Archive for December, 2012

“Desembertoner” concert

Martin, Tini and Magne. Oslo Domkirke, December 21st.

Martin Halla and Tini Flaat Mykland performed the song “Falling Slowly” (by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) at the “Desembertoner” concert in Oslo Domkirke on Friday, accompanied by Magne on piano.

Martin and Tini also did a couple of songs on their own; “Take It With Me” (Tom Waits) and “Wintersong” (Sarah McLachlan).

The whole “Desembertoner” concert can now be seen on TV2’s web-TV (subscribers only). “Falling Slowly” starts after 30 minutes.

Martin and Tini also performed two songs together on “God Morgen Norge” on TV2 on Thursday morning; “In The City” and “Falling Slowly”. There’s a video clip here.

Magne is producing the upcoming debut albums of both Martin and Tini, together with Martin Terefe.

Martin Halla talks debut album

Martin and Magne at a rehearsal
for The Voice, May 2012

Martin Halla has been interviewed by Aftenposten in connection with the upcoming Desembertoner concert, where he’ll be performing together with Magne.

His debut album is soon to be completed, he says:

“The recording process is almost finished. I’m going back to London in January together with my producers Magne Furuholmen and Martin Terefe, to add the final touches.”

– How will the album sound?

“Well, the music is a kind of… not indie, not pop, not rock, but something in between. With some jazz on top.”

The album is planned for release sometime in the spring of 2013.

Magne seals time capsule

Magne welds the final lid on the time capsule sculpture

Magne was at the National Archives in Oslo yesterday, to seal the final box in the time capsule project Til Ungdommen (see earlier news stories here and here).

Magne’s sculpture consists of 30 layers of aluminum on top of each other, made to resemble archival boxes. They contain letters from students all over Norway, who have shared their thoughts about the events of 22 July and about Norway today and in the future.

The sculpture also features a lot of words that students have punched into the aluminum plates.

“One thing I really liked about this project, was that it wasn’t my own project. It was a project that I could help facilitate, but was basically driven forward and completed by the students themselves”, Magne told Aftenposten.

The time capsule will remain sealed until 2031.

More pictures can be seen on Facebook and Instagram.

Morten: “The next album will sound different”

On stage in Sao Paulo earlier this year

Morten has been interviewed by German magazine Jolie, in connection with his current single “I’m The One”.

The interviewer says she gets the impression this is something more than a simple love song:

“That’s true, and I like the contrasts in it: a playful melody with more serious lyrics. The song is about finding out who you are and that it’s OK to make mistakes in life. A human is a complex being and has to make compromises when interacting with other people. But only if you are honest with yourself and take conscious decisions”, Morten says.

– The main character in the music video for “I’m The One” is a drag queen – what do you want to tell us?

“She – or he – is an extreme example of this very message. It’s only when you know who you are, that you’re able to say “yes” or “no” to other people or things with a clean conscience.”

Although Morten recently said that he wouldn’t try to distance himself too much from the synth pop sound on his next album, he does say that it will be different:

“I’m already working on a new album, which will sound different from Out Of My Hands, which was a somewhat transitional album between a-ha and my solo stuff. It’s an exciting development, and I can’t wait to present the new songs.”

Morten is also asked what Christmas is like at his home:

“Very traditional. I have a big, old house with lots to do. I decorate, I bake cookies, all the usual stuff.”

– You bake them yourself?

“Of course! It’s important to take part in all the preparations and not just be served.”

The whole interview is available at jolie.de. “I’m The One” was released three weeks ago, but has failed to enter the German top 100 singles chart.

a-ha photo exhibition in London

Royal Albert Hall 2010. Photo by Stian Andersen.

An exhibition of a-ha photos taken by Stian Andersen will be held at the Strand Gallery in London from 28 February – 17 March 2013.

The exhibition, which is sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy, will include a larger collection of photos than what could recently be seen at Stolper + Friends in Oslo.

There will be an opening party on 27 February, with Andersen present.

“Andersen went to the UK and London five times (to different venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, O2 Arena, Heaven and Wembley Arena) to capture six UK a-ha concerts. In this collection – brought to the UK for the first time and based on Andersen’s book a-ha Photographs 1994-2010 – see loyal fans clutching banners, arenas packed with chanting fans and the band performing in the spotlight”, the gallery said in a press release.

The same exhibition will later be shown in Tokyo, Japan, in October 2013.

More info is available on a-ha.com

“apparatjik xmess extravaganza”

Picture from YouTube video. Magne on the left.

Magne was at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Oslo yesterday, as Apparatjik hosted a very different Christmas concert entitled apparatjik xmess extravaganza: santa bells bob.

Based on the Apparatjik installation Everybody is a composer, where the movements of museum visitors were recorded and turned into music, the composition was performed by the boys choir Sølvguttene. You can see a video clip from the performance on YouTube and a gallery on Flickr (by Alyssa Nilsen).

“This is a Sølvguttene Christmas concert, done Apparatjik-style. We’re calling it a “xmess extravaganza” because we prefer big words over smaller words. They are easier to notice”, Magne told Aftenposten.

“For us this is definitely a form of extreme sport, a musical meeting between anarchy and strict order. But the kids just think this is fun. They don’t care as much about following familiar patterns as adults do, and like trying new things”, the choir’s conductor, Fredrik Otterstad, said.

“Desembertoner” concert on TV2

As previously mentioned, two “Desembertoner” Christmas concerts will be held at Oslo Domkirke on December 21st, where Magne is one of the musicians taking part. He will be performing together with Martin Halla and Tini Flaat Mykland from The Voice.

TV2 in Norway has now announced that it will broadcast a 1-hour version of the concert the following day, on December 22nd at 22:10. It will also be repeated on December 29th at 12:45.

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