monument (TIE Remix)”, is another melodious and groovy Scandinavian Electro-Pop song written and peformed by Röyksopp and Robyn in a musical collaboration. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Röyksopp again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for February!

Röyksopp & Robyn - Monument (TIE Remix)

Make a space
For my body
Dig a hole
Push the sides apart

This is what
I'm controlling
It's a moat
The inside that I carve

This will be my Monument
This will be a beacon
When I’m gone, gone, gone
When I'm gone, gone, gone
When I'm gone

So that when the moment comes
I can say I did it
All with love, love, love
All with love, love, love

Make a space
For my body
Dig a hole
Push the sides apart

This is what
I'm controlling
It's a moat
The inside that I carve

This will be my Monument
This will be a beacon
When I’m gone, gone, gone
When I'm gone, gone, gone

Make a cast
Of my body
Pull back out
So that I can see

Let go of
How you knew me
Let go of
What I used to be

So that when the moment comes
I can say I did it
All with love, love, love
All with love, love, love
All with love

-M​

 

[eerik]

I'll take it as my suggestion, but... EP version > LP version

 

[Malagant]

I'll take it as my suggestion, but... EP version > LP version

I noted your Röyksopp suggestion(s) at the time (though being a Röyksopp-fan they were always on my 'radar' ). I like both versions of 'Monument', they are both great in their different ways, but in the past couple of months I have found myself listening more and more to this somewhat 'harder' Remix-version (or 'The Inevitable End Version' as it is officially called) and since this is now my favourite I therefore decided to enter this version in the FSC February edition Hope you - and everyone - enjoys it!

 

[Malagant]

FSC March 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - March 2015 - Ask Embla - Lay It On Me​

Representing Norway in FSC March 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the talented and popular Norwegian/Icelandic Electro-Pop duo Ask Embla. Here is some more information about them.

The Nordic Electro-Pop duo (music project) Ask Embla [the name ‘Ask Embla’ comes from Old Norse mythology, where Ask and Embla were the first two humans created by the Old Norse Gods] consists of the Norwegian singer and songwriter Ina Wroldsen and the Icelandic songwriter and music producer Arnthor Birgisson. Ask Embla was founded in mid-2011 when Arnthor and Ina came together to realize the vision of an Electro-Pop project with a true Nordic flavour, to mirror their national heritage. They both had long experience from creating music for other artists, but now they wished to try a music project of their own.

Ina Wroldsen (born in Oslo, Norway in 1984) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter who has for many years lived in London, England (with frequent work-visits to Los Angeles, USA). She lived most of her childhood years in the town of Sandefjord south of the capital. Early in her career she got a record contract and released some music on her own, but has for many years focused on writing songs for other international artists. She has written popular and successful songs for famous artists like Britney Spears, One Direction, Shontelle, The Saturdays and The Pussycat Dolls to name a few. In the 2013 Norwegian MGP she also wrote (together with Quiz & Larossi) the song “Bombo“ which was performed by Adelèn and which came 2nd in the final. In mid-2011 she started a collaboration with the Icelandic songwriter and music producer Arnthor Birgisson - and the Ask Embla music project was born.

Arnthor Birgisson (born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1976) is an Icelandic songwriter and music producer who has lived in Sweden since early childhood. He began his professional songwriting and production career in 1996 working at Cosmos Studio stogether with Kent (Gillström) Isaacs and Bloodshy. Arnthor's breakthrough came in 1998 with the song "Because of You" written for 98 Degrees. In the following years he wrote successful songs for famous artists like Janet Jackson, Ronan Keating, Jennifer Lopez and Celine Dion among others. Arnthor has also worked with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music, EMI Group and Warner Music Group. In 2008 Arnthor co-founded the Swedish-based record and production company, Aristotracks. Since then he has written and produced songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Leona Lewis, The Saturdays and Shontelle (some of this in collaboration with Ina Wroldsen). In mid-2011 he then started the Ask Embla Electro-Pop project with Ina Wroldsen.

Their first written song for Ask Embla was “Father’s Eyes“ which was uploaded to their Soundcloud-webpage on the Internet in 2012. The song was re-released as a digital single in 2013, but already from those early days this was the song which gave them faith in their vision. Their songs on Soundcloud brought them many fans who rejoiced when the Ask Embla CD-album “Northern Light“ was finally released in May 2013. Singles from the album were: “Father’s Eyes“ ( a popular national chart-hit), “Cry Baby“ and “I Fell In Love“. Other popular songs on the album were “Einn“ and “Northern Light (Ida’s dans)“. The album received mixed reviews in the national press, but gained popularity and acclaim on several international music websites and among their growing fanbase in Norway and abroad.


Ask Embla: Albums

Northern Light (2013)


Ask Embla: Singles

Father’s Eyes (2012, re-released 2013)
Cry Baby (2012)
I Fell In Love (2013)
Legion (2014)
Lay It On Me (December 2014)


In late 2013 they started work on a 2nd Ask Embla album, as yet untitled, which was expected to be released in late 2014. The album has, unfortunately, been delayed indefinetly (due to solo-projects). However, a 1st single from the planned album, an Electro-Pop song with their typical Nordic flavour called “Legion”, was digitally released on 29th January 2014. “Legion“ was subsequently chosen as the Norwegian entry in FSC August 2014.

A 2nd single from the same planned album was released digitally on 1st December 2014. This was a melodious Electro-Pop Ballad called “Lay It On Me“, and this is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC March 2015.

The future of Ask Embla is, at present, uncertain, with especially Ina Wroldsen’s current solo-project (songs and promotion) taking up most of her time. Nevertheless, the Ask Embla project will continue parallell to the solo-projects for the time being, to the joy of their many fans worldwide.

The Norwegian entry for FSC March 2015, “Lay It On Me”, is alas a melodious Nordic Electro-Pop Ballad, in Ask Embla’s typical style, beautifully sung by Ina Wroldsen. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Ask Embla again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for March!

Ask Embla - Lay It On Me

I don’t know what to do
I don’t know where to go
I am so close to you
I am so out of control

I don’t know how to help
There’s nothing I can say
From heaven down to hell
Is a short way

And if I let go of the ‘hope’ and ‘maybe’
I could settle for just being with you, baby

Every night I lay me down
Fold my hands and close my eyes
Every night I pray for time
One more moment, one more try

I want you to come back, oh lie down
You’re in my arms, oh lie down
Every dark on your way, maybe all of your pain
You can lay it on me ( x 2 )

It’s been so very long, you’re still here with me
And though I’m so alone, I’m thankful every day
Trying all the time, I know how bad it hurts
But we are on the line, I cannot let us burn

And if someone out there has a cure for this ‘shit’
I’d give my all to get to it, ah!

Every night I lay me down
Fold my hands and close my eyes
Every night I pray for time
One more moment, one more try

I want you to come back, oh lie down
Here in my arms, oh lie down
Every dark on your way, maybe all of your pain
You can lay it on me

Life tells us, don’t give up!
Keep on going, don’t you stop!

‘Till the sun goes down
And when the sun goes down

Every night I lay me down
Fold my hands and close my eyes
Every night I pray for time
One more moment, one more try

I want you to come back, oh lie down
Here in my arms, oh lie down
Every dark on your way, maybe all of your pain
You can lay it on me ( x 3 )

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC April 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - April 2015 - Susanne Sundfør - Delirious​

Representing Norway in FSC April 2015 is the talented and popular, and ‘unique’ (in style and arrangements), Norwegian singer/songwriter Susanne Sundfør. Here is some more information about her.

Susanne Aartun Sundfør - artist name Susanne Sundfør - (born 19th March 1986) is a famous Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is the granddaughter of linguist Kjell Aartun. She was born in Haugesund in south-western Norway and later moved to the capital Oslo. She was interested in singing from an early age and started taking singing lessons at the age of 12. She has said in an interview, however, that it was only in her early 20s that she decided that music was to be her career.

Her first release was the single ‘Walls’ in 2006, a popular chart hit. Her rather ‘unique’ singing voice was recognized right from the beginning in her early songs and she had her own particular musical style. Her debut-album came in 2007, self-titled ‘Susanne Sundfør’. In 2008 she was awarded the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) for best female performance. Her next album came in 2008, the Live-album ‘Take One’ which was followed by ‘The Brothel’ in 2010. This album received great critical acclaim in Norway - reviewers called it ‘moving’ and ‘beautiful’ - and it became a national bestseller.

Her particular ‘sound’ had developed into something even ‘grander’ but at the same time with her somewhat experimental edge. In 2012 she released the album ‘The Silicone Veil’ which followed in the footsteps of her previous album. In December of that year she also collaborated on Röyksopp’s single ‘Running To The Sea’ which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC March 2013.


Susanne Sundfør: Albums

Susanne Sundfør (2007)
Take One (Live, 2008)
The Brothel (2010)
The Silicone Veil (2012)
Ten Love Songs (February 2015)


Susanne Sundfør: Singles

Walls (2006)
I Resign (2007)
The Brothel (2010)
It’s All Gone Tomorrow (2010)
Turkish Delight (2011)
White Foxes (2012)
The Silicone Veil (2012)
Running To The Sea (with Röyksopp, 2012)
Fade Away (2014)
Delirious (January 2015)


Susanne Sundfør also collaborated with main vocals on the 2013 sci-fi movie soundtrack ‘Oblivion’ and the title song from that movie.

She spent 2014 making a new album for release in early 2015. Her ‘sound’ was developed further in a somewhat more commercial / mainstream Synth-Pop / Electronica direction - though still with her particular voice and ‘experimental arrangements’ - which was seen in her first single from the new album, the popular Synth-Pop song ‘Fade Away’ released in October 2014.

In January 2015 she released a second single from the new album ‘Ten Love Songs’ (official album-release in February 2015), another popular Retro-style Synth-Pop song called ‘Delirious’ which was also somewhat ‘Cinematic’ in nature and which received great critical acclaim and excellent fan-reviews. ‘Delirious’ is alas the song chosen by the Norwegian jury here in FSC April 2015.

Susanne Sundfør has started a European Tour to promote the new album and her new songs, and there is little doubt that we will hear much more from this very talented - with a ‘unique’ musical style - singer songwriter and artist in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC April 2015, “Delirious”, is alas a ‘Cinematic’ Retro-style Synth-Pop song with Susanne’s ‘unique’ touch, style and musical arrangements. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Susanne Sundfør in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for April!

Susanne Sundfør - Delirious

I hope you’ve got a safety net
'Cause I'm gonna push you over the edge
The strangest thing, deliberate
Done with intent, without repent

I hope you’ve got some common sense
Turn around and walk away
The strangest thing, deliberate
Done with intent, without repent

I love the pain, I love the game
Come into my arms, come into my arms
You say that I'm Delirious
But I am not the one holding the gun

I told you not to come
My victim number one

You won't let go, you won't give in
‘Till every part of you is suffering
It's the strangest thing, it’s deliberate
Done with intent, without repent

I love the pain, I love the game
Come into my arms, come into my arms
You say that I'm Delirious
But I am not the one holding the gun

I told you not to come
My victim number one
I told you not to come
My victim number one

I told you not to come
My victim number one
I told you not to come
My victim number one

I hope you’ve got a safety net
'Cause I'm gonna push you over the edge
It's the strangest thing, it’s deliberate
Done with intent, without repent

I love the pain, I love the game
Come into my arms, come into my arms
You say that I'm Delirious
Oh, you'll just have to learn the hard way

I love the pain, I love the game
Come into my arms, come into my arms
You say that I'm Delirious
But I am not the one holding the gun

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC May 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - May 2015 - Erlend Bratland - Silent Sister​

Representing Norway in FSC May 2015, with a Grand Emotional Pop-Ballad, is the talented, colourful and popular Norwegian pop-artist Erlend Bratland. Here is some more information about him.

Erlend Bratland (born on 27th October 1991 in Kvinnherad, south-western Norway) is a Norwegian singer and pop-artist perhaps best known formerly for winning ‘Norske Talenter 2008’, a Norwegian television talent series based on the show ‘America’s / Britain’s Got Talent’.

Music has been his passion since an early age. At 13 of age he played the lead role in the local musical ‘Oliver’ with the local choir in his hometown. He subsequently performed in a local musical version of ‘Chess’ showing anew his great talent. He later moved to the larger town of Haugesund, a little further south along the coast, to study food and restaurant management, but dropped out during his first year in order to continue his music career.

In early 2008 he attended the Bergen auditions for ‘Norske Talenter’, sporting an ‘emo’ style look with piercings, colourful hair and a black Marilyn Manson T-shirt, and he quickly impressed the judges with his great singing voice and his ‘colourful persona’ and qualified easily for the main rounds. He soon became one of the favourites and in the semifinal he impressed everyone with his rendition of the famous ‘Nella Fantasia’ and won the public vote. In the final he sang ‘Lost’ by Anouk, as the final contestant, and won the series with 36% of the votes. Following the win, he recorded ‘Lost’ as his 1st single and it became popular on Norwegian radio and topped the national pop charts.

He then took part in the national ‘Norwegian Pop Idol Tour’ during the summer of 2008 together with Norwegian Idol winner Glenn Lyse and other contestants from both shows. In Autumn 2008 he released his debut album ‘True Colors’ on Sony BMG Records and it hit Gold status in a short time. He was subsequently nominated for a Spellemannspris award (Norwegian Grammy) for ‘best new artist’ and for ‘song of the year’ and though he won neither award, to be nominated was an impressive achievement for such a young artist. He continued touring and promoting his album, with vigour and enthusiasm, the following year, but being in the constant limelight / spotlight combined with a massive workload tired him over time and in early 2010 he suffered a burnout as a result and took a conclusive break from the music business.

He relocated to the larger city of Bergen, some way further north along the coast, where he immersed himself in studies and an apprenticeship to become a hair dresser. He graduated the following spring, and has worked as a hair dresser in Bergen ever since. In a 2011 interview with the national newspaper VG, he did not deny a possible comeback in the future, but confirmed that music was no longer his main priority in life. In December 2012, making his first tv-appearance in over 2 ½ years, he announced that he had begun work on new material for a previously planned - but abandonded - second album, but no further details were given at that time.



Erlend Bratland: Albums

True Colors (2008)


Erlend Bratland: Singles

Lost (2008)
Still Water (2008)
Silent Sister (October 2014)
Thunderstruck (4-track single, 2015)



He finally made his comeback in the music-industry in 2014. Sporting a new, somewhat more ‘androgynous’ look (compared by some to the artist Adam Lambert), in contrast to his former ‘emo’ look, in October 2014 he released a new single - the first for 6 years -, a Grand Emotional Pop-Ballad called ‘Silent Sister’. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC May 2015.

Accompanying the new song was a special video that Erlend had recorded, with some controversy, in a closed down former psychiatric hospital in Norway to get the ‘proper melancholic athmosphere suitable for the song’, as he put it. The song and video became popular among his many fans and expectations were high as to what would be the next step. A few months later it became known, as on Wednesday 20th January 2015 it was announced by Norwegian NRK Tv that Erlend would participate in the final of the Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), the Norwegian annual selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with a new upbeat-song called ‘Thunderstruck’. On Saturday 14th March 2015 he then took part in the MGP final in Oslo and came very close to winning, ending a very respectable 2nd in the end, only 3500 votes behind the winner.

His MGP-song - and newest single - ‘Thunderstruck’ was released as a 4-track digital single which also included 3 other tracks, among them ‘Silent Sister’ (his former 2014 single) and also a short bonus track called ‘In My Head’. There has been no confirmation as of yet whether he is working on a new CD-album, but it would not be improbable now that he has re-entered the music business with passion and focus.

Erlend Bratland is without doubt a very talented pop-artist with a great singing voice and a colourful persona from whom we will hear more in the future.

The Norwegian entry for FSC May 2015, “Silent Sister”, is alas a Grand Emotional Pop-Ballad performed well in his strong voice by the talented Erlend Bratland. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Erlend Bratland in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for May!

Erlend Bratland - Silent Sister

Silent Sister, full of fears
A broken heart, and hidden tears
We always told her to be strong
But she seems to get it wrong

She don’t have to choose no more
There’s no way out, she shut the door
All the stars have faded away
Maybe they’ll be back some day

Silent Sister got nowhere to hide
Loving all, something inside or die
It’s hard to mend a broken heart alone
She’s weary, to the bone

The summer-wind got dark and cold
The willow-tree turned grey and old
She didn’t wanna start again
Who would understand?

The secret she will have to keep
And take it to her final sleep
No-one will know where she is gone
What turned her heart to stone

Silent Sister got nowhere to hide
Loving all, something inside or die
It’s hard to mend a broken heart alone
She’s weary, to the bone

<< Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh >>

Silent Sister got nowhere to hide
Loving all, something inside or die
It’s hard to mend a broken heart alone

She’s weary, to the bone

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC June 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - June 2015 - Sirenia - Serpent​

Representing Norway in FSC June 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the popular Norwegian Symphonic (Goth) Metal band Sirenia. Here is some more information about them.

Sirenia, named after the Sirens of Greek mythology, was founded in 2001 by the Norwegian musician Morten Veland (who also has a one-man Metal-band called Mortemia), after he left the Norwegian Gothic Metal band Tristania due to musical disagreements and personal differences.

The band has had several changes in members over the years, but the current members of Sirenia are:

Morten Veland (band founder; songwriter, guitar, male growl vocals, synth-programming)
Jan Erik Soltvedt (guitar)
Ailyn (female clean vocals)
Jonathan Perez (drums)

Jonathan has made his career in Norway with Sirenia. Ailyn, or Pilar Giménez García as is her full name, is a Spanish former X-Factor contestant who has been a member of Sirenia since April 2008.

Back in 2001 the band failed to find a suitable singer prior to recording their debut-album in France, so they conducted auditions and found the singer Fabienne Gondamin for the recording of their 1st album “At Sixes and Sevens” in 2002.

Sirenia’s 2nd album “An Elixir For Existence” came in 2004 plus one EP “Sirenian Shores” also in 2004. For these albums Sirenia recruited the Norwegian singer Henriette Bordvik. Sirenia sounded on their first albums like a mixture of hard Goth Metal and Rock with classical Symphonic influences (including choirs), as well as black and death metal elements. In other words, they combined strong melodic instrumentals, synthesizers, and metal guitars with light female vocals, male death vocals (growls), clean male vocals, a choir, and violins. Together with Theatre of Tragedy and Tristania they were the dominant bands in Norwegian Gothic/Symphonic Metal for several years.

Their album “Nine Destinies and a Downfall” was released in February 2007. This album presented a slight change in musical style for the band, leaving behind most of the harsher Death Metal-elements of their music and moving toward more Symphonic and a somewhat “softer” pop-styled Metal. With this album Sirenia introduced a new female singer, Monika Pedersen (Sinphonia) from Denmark, who joined the band after the departure of former female vocal singer Henriette Bordvik. The “business” side of things also changed: Sirenia signed with Nuclear Blast Records (previously they were signed with Napalm Records) in order to reach an even bigger audience worldwide. A melodious pop-style influenced Symphonic Metal/Rock-single “My Mind’s Eye” from the album became popular, reaching out to a more mainstream-audience.

In 2009 they released an album called “The 13th Floor”. Many saw it as a Symphonic (Goth) Metal album, pop- and mainstream-oriented, which gave the band a broader audience worldwide but which also disappointed many of their more hardcore-fans who wanted a harder metallic edge to Sirenia’s music. A popular single from this CD was “The Path of Decay”. With this album Sirenia once again changed female vocalist, Monika Pedersen having left the band in late 2007 after musical disagreements. The new female Sirenia-singer (from April 2008) became Pilar Giménez García, alco called Ailyn, best known as a Spanish former X-Factor contestant. Her beautiful and angelic-style (but non-operatic) vocals fitted Sirenia’s new sound well.

In late January 2011, Sirenia released a new album called “The Enigma of Life”. With this album Morten Veland showed that Sirenia had fully embraced their new somewhat ‘softer’ pop-oriented Symphonic Metal Sound. The album featured Ailyn again on female vocals and included 12 songs plus some bonus-tracks. The album was preceeded in December 2010 by their first single “The End Of It All” which was accompanied by a music-video. Other great songs on this album were “All My Dreams”, the Norwegian entry in FSC March 2011, and “Fading Star”, the Norwegian entry in FSC August 2011.


Sirenia: Albums

At Sixes and Sevens (2002)
An Elixir for Existence (2004)
Nine Destinies and a Downfall (2007)
The 13th Floor (2009)
The Enigma of Life (2011)
Perils of the Deep Blue (2013)
The Seventh Life Path (May 2015)


Sirenia: Singles

My Mind's Eye (2007)
The Path To Decay (2009)
The End Of It All (2010)
Seven Widows Weep (2013)
Once My Light (2015)


The album received mixed reviews (with hardcore-reviewers thinking the album “too soft and pop-styled”, preferring Sirenia’s older and harder Metal, while other reviewers were positive, praising the album for its nice melodic Metal sound and broader mass-appeal as well as its excellent production) but broadened their fanbase.

During 2011 Michael S Krumins, Sirenia’s guitarist of several years, left the band to focus more on his other projects and Jan Erik Soltvedt (guitar) joined as his replacement. In October 2012 Sirenia then entered the record studio to start work on their next album, which was to be released in spring/summer 2013.

A first single from this forthcoming album, a powerful and epic Symphonic Metal song called “Seven Widows Weep”, was released in May 2013 to great acclaim from reviewers and fans alike. Many commented that the new song represented a ‘fusion’ of Sirenia’s harder Metal of the earlier years and their newer more ‘commercial’ style Metal of later years. “Seven Widows Weep” was the Norwegian entry in FSC August 2013.

The album, called “Perils of the Deep Blue”, a kind of concept-album, was finally released in late June 2013. It was an album which received mostly good reviews in the press and great popularity among most of their fans, an album filled with melodious and powerful Symphonic Metal tracks, including the aforementioned single “Seven Widows Weep”, and also the melodious and epic Metal-song “My Destiny Coming To Pass” which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC February 2014.

A new album was planned for release in early 2015, and a first single from the forthcoming album, a Metal-song called “Once My Light”, was released in April 2015. The album “The Seventh Life Path” was then released in May 2015. It was viewed by many as a ‘musical fusion’ of their earlier (heavier) work and their later (more commercial) albums, mixing darker, heavier Gothic Metal with epic grandeur-like Symphonic Metal, and some other genres of Metal/Rock as well, in an exciting and invigorating ‘blend’ which pleased many fans and critics alike. The album had many great Metal-tracks, including a popular Symphonic (Goth) Metal song called “Serpent”, which is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC June 2015.

Morten Veland and Sirenia keep on going strong, ‘reinventing’ themselves at times and building on solid musical foundations, and there is little doubt that we will hear more from Sirenia in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC June 2015, “Serpent”, with text and music by Morten Veland, is alas another melodious, powerful and epic Symphonic (Goth) Metal song by Norwegian Sirenia. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Sirenia again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for June!

Sirenia - Serpent

[Whisper:] Death lurks behind every door

Death lurks behind every door
Always there, awaiting my fall
Like a Serpent he waits in silence
For the moment of full compliance
He yearns for my soul

My anxiety
Burns inside of me
I know what’s in store
‘Cause death awaits behind every door

Death lurks behind every face
He lingers in each and every place
His attendance so guile and vile
Behind every deceitful smile
He yearns for my soul

My anxiety
Burns inside of me
I know what’s in store
‘Cause death awaits behind every door

I yearn to be free
All that I wish for is to rest in peace
If I could be strong
I’d never ever come, to this
I would be the Chosen One

My anxiety
Burns inside of me
I know what’s in store
‘Cause death awaits behind every door

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC July 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - July 2015 - Kygo feat. Conrad - Firestone​

Representing Norway in FSC July 2015 is the popular Norwegian Electronic Dance Music (EDM) -artist Kygo feat. Conrad. Here is some more information about them.

Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (born on 11th September 1991), with the stage name Kygo, is a popular and talented Norwegian Electronic Dance Music (EDM) - artist, DJ and record producer. He is perhaps best known in the EDM/club-community for his well known remix of the track "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran (a famous English singer-songwriter), which some statistics show has been played around 28.2 million times on SoundCloud and around 42 million times on YouTube. Kygo has accumulated over 200 million views of his music on Soundcloud and YouTube, very impressive numbers indeed.

After several original works (songs) in 2013 and a subsequent breakthrough in 2014 he was asked by Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin to create a remix for the song "Midnight". He has also supported the famous Swedish EDM-artist Avicii at Findings Festival in Oslo, Norway the same year. He scored a huge record label deal with Sony International and Ultra Records in the summer of 2014 with also a view to a subsequent international promotion.

In December 2014 he then released his first single, the very popular and internationally successful EDM-single "Firestone" which featured vocals by Conrad (Conrad Sewell). This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC July 2015.

In March 2015 he released a second successful single, titled "Stole the Show" (feat. Parson James) which also gained huge popularity.

According to sources in the industry Kygo is set to play various events in North America in the near future, and some of the shows have already been sold out. He also got a feature interview in the official Billboard magazine, where he talked about his remixes for Diplo and Coldplay, and talked about his upcoming tour in North America. There is little doubt that we will hear more from this talented EDM-artist, DJ and record producer in the years to come.

Conrad Sewell (born 31st March 1988) is an Australian-born singer and songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. Growing up in Brisbane, he had a passion for music from an early age and started making demos early. In 2004, he auditioned for Australian Idol (season 2), but didn't pass the audition stage. He later tried his luck with a short-lived rock band called 'Sons Of Midnight'. He spent years recording songs in garages and working to save money to move to the UK (which he did when he was 18) where pop music was more accepted.

Later he moved to Los Angeles, USA where he started working on his solo project. Parallell to this work he featured with vocals on Kygo's aforementioned single "Firestone". In 2015 he has released a couple of his own songs and is well underway with his solo career. In March 2015 it was announced that Conrad would support Ed Sheeran on his Australian tour in Spring 2015.

The Norwegian entry for FSC July 2015, “Firestone”, is alas a melodious Electronic Dance Music (EDM) song performed by Kygo feat. Conrad (on vocals). The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Kygo in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for July!

Kygo feat. Conrad - Firestone

I'm a flame, short of fire
I'm the dark in need of light
When we touch, you inspire
Feel it changin' me tonight

So take me up, take me higher
There's a world not far from here
We can dance, in desire
Or we can burn in love tonight

Our hearts are like
Firestones
And when they strike
We feel the love

Sparks will fly
They ignite our bones
And when they strike
We light up the world

Our hearts are like
Firestones
And when they strike
We feel the love

Sparks will fly
They ignite our bones
And when they strike
We light up the world
(we light up the world)

We light up the world
Oh-woah
World
Oh-woah
Firestone

I'm from X
You're from Y
Perfect strangers
In the night

Here we are
Come together
To the world
We'll testify

Our hearts are like
Firestones
And when they strike
We feel the love

Sparks will fly
They ignite our bones
And when they strike
We light up the world

Our hearts are like
Firestones
And when they strike
We feel the love

Sparks will fly
They ignite our bones
And when they strike
We light up the world

We light up the world

We light up the world
Oh-woah
World
Oh-woah

Firestone

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC August 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - August 2015 - Alexander Rybak - Blant Fjell​

Representing Norway in FSC August 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the popular and talented Norwegian ESC 2009-winner Alexander Rybak. Here is some more information about him.

Alexander Rybak was born in Minsk, Belarus on 13th May 1986. When he was 4 years old he and his family moved to Norway and Nesodden just outside of Oslo. He has lived in Norway ever since and has made his music-career here in Norway. At the age of 5 years, Alexander began to play the piano and violin, but as time went by he focused more and more on mastering the violin (being tutored first by his father, later by professional music-teachers and professors in music-academies). Both his parents were musicians; his mother a classical pianist, his father a classical violinist. In many ways Alexander was destined to become a musician and entertainer. As he has stated in later years: "I always liked to entertain and somehow that is my vocation".

Alexander was a student at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo for many years. He has attained music-scholarships, has studied abroad and has played with many established Norwegian musicians, at music-festivals and with symphony orchestras. He has also taken part in musical theatre productions, perhaps most well known is his role and acclaimed performance as the fiddler in Oslo Nye Teater’s production of ”Fiddler on the Roof”. His popular breakthrough and what made him come to the Norwegian people’s attention was his winning the talent competition ”Kjempesjansen”, hosted by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK, in 2006.

His international and commercial breakthrough came, of course, with his triumphant victory for Norway with the song ”Fairytale” in the 54th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2009 in Moscow, Russia. The song, written and composed by Alexander himself and inspired by Norwegian folk-music but also (Bela)Russian rhythms, was performed together with the modern folk dance company Frikar - and having first cruised to victory in the Norwegian MGP it then went on to win a landslide victory in the international ESC-final with a record-breaking 387 points.

Alexander Rybak's first album called ”Fairytales” was released shortly after his ESC-win. It included besides ”Fairytale” several other songs in the same style, among them ”Roll With The Wind”, the song that participated for Norway in FSC July 2009. The album got great reviews in several Norwegian newspapers (especially VG), though not all reviewers were entirely convinced. The album went to nr 1 on the Norwegian album charts and it was a commercial success in many other European countries also.

In June 2010 Alexander released his second album, called “No Boundaries”. The album showed a new side of Alexander, with songs in many different musical styles, but it also included “Europe’s Skies”, his popular hit-single in his more traditional Folk-pop style, which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC August 2010.

In 2011 he released the album "Visa Vid Vindens Ängar”, a musical collaboration with the Swedish poet, singer and songwriter Mats Paulson whom he describes as "a legend and a great friend". In 2012 he released a new music video for his Russian song "Strela Amura" (a Russian version of one of his previous singles, “Oah”), as well as the Pop-duet “I’ll Show You” with Paula Seling (of Romanian ESC-fame) in spring/summer 2012. In the following months he ‘toured’ around Europe with Paula, promoting their song on tv and in different events.

In October 2012 Alexander Rybak then released a new single - in a style that can be called ‘Electronic Folk-pop’ - called “Leave Me Alone” (with lyrics describing a, for Alexander, real-life stalker). This song was the Norwegian entry in FSC November 2012. A Christmas-album (“Christmas Tales”) was subsequently released in December 2012.

In June 2014 a new single was released by Alexander Rybak called “Into A Fantasy”. It was a melodious Norwegian Folk-pop song - with folkloristic Norwegian fiddle-play and harmonies - and the song was also included on the international version of the movie soundtrack ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’. “Into A Fantasy” was the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry in FSC December 2014.

Alexander released another single in October 2014 called “What I Long For”, as well as another song “Kotik” primarily released in Russia. Since then he has been hard at work with a new audiobook-project called “Trolle og den magiske fela“ (“Trolle and the magical violin“), a CD which is planned for release in September 2015. The first single from this forthcoming album is the new song “Blant Fjell“ which was released as a digital download on 12th June 2015. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC August 2015.

Alexander is without doubt a very talented, energetic and productive musician and artist. His schedule is often full and it has at times come to the point that his advisors have had to make him take a break - and say no to assignments - for health reasons. Alexander is one of a kind, that is for certain, and his many fans and admirers all over Europe appreciate his talent, his exuberant energy and his constant enthusiasm.

The Norwegian entry for FSC August 2015, “Blant Fjell” (“Among Mountains”), is alas a melodious Norwegian Folk-pop song in his typical musical style performed in Norwegian by Alexander Rybak. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Alexander Rybak again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the Norwegian lyrics for the song as well as a translation into English. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for August!

Alexander Rybak - Blant Fjell (Among Mountains)

Jeg vil bort, jeg vil fram / I want to be away, I want to get through
Jeg vil se, jeg vil leve / I want to see, I want to live
Jeg har prøvd, jeg har lært / I have tried, I have learned
Var det verdt all strevet? / Was it worth all the trouble?

Min sjel vil så mangt / My soul wants many things
Men synet ble trangt / But my viewpoint narrowed
Hvem er du, se på meg / Who are you, look at me
Vil du være min venn? / Do you want to be my friend?

Jeg ble redd, jeg ble gal / I became afraid, I became mad
Ville få, ville finne / Wanted to have, wanted to find
Og jeg glemte til sist / And I forgot in the end
Hva jeg var innerst inne / What I was deep inside

Mitt hjerte har talt / My heart has spoken
Mitt sinn har befalt / My mind has ordered
Og jeg vet jeg er klar / And I know I am ready
For å leve igjen / To live again

Mitt hjem er her / This is my home
Blant fjell og trær / Among mountains and trees
Jeg traller i vei / I hum the melody
Forelska i deg / In love with you

Du deler min sorg / You share my sorrow
Din skog er min borg / Your forest is my castle
Kom lys på min sti / Come, lighten my path
Her hos deg vil jeg bli / I want to stay here with you

Gi meg liv, gi meg lit / Give me light, give me trust
Gi meg lyden av bilder / Give me the sound of pictures
Og jeg synger så gjerne / And I gladly sing
Til stemmen forsvinner / Until my voice disappears

For valget er tatt / Because the choice has been made
Og savnet forlatt / And the yearning left behind
Du er lyset i natt / You are the light tonight
Vil du danse med meg? / Do you want to dance with me?

Mitt hjem er her / This is my home
Blant fjell og trær / Among mountains and trees
Jeg traller i vei / I hum the melody
Forelska i deg / In love with you

Du deler min sorg / You share my sorrow
Din skog er min borg / Your forest is my castle
Kom lys på min sti / Come, lighten my path
Her hos deg vil jeg bli / I want to stay here with you

Mitt hjem er her / This is my home
Blant fjell og trær / Among mountains and trees
Jeg traller i vei / I hum the melody
Forelska i deg / In love with you

Du deler min sorg / You share my sorrow
Din skog er min borg / Your forest is my castle
Kom lys på min sti / Come, lighten my path
Her hos deg vil jeg bli / I want to stay here with you

Mitt hjem, mitt hjem er her / This is my home, my home
Blant fjell og trær / Among mountains and trees
Jeg traller i vei / I hum the melody
Forelska i deg / In love with you

Du deler min sorg / You share my sorrow
Din skog er min borg / Your forest is my castle
Kom lys på min sti / Come, lighten my path
Her hos deg vil jeg bli / I want to stay here with you

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC September 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - September 2015 - a-ha - Under The Makeup​

Representing Norway in FSC September 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway after 5 years in a spectacular 2015 comeback, is Norway’s probably internationally most successful Pop/Rock-band of all time, a-ha. Here is some more information about them.

a-ha (normally spelled entirely in lower-case letters, but also sometimes seen as A-ha or A-HA) is a pop/rock music group and band from Norway that was founded in 1982 by Morten Harket (vocals, who over the years became one of Norway’s best male vocalists), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards), and Pål Waaktaar(-Savoy) (guitars). The trio left Norway for London in order to make a career in the music business. They got a record contract and their first international hit was to become the Synth-pop song ”Take On Me” in 1985. It was released with a new, groundbreaking video (combining pencil-sketch animation with real flowing pictures) which gained heavy MTV-rotation, and ultimately sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in one week and 7-9 million copies worldwide in all, an unheard of commercial success for a Norwegian band! a-ha became the first Norwegian band to have a number 1 song in the USA.

Their debut-album called ”Hunting High And Low”, a worldwide bestseller, was also released in 1985 and it included besides ”Take On Me” their successful second single ”The Sun Always Shines On Tv” as well as the title-track ”Hunting High And Low”. Their second album called ”Scoundrel Days” was released in 1986 and this album represented a move on their part from Synth-pop toward alternative rock. Although less successful than their debut-album, this album included the popular singles ”I’ve been losing you”, ”Cry Wolf” and ”Manhattan Skyline”. They went on to release their third studio album ”Stay On These Roads” in 1988. The title-track became a fan-favourite and it is a song a-ha are very proud of and which is very special to them, all three members having contributed to its writing. The album also included the James Bond-song and chart-hit ”The Living Daylights”.

The album ”East of the Sun, West of the Moon” came in 1990. It featured a somewhat darker and moodier tone than their more radio-friendly earlier releases. Most remembered from this album is perhaps their cover-version of the song ”Crying In The Rain”.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a-ha were very popular in South America, especially in Brazil, where the band sold-out some of the largest stadiums in the world. At the ”Rock in Rio”-festival in January 1991, a-ha shocked the international entertainment press by drawing an audience of 198.000 at the Maracanã stadium for their top-billed evening concert - a Guinness World Record for paying audiences. In 1991 the compilation album "Headlines and Deadlines" was also released and it sold more than two million copies worldwide. It was followed by the studio album ”Memorial Beach” in 1993 which included the singles ”Move To Memphis” and ”Dark Is The Night”. This was a rather troublesome and difficult period for the band (with internal conflicts and musical disagreements), something which would subsequently force the band to take a break from the music business. In 1994 the final decision was made and a-ha entered a hiatus-period where the members started focusing on solo-projects.


a-ha: Album-Discography:

Hunting High and Low (1985)
Scoundrel Days (1986)
Stay on These Roads (1988)
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990)
Memorial Beach (1993)
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000)
Lifelines (2002)
Analogue (2005)
Foot of the Mountain (2009)
25 - The Collection (September 2010)
Cast In Steel (September 2015)


They had their reunion 4 years later, in 1998, when they were invited to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. Paul wrote the song ”Summer Moved On” especially for this performance and they also performed ”The Sun Always Shines On Tv”. After this successful reunion they returned to the studio to start work on an upcoming new album. The recording sessions resulted in the album ”Minor Earth Major Sky” in 2000 and an international tour. The album spawned 4 big chart-hits: ”Minor Earth Major Sky”, ”Velvet”, ”The Sun Never Shone That Day” and the aforementioned ”Summer Moved On”. The next album ”Lifelines” came in 2002. It included the hits ”Forever Not Yours” and ”Lifelines”. They released another compilation album in 2004, together with a book entitled ”The Swing Of Things” which also included early demo material. And then in November 2005 the band released their 8th studio album called ”Analogue”. It included the single ”Analogue (All I Want)” as well as the songs ”Celice” and ”Birthright”.

In 2006-2008 the a-ha members focused more on their solo projects once again, until new recording sessions took place before the release of their new album ”Foot of the Mountain” in 2009. This was to become their last studio album, their 9th. The album showed a shift in musical style back toward the Synth-pop of their earlier days, combining synth hooks with yearning lyrics and melodic melancholia, although the title-track and popular first single (which also was a previous Norwegian FSC-entry in 2009) was not wholly indicative of this. The album was commercially successful in Europe and pleased their many fans worldwide.

Even so, the success-story that was a-ha was coming to an end. And on October 15th 2009 the band finally announced to the press that they were going to retire from the music business after 25 successful years, after completing a worldwide ”Farewell” concert tour in 2010. Their final concerts would be in their home capital Oslo, Norway in December 2010.

A last a-ha single titled "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)", a classic a-ha Synth-pop song, with catchy melody-lines and inherent melancholia, which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC November 2010, was released as a single in July 2010, to promote the new double CD compilation album called ”25 - The Collection” (in recognition of their 25th anniversary as a band). It was announced that "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" was to be a-ha's final recording.

In early spring 2015, however, it was revealed that the band were going to make a spectacular comeback, with a newly written album to be released in early autumn 2015, followed by a spectacular music concert in Rio, Brazil in September 2015 and a World Tour in late 2015 and early 2016.

A 1st single from the forthcoming album, a beautiful, a-ha styled melancholy, Symphonic Pop-ballad called ‘Under The Makeup’, was released in July 2015. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC September 2015.

Their forthcoming new album ‘Cast In Steel’, which will include their single as well as many other new great a-ha songs to be enjoyed by their worldwide fanbase, will be released this month, September 2015.

As for their upcoming concert in Rio, there is a story behind that. As aforementioned, in 1991 a-ha played the famous ‘Rock In Rio’ festival for the first time: their music concert, in front of 198.000 fans at the Maracanã Stadium, was alas a world record for a paying audience. To celebrate both the festival and the band’s joint 30th anniversary year in 2015, the band has been invited back to perform at the festival for a second time. In late September 2015, a-ha will therefore return to ‘Rock in Rio’ for what promises to be a very special and spectacular music concert.

It is a joy to welcome Norwegian Pop/Rock-legends a-ha back on the world music scene. Let us hope they will stay around for a while and continue to provide us with their great and timeless music.

The Norwegian entry for FSC September 2015, ‘Under The Makeup’, is alas a melodious, melancholy, Symphonic Pop-ballad in a-ha’s typical musical style, written and performed proficiently by the band as always. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter a-ha again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for September!

a-ha - Under The Makeup

This is how it ends
Each on our own
Unless we pretend
Meanwhile our hearts
Turn to stone
Shaped by wind
Boulders slowly molded over time
Here within

I, I want to see you
Under the makeup
Let all the worry
Vanish away
I want to hold you
Like it’s the first time
Like you were still mine

If you wanted out
Didn’t I let you go
If you wanted in
Didn’t I make
It so
It could be
Tenderness escapes
So easily

I, I want to see you
Under the makeup
Let all the worry
Vanish away
I want to hold you
Like it’s the first time
Like you were still mine

I, I want to see you
Under the makeup
Let all the worry
Vanish away
I want to touch you
Like it’s the first time
Like you were still mine

I, I want to see you
Under the makeup

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC October 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - October 2015 - Susanne Sundfør - Accelerate​

Representing Norway in FSC October 2015, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the popular and talented, and ‘unique’ (in style and arrangements), Norwegian singer/songwriter Susanne Sundfør. Here is some more information about her.

Susanne Aartun Sundfør - artist name Susanne Sundfør - (born 19th March 1986) is a famous Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is the granddaughter of linguist Kjell Aartun. She was born in Haugesund in south-western Norway and later moved to the capital Oslo. She was interested in singing from an early age and started taking singing lessons at the age of 12. She has said in an interview, however, that it was only in her early 20s that she decided that music was to be her career.

Her first release was the single ‘Walls’ in 2006, a popular chart hit. Her rather ‘unique’ singing voice was recognized right from the beginning in her early songs and she had her own particular musical style. Her debut-album came in 2007, self-titled ‘Susanne Sundfør’. In 2008 she was awarded the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) for best female performance. Her next album came in 2008, the Live-album ‘Take One’ which was followed by ‘The Brothel’ in 2010. This album received great critical acclaim in Norway - reviewers called it ‘moving’ and ‘beautiful’ - and it became a national bestseller.

Her particular ‘sound’ had developed into something even ‘grander’ but at the same time with her somewhat experimental edge. In 2012 she released the album ‘The Silicone Veil’ which followed in the footsteps of her previous album. In December of that year she also collaborated on Röyksopp’s single ‘Running To The Sea’ which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC March 2013.


Susanne Sundfør: Albums

Susanne Sundfør (2007)
Take One (Live, 2008)
The Brothel (2010)
The Silicone Veil (2012)
Ten Love Songs (February 2015)


Susanne Sundfør: Singles

Walls (2006)
I Resign (2007)
The Brothel (2010)
It’s All Gone Tomorrow (2010)
Turkish Delight (2011)
White Foxes (2012)
The Silicone Veil (2012)
Running To The Sea (with Röyksopp, 2012)
Fade Away (2014)
Delirious (2015)
Kamikaze (2015)


Susanne Sundfør also collaborated with main vocals on the 2013 sci-fi movie soundtrack ‘Oblivion’ and the title song from that movie.

She spent 2014 making a new album for release in early 2015. Her ‘sound’ was developed further in a somewhat more commercial / mainstream Synth-Pop / Electronica direction - though still with her particular voice and ‘experimental arrangements’ - which was seen in her first single from the new album, the popular Synth-Pop song ‘Fade Away’ released in October 2014.

In January 2015 she released a second single from the new album ‘Ten Love Songs’ (official album-release in February 2015), another popular Retro-style Synth-Pop song called ‘Delirious’ which was also somewhat ‘Cinematic’ in nature and which received great critical acclaim and excellent fan-reviews. ‘Delirious’ was the song chosen by the Norwegian jury in FSC April 2015. A third single from the album, ‘Kamikaze’, was released in May 2015.

The album also included another great and popular track called ‘Accelerate’, a ‘Dark Cinematic’ Retro Synth-Pop song, which is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC October 2015.

Susanne Sundfør has been on a European Tour to promote the new album and her new songs this year, and there is little doubt that we will hear much more from this very talented - with a ‘unique’ musical style - singer songwriter and artist in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC October 2015, “Accelerate”, is as mentioned a ‘Dark Cinematic’ Retro Synth-Pop song with Susanne’s ‘unique’ touch, style and musical arrangements. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Susanne Sundfør again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for October!

Susanne Sundfør - Accelerate

Many people will get hurt
Take your time and I'll finish your dessert
Don't look people right in the eyes
If you can, you can

Wars erupting like volcanoes
Blood streaming down the walls
It's out of our hands, so baby let go
Let go, - and -

Take it off, hit me hard like a drum
This must be paradise, ‘cause I am numb
Let's have fun, let's have fun

Bear the cross, die for love
Crucify them, kill for love
Pray the gods will turn the tide, if you can
To death

Stop the clock, whatever turns you on
This must be paradise, ‘cause I can count
What's the time, what's the cost
What's your price, face it out

Start the car
Don't look back
Accelerate, forever time

Start the car, don't look back, accelerate
This must be paradise, ‘cause we can fake
It's too late, it's too strong
It's only blood, it's the siren song

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC November 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - November 2015 - AURORA - Runaway​

Representing Norway in FSC November 2015 is the young and talented Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA. Here is some more information about her.

AURORA - or Aurora Aksnes (born 15th June 1996) as is her full name - is a singer-songwriter from Bergen, Norway. Aged 19, she has been writing songs for almost half her life, crafting ‘dark pop music’ of rare depth. Her earliest musical memory was of finding an electric piano in her parents’ attic and being fascinated by the music she could produce. Aged 10, she began writing songs for the first time. She decided to start playing her music publically following her mother’s suggestion that her songs could help people in a positive way. It was one year after her debut performance at school that AURORA first came to the attention of anyone outside of her assembly hall. One of her friends heard the song, asked for a copy and then uploaded it onto a Norwegian streaming site. Made Management heard the track and quickly began working with AURORA. She signed with the management company shortly before signing with Glassnote and Decca Records in October 2014.

Her song ‘Awakening’ in 2013 (re-released in 2014) is by many considered her first ‘official’ single. Her first song with Decca Records ‘Under Stars’ was released in November 2014, and the very popular single and Nordic Pop-ballad ‘Runaway’ followed in February 2015. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC November 2015.

‘Runaway’ achieved success in the UK on the streaming service Spotify, reaching an impressive 1 million streams after just 6 weeks. The track was also received positively by various online music blogs and national press such as the NME. AURORA also found a fan in the famous American popstar Katy Perry who, responding to her song, tweeted ‘new music that makes my heart a flutter’. She later continued to support this rising Norwegian talent, making an appearance at AURORA’s LA show in June 2015.


AURORA: Discography

Awakening (Single, 2013)
Under Stars (Single, 2014)
Runaway (Single, February 2015)
Running with the Wolves (Single, 2015)
Running with the Wolves (EP, 2015)
Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Single, 2015)


Her next single was ‘Running with the Wolves’ released in April 2015 and this song also received attention from national BBC stations Radio One, Radio Two and 6Music. This was followed by an EP also called ‘Running with the Wolves’ in May 2015 which contained 4 songs including her two previous singles. The excitement surrounding this young songstress with her beautiful, expressive voice - who cites Leonard Cohen, Icelandic Björk and Bob Dylan as inspirations - propelled her onto the festival circuit and she appeared at renowned summer festivals such as ‘Way Out West’, ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Green Man Festival’.

AURORA’s third single ‘Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)’ was released in September 2015 and received continued support in national press, on national radio and popular online music blogs. She has furthermore been included on the soundtrack of FIFA 16, played a sold out headline show in London in September 2015 and is, according to news sources, set to support Of Monsters and Men in Brixton in November 2015.

Work on AURORA’s anticipated debut album continues, with an expected release date in February 2016, if everything goes according to plan.

This is a very talented young Norwegian singer-songwriter from whom we will without doubt hear more in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC November 2015, “Runaway”, is alas a beautiful and expressive Nordic Pop-ballad sung in her particular musical style by the young and talented AURORA. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter AURORA in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for November!

AURORA - Runaway

I was listening to the ocean
I saw a face in the sand
But when I picked it up
Then it vanished away from my hands

I had a dream I was seven
Climbing my way in a tree
I saw a piece of heaven
Waiting, impatient, for me

And I was running far away
Would I run off the world someday
Nobody knows, nobody knows
And I was dancing in the rain
I felt alive and I can't complain

But now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I can't take it anymore

I was painting a picture
The picture was a painting of you
And for a moment I thought you were here
But then again, it wasn't true

And all this time I have been lying
Oh, lying in secret to myself
I've been putting sorrow
On the farthest place on my shelf

And I was running far away
Would I run off the world someday
Nobody knows, nobody knows
And I was dancing in the rain
I felt alive and I can't complain

But now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I got no other place to go

Now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I got no other place to go

Now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I can't take it anymore

But I kept running for a soft place to fall

And I kept running for a soft place to fall ( x 3 )

And I was running far away
Would I run off the world someday

But now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I got no other place to go

Now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I got no other place to go

Now take me home, home where I belong ( x 4 )

I can't take it anymore

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC December 2015 - Norway

FSC Norway - December 2015 - Julie Bergan - All Hours​

Representing Norway in FSC December 2015 is the young and talented Norwegian pop-artist and songwriter Julie Bergan. Here is some more information about her.

Julie Bergan (born 12th April 1994 in Skien, Telemark, Norway) is a Norwegian pop-artist and songwriter. She has always been fond of music and from an early age sang songs that she enjoyed. She also participated in several local youth-musicals, showing her talent.

At the age of almost 19, in late 2012, she featured with vocals on the song ‘Supernova’ by the group Cir.Cuz, a song that became a big radio- and chart-hit in her native Norway. In 2013, she took part in the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix - as the youngest participant - with the song ‘Give A Little Something Back’ which she co-wrote together with Ben Adams of A1-fame and Sara Skjoldnes. She did not reach the final, but it was nevertheless a great and inspiring experience for Julie Bergan. That same year she also released a song called ‘Undressed’ together with the young Norwegian singer Astrid.


Julie Bergan: Discography

Supernova (Single, 2012 - featuring artist) - by Cir.Cuz
Give A Little Something Back (MGP 2013)
Undressed (Single, 2013 - featuring Astrid)
Younger (Single, 2014)
Fire (Single, 2014)
Rude (Single, 2014)
All Hours (Single, October 2015)


In September 2013 she was signed by Warner Music Norway, gaining the major record contract that she had dreamed of for many years. In interviews she has said that she found the experience ‘almost surreal’. And in March 2014 she released a new song, in many ways her first solo-effort, called ‘Younger’, a catchy R&B-style number, which became popular and received some national radio-play. It was followed by another single called ‘Fire’ a few months later and the song named ‘Rude’ in October 2014.

Throughout 2014 Julie performed some live gigs and did promo-work, impressing fans and some critics with her powerful voice, her songwriting talent, her ambition and dedication to her work, and her international - professional - sound.

She continued writing new material into the new year, and finally in October 2015 her newest single, a catchy, commercial Scandipop-song called ‘All Hours’, was released. It became a big Norwegian chart-hit receiving national radio-play and rave reviews by several reviewers as well as her growing fanbase. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC December 2015.

Julie Bergan continues to write songs and according to sources in the music business her aim is to release a full album at some point in the future.

This is a talented young Norwegian pop-artist and songwriter from whom we will without doubt hear more in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC December 2015, “All Hours”, is alas a catchy, commercial Scandipop-song written and performed by Julie Bergan herself. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Julie Bergan in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for December!

Julie Bergan - All Hours

Love you with your clothes on
But take them all off
Don't you make me wait though
‘Cause every second's painful

Walls could tumble down
But we'd still stay up
All night crashing bodies
‘Till there's just one

We could be, we could be, all hours
You and me, you and me, you and me
All hours

Hands up against the wall
So good it's criminal
We could be, we could be, all hours

Ohh, all hours - you and me
Ohh, all hours - you and me

I got what we both need
And it ain't boring
No, no time for slowly
Speed it up on me

Walls could tumble down
But we'd still stay up
All night crashing bodies
‘Till there's just one

We could be, we could be, all hours
You and me, you and me, you and me
All hours

Hands up against the wall
So good it's criminal
We could be, we could be, all hours

Ohh, all hours - you and me
Ohh, all hours - you and me

Mmm, don't make me wait
Don't make me wait, now baby
Make it hot and exclusive
Ye-eah, you know how to do it

Mmm, why think I'm foolish
Think I'm foolish baby
Got my mind on your body
Ain't nobody on my mind

On my mind
Got your body on my mind

Ohh, all hours - you and me
Ohh, all hours - you and me

It's criminal, oh yeah
It's criminal, so good

Ohh, all hours - you and me
Ohh, all hours - you and me

-M​

 

[Malagant]

INTERMEZZO

On behalf of the Norwegian FSC-jury I wish everyone here


-GOD JUL og GODT NYTT ÅR 2016-

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2016


The Christmas-spirit is embodied in the 3 beautiful, sacred Norwegian
Christmas-hymns below that I want to share with you all.


1. Maria Arredondo - Sonja’s Sang til Julestjernen
2. Maria Haukaas Mittet - Nordnorsk julesalme
3. Anne Vada - Ledet av en stjerne





Enjoy!

INTERMEZZO ​

 

[Malagant]

FSC January 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - January 2016 - Ingebjørg Bratland - Eim av parfyme​

Representing Norway in FSC January 2016 is the talented, young Norwegian Folk/pop singer and artist Ingebjørg Bratland. Here is some more information about her.

Ingebjørg Harman Bratland - artist name Ingebjørg Bratland - was born in 1990 in Edland in the Vinje region in Telemark county, Norway. She is a young Folk/pop singer with a spectacular voice and vocal singing range and technique, strongly influenced by Norwegian Folk music traditions, especially from her native Telemark region.

She started singing in the Norwegian ‘kveding’-tradition (a particular Folk music style famous in Telemark) from the early age of 5 years and throughout her childhood showed her unusual talent and aptitude for singing Folk-music (‘kved’/’stev’/Folk-ballads). In 2004 at the age of 14 she received a Norwegian Folk-music award called ‘Eckbo Legaters Folkemusikkpris’ and she subsequently won several local Folk-music contests/events over the years.

Her greatest achievement was, perhaps, winning the Nordic Folk-music Championship.

She performed songs on other artists’ CDs - and in concerts and special events - in the years before her own album-release, including her well known performance of the song «Den fyste song» for His Majesty King Harald of Norway in connection with his 70th birthday in 2007.

In 2013, several years later, she released a popular album together with the well known Norwegian Folk-pop singer Odd Nordstoga called «Heimafrå». The album was filled with new, appealing versions of old Norwegian traditional songs and achieved very good sales in Norway as well as a Spellemannspris Award (Norwegian Grammy).

Ingebjørg Bratland’s first solo-single came in February 2014, it was called «Ingen som du». It was followed by her first solo-album, the CD called «Berre meg» in March 2014. The CD got good reviews in the national press and she was praised for her vocal abilities and her singing style. The album was also nominated for another Spellemannspris Award. Later in 2014 she released a few more singles, the song «På avstand» (a cover of Bette Midler’s famous «From a Distance») and «Klokkene kallar» (a Christmas song). After that she started/continued work on her new album which was planned for a late 2015 Autumn release.

In November 2015 she then released her second CD-album called «Månesinn», well-received by the critics and another popular album among her growing fanbase. This new album included 10 new songs in the Folk/pop genre, and one of these is the beautful new song and Folk-ballad «Eim av parfyme» («Whiff of perfume»). This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC January 2016.

She has held several Church/Christmas concerts in December 2015 and will continue to promote her new CD-album, in several ways, in the upcoming months. Ingebjørg Bratland is a talented Norwegian Folk/pop music artist from whom we will without doubt hear more in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC January 2016, “Eim av parfyme”, is alas a beautiful, melodic Norwegian Folk-ballad performed in her musical style by Ingebjørg Bratland. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Ingebjørg Bratland in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the Norwegian lyrics for the song (in Telemark dialect) and a translation into English. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for January!

Ingebjørg Bratland - Eim av parfyme

Det er mørkt, høyr larmen frå ein by / It is dark, listen to the sounds of the city
Og ljosa dempas her på ny / And the lights are lowered here anew
Det er tyngre å gå med høge hælar på / It is harder to walk, with high heels
Ho går ein omveg likevel / She still takes a longer route
Unngår gata der du heng i kveld / Avoids the street where you are ‘hanging’ tonight

Eimen av parfyme / The whiff of perfume
Ligg i lufta enno / Still remains in the air
Sjølv har ho fordufta / She, however, has disappeared
Kvar blei ho av / Where did she go?

Det er seint, og stjernene er tent / It is late, and the stars are lit in the sky
Og natta gjøymer mang ein lengt / And the night hides much longing
Ho skålar i gin, ho spelar og ho vinn / She toasts with gin, she plays and she wins
Ingen kan navnet hennes her / No-one knows her name here
Og no ler det bort om nøkan hver / And now it is the same for everyone

Eimen av parfyme / The whiff of perfume
Ligg i lufta enno / Still remains in the air
Sjølv har ho fordufta / She, however, has disappeared
Kvar blei ho av / Where did she go?

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC February 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - February 2016 - Sandra Lyng - Play My Drum​

Representing Norway in FSC February 2016 is the talented Norwegian Dance-Pop singer Sandra Lyng. Here is some more information about her.

Sandra Lyng Haugen - artist name Sandra Lyng - is a Norwegian Dance-Pop singer born in 1987 in Mosjøen in Northern Norway. She enjoyed music from an early age, but first came to the Norwegian public’s attention in 2004 when she was one of the Norwegian Pop-IDOL contestants. She came a very respectable 4th in the competition, winning many votes on her charming looks and charismatic persona.

In 2005 she had a song-collaboration“Sommerflørt” with Philip Ruud (from the group Equicez) which became a big national chart- and radio-hit. Later that same year she released her first solo-single “I Morgen” (a cover of “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie) which also gained popularity. It was followed by her debut-album “Døgnvill” on Universal Records Norway. The album got poor reviews in the press, but did well in the national charts and pleased her growing fanbase. She toured and attended gigs - with other Norwegian pop-IDOL stars - in the year that followed.

After this she focused her time on tv-work and other life pursuits in the next years, though she did release a single called “Hjemsøkt” in 2009. After 2010 she travelled around the world, spending considerable time in the USA and Brazil. Finally, returning to her native Norway, she felt ready for the 2nd stage of her music career. Having started to write some new music in Los Angeles (with people in the music business like Andreas Schüller and Will.I.Am) she teamed up with accomplished music producers who helped her realize her ambitions.

In 2013 she made her comeback with the single “PRTeY“ and in 2014 came the singles “Don’t Care” and “Electric City”. It was clear from the direction of these songs that she was heading into popular Dance-Pop music territory where she now felt comfortable. In late 2014 she released the EP-album “LA-Files” and another single, “Heels off”, came in early 2015.
Her biggest smash-hit to date, however, was released in May 2015, the very popular chart- and radio-single, a Euro Dance-Pop song, called “Play My Drum”. It was a great success on the Spotify streaming site, in the national singles charts and also on radio. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian FSC-jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC February 2016.

Sandra Lyng has additionally released the popular singles “Night after Night” and “Moonrise” in late 2015 / early 2016, showing an impressive productivity and her strong musical ambitions.

She has attended several gigs in the past couple of years, among them the ‘2015 VG Sommershow-turne’ (a summer-tour arranged by the Norwegian newspaper VG with chart-hit and popular national music artists) and various similar ‘chart-hit concerts’around Norway. She enjoys her current life of music (singing added with some songwriting) and shows both promise and ambition, and we will without doubt hear more from this talented Norwegian Dance-Pop artist in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC February 2016, “Play My Drum”, is alas a catchy, melodious ‘summer-vibed’ Euro Dance-Pop song (with a cool sax-riff), composed by Anders Frøen and performed by Sandra Lyng. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Sandra Lyng in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for February!

Sandra Lyng - Play My Drum

I feel it tonight
All your walls are breaking, don't you put up a fight
I see your hands shaking, just let go and you're fine
Promise I'll be taking care of you in the night
And maybe I won't bite yah

Oh my my, oh my my
You don't need a reason, do you?
Oh my my, oh my my
Baby, I'm just teasing with you
Oh my my, oh my my
Let's get down to pleasing with you
Oh my my, oh my my

When your body feels the heat, you're moving to the beat
Come play my drum, play my drum
When you're lying on the floor and begging me for more
Come play my drum, play my drum

Come play my drum, come play my drum ( x 4 )

I gotta taste
Baby, when I'm eager I'm not going to waste
Finger on the trigger, I'mma lay down and play
Curves on my figure, no, you don't want to wait
What I'm all about, yeah

Oh my my, oh my my
You don't need a reason, do you?
Oh my my, oh my my
Baby, I'm just teasing with you

Oh my my, oh my my
Let's get down to pleasing with you
Oh my my, oh my my

When your body feels the heat, you're moving to the beat
Come play my drum, play my drum
When you're lying on the floor and begging me for more
Come play my drum, play my drum

Come play my drum, come play my drum ( x 4 )

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC March 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - March 2016 - Helene Bøksle - Bifröst​

Representing Norway in FSC March 2016, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is the ever talented and popular Norwegian Folk/pop-singer Helene Bøksle. Here is some more information about her.

Helene Margrete Bøksle, or just Helene Bøksle as is her artist-name, was born in 1981 in the Kristiansand-area of southern Norway. A musical talent from an early age, she gained national fame in 2003 when she took part in the Norwegian talent-tv-show “Kjempesjansen” and came a good 4th. In 2004 her musical and theatrical concept called “Elverhøy” was realised and an album of the same name was subsequently released in 2006 to much success both commercially and critically. Helene’s own brand of Norwegian Folk-pop music, with folk-music rhythms and instrumentation (including the famous Norwegian Hardanger-fiddle, the Hardingfele) and also featuring her distinct beautiful crystal-clear voice, became very popular and she quickly established herself as one of the main Norwegian artists in this musical genre.

In 2008 she contributed - with success and acclaim - with her vocals on several songs on the Norwegian-produced MMORPG “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” music Soundtrack. In early 2009 she then released her 2nd album called “Morild” which also became a commercial and popular success. In November 2009 Helene Bøksle released a Christmas album called “Det hev ei rose sprunge”. This album consisted mostly of traditional Christmas songs but it also included the song “Lys Til Nattsvart Jord” (“Light to a Darkened Earth”), a beautiful new song written and composed especially for Helene Bøksle by Elin Nygaard, which was the Norwegian entry in FSC December 2009. She re-released her Christmas album in late 2010 and the album now included 2 added songs.

In February 2011 Helene participated in the Norwegian MGP with her beautiful Folk-pop single “Vardlokk”. She reached the MGP Final but did not make it to the top 4. Her song and performance was appreciated though, as was subsequently seen by fan-reaction both nationally and abroad. In the summer of 2011, in June, Helene Bøksle’s single “Hildring” was released for digital download. This was another beautiful Folk-pop song of hers, and it was the song chosen as the Norwegian entry in FSC November 2011.


Helene Bøksle: Discography

2006: Elverhøy
2008: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (MMORPG Soundtrack)
2009: Morild
2009: Det hev ei rose sprunge (Christmas album)
2010: Det hev ei rose sprunge (re-release, including 2 added songs)
2011: Vardlokk (digital single, January 2011)
2011: Hildring (digital single, June 2011)
2012: Ved havet (digital single, August 2012)
2013: Svalbard (September 2013)
2014: Stormy Nights (digital single, September 2014)
2014: God natt, min skatt (November 2014)
2015: Enten teller alle, eller ingenting (digital single, November 2015)
2016: Bifröst (digital single, February 2016)


In the spring/summer of 2012 Helene Bøksle worked with the Norwegian composer Tove Kragset on a couple of songs, among them the newly written Folk-ballad “Ved havet” (“By the ocean”) with music by Tove Kragset and lyrics by Cecilie Larsen. “Ved havet” was released as a digital download in August 2012 and was performed by Helene on a few local concerts in the following months. This was the song chosen by the Norwegian Jury as the Norwegian entry in FSC January 2013.

In November and December 2012 Helene performed once again at selected Church Concerts around Norway and many people were overjoyed at seeing her and listening to her crystal-clear and beautiful singing voice in concert.

In September 2013 her new CD-album “Svalbard” was finally released to positive reviews. The album included many beautiful songs performed in Norwegian in Helene Bøksle’s southern Norwegian dialect, and one of these songs was the new, energetic Folk-pop song called “Hugtatt”. This was the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry in FSC January 2014.

Helene released more music in 2014 and 2015, including a few singles - and an album aimed at children / younger listeners with her own versions of well known Norwegian lullabies, “God natt, min skatt”, in November 2014.

In February 2016 she then released a new digital single, a powerful Nordic Folk-ballad called “Bifröst”. This was the title-song from the new Norwegian historic movie called “Birkebeinerne” which also premiered in February 2016. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC March 2016.

The song will also be included on the coming movie soundtrack where Helene also contributes with more music. She sings this song “Bifröst” in Old Norse (an old Norwegian/Icelandic language spoken in the Nordics 800-1100 years ago) or “Norrønt” as it is called in Norway, to give the song context and authenticity since the film from which it is taken takes place in medieval Norway (year 1204) when this language was spoken in Norway.

A short summary of the movie’s historic plot: “In the year 1204 Norway is raged by civil war. The King's illegitimate infant son, Håkon Håkonsson, which half the kingdom wants killed off, is guarded in secrecy - and then carried in harsh winter-conditions to safety across mountains and dales - by two valiant warrior men. A story which changed the course of the country's - Norway’s - history.“

Helene has told the national press that she is honoured to have been asked to contribute with this beautiful music and in this historic Norwegian movie. She will subsequently participate in various promotion events on tv and around the country with her new single and music from the “Birkebeinerne” movie soundtrack.

Helene Bøksle is without doubt one of Norway’s most talented and beloved Folk-pop singers and from whom we will without doubt hear more in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC March 2016, “Bifröst”, is alas a dramatic and powerful cinematic Nordic Folk-ballad, taken from the historic Norwegian 2016-movie “Birkebeinerne”, performed beautifully in Old Norse ('Norrønt') by Helene Bøksle. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Helene Bøksle again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the lyrics in Old Norse ('Norrønt'). Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for March!

Helene Bøksle - Bifröst

Inst í einn kenning, yfir orð
erundir himinn, langt um norðr
Ekundra, vill hon sýna sik?
ekallar, má hann heyra mik!

Einn tíð fyr strið, einn tíð fyr friðr,
blóðdreifa snjór at syrgja við,
Kom sýn mér, hver er leiði nú?
einn konung, ennú einn lítinn glóð

Brátt vere varr einn skimi bjart,
tendran á ljos ím vetranátt
þar bifra band sem hvítr lín
í bogir undir stjarnaskin

Tíð fyr strið, ok tíð fyr friðr,
sverði ok vón at kempa við
Sjá jartegn í einn himinnbrú
einn konung, ok eitt folk af trú

Tíð fyr strið, ok tíð fyr friðr,
sverði ok vón at kempa við
Sjá jartegn í einn himinnbrú
einn konung, ok eitt folk af trú

Heimdallr, vǫrðr goða
sitr við himins enda
hver er leið til himins af jörðu?

Goðin gerðu Bifröst
brú við himins enda
Bifröst, þrimr litum
Bifröst sterk

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC April 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - April 2016 - Bow To Each Other - Strobe Lights​

Representing Norway in FSC April 2016 is the talented Norwegian-Canadian ‘indie’ Synth-Pop duo Bow To Each Other. Here is some more information about them.

Bow To Each Other consists of the Norwegian singer/programmer/keyboardist Gunhild Kristoffersen (from Karmøy, south-western Norway) and the Canadian singer/songwriter/keyboardist Megan Kovacs (from Toronto, Canada). The duo was formed when the two moved to Norway in 2010 after having lived in Liverpool, England for several years, where they both studied at the famous LIPA institute. They live together - and are based - in Oslo, Norway. Together they write and arrange their own songs, and to a large extent they produce them in their small basement studio.

They released their debut-album ”The Urge Drums” in January 2014. The album was preceeded by the 1st single from the CD called ”Darkness” in November 2013. The duo received a lot of attention for their debut album, released on Jansen Plateproduksjon (an ‘indie’-label), which was produced by well known artist Susanne Sundfør (one of the inspirations for their music). The album got very good and enthusiastic reviews in the national press, one reviewer called it ”Stylishly strong, electronic pop elegance”. Another single from the album called ”Bigger and stronger” was released in February 2014. Bow To Each Other also had a prolific concert year in 2014, with apperances at Bergenfest and Øyafestivalen as the highlights.

In February 2015 they released an EP-album called ”Like I Never Left” which included the single ”We’ll Follow You” and several remixes of some of their older songs. They continued making music and in May 2015 they released a new popular song, a melodious Synth-Pop / Electro-Pop song, called ”Strobe Lights”, thought of as a kind of ‘sexual gender equality’ anthem, the 1st single from a forthcoming autumn 2015 album. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC April 2016.

The new album, ”My Heart Is A Target”, was released in September 2015 to good national reviews. The CD included the aforementioned single as well as 10 other songs in their Synth-Pop / Electro-Pop musical genre. The duo informed the press that this new album had been shaped differently than their debut-album. Instead of working with one producer for the whole album, the duo had now, to a larger extent, explored their soundscape themselves, and also in collaboration with various Norwegian musicians and artists. The resulting product was in their view a ‘wider and more colourful musical landscape’.

The soundscape on their new songs is inspired by the electronic universe of the 1970s and 1980s, ‘Wagner romance’ and dance-friendly club music. Bow To Each Other want to create music that can ‘excite, and at the same time leave room for deeper reflection for the listener.’

Bow To Each Other were nominated for - and subsequently won - the 2015 Spellemannspris (Norwegian Grammy Award) in the category ‘Best Pop-group’ (with their new album) in the nationally televised show on 30th January 2016. With great critical acclaim, a growing fanbase and growing interest in the world of music for this talented Norwegian-Canadian duo, there is little doubt that we will hear more from them in the coming years.

The Norwegian entry for FSC April 2016, “Strobe Lights”, is alas a melodious ‘retro-style’ Synth-Pop song written and performed by the talented duo Bow To Each Other. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter Bow To Each Other in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for April!

Bow To Each Other - Strobe Lights

When you speak it rains
When you act it pours and floods the wells
This water destroys the love in our human behaviour

We won't try to destroy your life
Won't reciprocate your hate
We won't try to destroy your life
Won't reciprocate

Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our waking hours
Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our sleeping hours

If the world would implode
We'd find the last piece of earth
To stand and raise our glowing hearts up to the sky

We'll come quietly and strong to the entrance of your house
To unveil your bad blood

Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our waking hours
Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our sleeping hours

We hope you see the light through our skin
Our love for them, It's our love for them
If you crush our hearts and bodies
It will erupt us like volcanoes
A blinding, warm love that overcomes

Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our waking hours
Like strobe lights your face flashes
Brightly and violently in our sleeping hours

We hope you see the light through our skin
Our love for them, It's our love for them
If you crush our hearts and bodies
It will erupt us like volcanoes
A blinding, warm love that overcomes

We hope you see the light through our skin
Our love for them, It's our love for them
If you crush our hearts and bodies
It will erupt us like volcanoes
A blinding, warm love that overcomes

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC May 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - May 2016 - a-ha - Cast In Steel​

Representing Norway in FSC May 2016, and returning to the FSC for Norway, is Norway’s probably internationally most successful Pop/Rock-band of all time, a-ha. Here is some more information about them.

a-ha (normally spelled entirely in lower-case letters, but also sometimes seen as A-ha or A-HA) is a pop/rock music group and band from Norway that was founded in 1982 by Morten Harket (vocals, who over the years became one of Norway’s best male vocalists), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards), and Pål Waaktaar(-Savoy) (guitars). The trio left Norway for London in order to make a career in the music business. They got a record contract and their first international hit was to become the Synth-pop song ”Take On Me” in 1985. It was released with a new, groundbreaking video (combining pencil-sketch animation with real flowing pictures) which gained heavy MTV-rotation, and ultimately sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in one week and 7-9 million copies worldwide in all, an unheard of commercial success for a Norwegian band! a-ha became the first Norwegian band to have a number 1 song in the USA.

Their debut-album called ”Hunting High And Low”, a worldwide bestseller, was also released in 1985 and it included besides ”Take On Me” their successful second single ”The Sun Always Shines On Tv” as well as the title-track ”Hunting High And Low”. Their second album called ”Scoundrel Days” was released in 1986 and this album represented a move on their part from Synth-pop toward alternative rock. Although less successful than their debut-album, this album included the popular singles ”I’ve been losing you”, ”Cry Wolf” and ”Manhattan Skyline”. They went on to release their third studio album ”Stay On These Roads” in 1988. The title-track became a fan-favourite and it is a song a-ha are very proud of and which is very special to them, all three members having contributed to its writing. The album also included the James Bond-song and chart-hit ”The Living Daylights”.

The album ”East of the Sun, West of the Moon” came in 1990. It featured a somewhat darker and moodier tone than their more radio-friendly earlier releases. Most remembered from this album is perhaps their cover-version of the song ”Crying In The Rain”.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a-ha were very popular in South America, especially in Brazil, where the band sold-out some of the largest stadiums in the world. At the ”Rock in Rio”-festival in January 1991, a-ha shocked the international entertainment press by drawing an audience of 198.000 at the Maracanã stadium for their top-billed evening concert - a Guinness World Record for paying audiences. In 1991 the compilation album "Headlines and Deadlines" was also released and it sold more than two million copies worldwide. It was followed by the studio album ”Memorial Beach” in 1993 which included the singles ”Move To Memphis” and ”Dark Is The Night”. This was a rather troublesome and difficult period for the band (with internal conflicts and musical disagreements), something which would subsequently force the band to take a break from the music business. In 1994 the final decision was made and a-ha entered a hiatus-period where the members started focusing on solo-projects.


a-ha: Album-Discography:

Hunting High and Low (1985)
Scoundrel Days (1986)
Stay on These Roads (1988)
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990)
Memorial Beach (1993)
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000)
Lifelines (2002)
Analogue (2005)
Foot of the Mountain (2009)
25 - The Collection (September 2010)
Cast In Steel (September 2015)


They had their reunion 4 years later, in 1998, when they were invited to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. Paul wrote the song ”Summer Moved On” especially for this performance and they also performed ”The Sun Always Shines On Tv”. After this successful reunion they returned to the studio to start work on an upcoming new album. The recording sessions resulted in the album ”Minor Earth Major Sky” in 2000 and an international tour. The album spawned 4 big chart-hits: ”Minor Earth Major Sky”, ”Velvet”, ”The Sun Never Shone That Day” and the aforementioned ”Summer Moved On”. The next album ”Lifelines” came in 2002. It included the hits ”Forever Not Yours” and ”Lifelines”. They released another compilation album in 2004, together with a book entitled ”The Swing Of Things” which also included early demo material. And then in November 2005 the band released their 8th studio album called ”Analogue”. It included the single ”Analogue (All I Want)” as well as the songs ”Celice” and ”Birthright”.

In 2006-2008 the a-ha members focused more on their solo projects once again, until new recording sessions took place before the release of their new album ”Foot of the Mountain” in 2009. This was to become their last studio album, their 9th. The album showed a shift in musical style back toward the Synth-pop of their earlier days, combining synth hooks with yearning lyrics and melodic melancholia, although the title-track and popular first single (which also was a previous Norwegian FSC-entry in 2009) was not wholly indicative of this. The album was commercially successful in Europe and pleased their many fans worldwide.

Even so, the success-story that was a-ha was coming to an end. And on October 15th 2009 the band finally announced to the press that they were going to retire from the music business after 25 successful years, after completing a worldwide ”Farewell” concert tour in 2010. Their final concerts would be in their home capital Oslo, Norway in December 2010.

A last a-ha single titled "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)", a classic a-ha Synth-pop song, with catchy melody-lines and inherent melancholia, which subsequently became the Norwegian entry in FSC November 2010, was released as a single in July 2010, to promote the new double CD compilation album called ”25 - The Collection” (in recognition of their 25th anniversary as a band). It was announced that "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" was to be a-ha's final recording.

In early spring 2015, however, it was revealed that the band were going to make a spectacular comeback, with a newly written album to be released in early autumn 2015, followed by a spectacular music concert in Rio, Brazil in September 2015 and a World Tour in late 2015 and early 2016.

A 1st single from the forthcoming album, a beautiful, a-ha styled melancholy, Symphonic Pop-ballad called ‘Under The Makeup’, was released in July 2015. This was the Norwegian entry in FSC September 2015.

In late August 2015 a 2nd single from the forthcoming album was released, the melodious title-track ‘Cast In Steel’. This is the song chosen by the Norwegian FSC-jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC May 2016.

In September 2015 their album ‘Cast in Steel’, which included their singles and a host of other great tracks, was finally released, to mixed critical reviews in the press but to great, popular response by their many fans around the world. They subsequently took part in the famous 2015 ‘Rock In Rio’-concert in Brazil which was a great, memorable success, returning to the music festival where they played for the first time in 1991. Since then a-ha have been touring and holding concerts successfully on several continents.

As to what the future may bring, it is not clear with regards to a-ha. Rumours abound that they may yet again be taking a break (or disband), but with a-ha this has happened so many times over the years that it is hard to know what to believe. Their musical and inter-personal relationship(s) within the band has ebbed and flowed (highs and lows) over the years, with great artistic differences at times and personal projects, and it remains to be seen if they wish to continue as a band into the future.

Regardless, there is little doubt that the Norwegian Pop/Rock-legends a-ha, with their timeless music, have made their stamp on the world music scene.

The Norwegian entry for FSC May 2016, ‘Cast In Steel’, is alas a melodious, Adult Oriented Pop song in a-ha’s typical musical style, written and performed proficiently by the band as always. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter a-ha again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for May!

a-ha - Cast In Steel

Meet me at the turnaround
Stop your car and look around
There I will be waiting
Forget for once how everything

Fades
It fades away

I’ll never get over what we said
It lingers in my head
I’ll always remember what we knew
One hundred percent to be true

To be right
To be real
Set in stone
And cast in steel

We made a pact
Eye to eye
Cross your heart
And hope to die

Can you see the end of things?
Can you see it happening?
Feel the ashes on the wind
Don’t you hate how everything

Falls
Just falls away

I’ll never get over what we said
It lingers in my head
I’ll always remember what we knew
One hundred percent to be true

To be right
To be real
Set in stone
And cast in steel

Made a pact
Eye to eye
Cross your heart
And hope to die

It lingers in my head
I’ll always remember what we knew
One hundred percent to be true

Set in stone
And cast in steel

To be right and
To be real
Set in stone
And cast in steel

-M​

 

[Malagant]

FSC June 2016 - Norway

FSC Norway - June 2016 - AURORA - Winter Bird​

Representing Norway in FSC June 2016, and returning to the FSC, is the young and talented Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA. Here is some more information about her.

AURORA - or Aurora Aksnes (born 15th June 1996) as is her full name - is a singer-songwriter from Bergen, Norway. Aged 19, she has been writing songs for almost half her life, crafting ‘dark pop music’ of rare depth. Her earliest musical memory was of finding an electric piano in her parents’ attic and being fascinated by the music she could produce. Aged 10, she began writing songs for the first time. She decided to start playing her music publically following her mother’s suggestion that her songs could help people in a positive way. It was one year after her debut performance at school that AURORA first came to the attention of anyone outside of her assembly hall. One of her friends heard the song, asked for a copy and then uploaded it onto a Norwegian streaming site. Made Management heard the track and quickly began working with AURORA. She signed with the management company shortly before signing with Glassnote and Decca Records in October 2014.

Her song ‘Awakening’ in 2013 (re-released in 2014) is by many considered her first ‘official’ single. Her first song with Decca Records ‘Under Stars’ was released in November 2014, and the very popular single and Nordic Pop-ballad ‘Runaway’ followed in February 2015. This was the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry in FSC November 2015.

‘Runaway’ achieved success in the UK on the streaming service Spotify, reaching an impressive 1 million streams after just 6 weeks. The track was also received positively by various online music blogs and national press such as the NME. AURORA also found a fan in the famous American popstar Katy Perry who, responding to her song, tweeted ‘new music that makes my heart a flutter’. She later continued to support this rising Norwegian talent, making an appearance at AURORA’s LA show in June 2015.


AURORA: Discography

Awakening (Single, 2013)
Under Stars (Single, 2014)
Runaway (Single, February 2015)
Running with the Wolves (Single, 2015)
Running with the Wolves (EP, 2015)
Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Single, 2015)
Half the World Away (Single, 2015)
Conqueror (Single, 2016)
Warrior (Single, 2016)
All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend (Album, March 2016)


Her next single was ‘Running with the Wolves’ released in April 2015 and this song also received attention from national BBC stations Radio One, Radio Two and 6Music. This was followed by an EP also called ‘Running with the Wolves’ in May 2015 which contained 4 songs including her two previous singles. The excitement surrounding this young songstress with her beautiful, expressive voice - who cites Leonard Cohen, Icelandic Björk and Bob Dylan as inspirations - propelled her onto the festival circuit and she appeared at renowned summer festivals such as ‘Way Out West’, ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Green Man Festival’, as well as being included on the popular ‘FIFA 16’ soundtrack.

AURORA’s third single ‘Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)’ was released in September 2015 and received continued support in national press, on national radio and popular online music blogs. She released several more, popular singles in the next 6 months (‘Half the World Away’, ‘Conqueror’ and ‘Warrior’) while finishing her debut-album. Called ‘All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend’ it was finally released in March 2016, to very good reviews in the national press, and it included all her newer singles as well as several other very good songs in her Ambient Pop-style.

One of these other popular tracks on her new album is the song ‘Winter Bird’, and this is the song chosen by the Norwegian jury as the Norwegian entry here in FSC June 2016.

AURORA has started a promotional tour for the album and will spend the coming months promoting it at different venues/functions and taking part in summer music festivals.

This is a very talented and popular young Norwegian singer-songwriter, who has already received both national and international music awards, from whom we will without doubt hear more in the years to come.

The Norwegian entry for FSC June 2016, “Winter Bird”, is alas another beautiful and expressive Ambient Nordic Pop-ballad sung in her particular musical style by the young and talented AURORA. The Norwegian jury is happy to enter AURORA again in the FSC for Norway.

Below are the English lyrics for the song. Hope you’ll enjoy the Norwegian entry for June!

AURORA - Winter Bird

Walking in my sleep
Like the naked trees
Will they wake up again?
Do they sleep, do they dream?

Feel it as the wind strokes my skin
I am moved by the chill
Hear the winter bird sing
Ah…

My tears are always frozen
I can see the air I breathe
But my fingers painting pictures
On the grass in front of me

Lay me by the frozen river
Where the boats have passed me by
All I need is to remember
How it was to feel alive

Silent things, violent chase
We are dancing again
In a dream, by the lake
Ah...

My tears are always frozen
I can see the air I breathe
But my fingers painting pictures
On the grass in front of me

Lay me by the frozen river
Where the boats have passed me by
All I need is to remember
How it was to feel alive

Rest against my pillow
Like the aging winter sun
Only wake each morning
To remember that you're gone

So I drift away again
To winter, I belong
Ah...

My tears are always frozen
I can see the air I breathe
But my fingers painting pictures
On the grass in front of me

Lay me by the frozen river
Where the boats have passed me by
All I need is to remember
How it was to feel alive

My tears are always frozen...
Ah…

My tears are always frozen...
Ah…

My tears are always frozen...
Ah…

All I need is to remember
How it was to feel alive
I need to remember
How it was to feel alive

-M​