Archive for February, 2026

New a-ha book out now

Jens Peter “JP” Kragh Nielsen from the a-ha: Ranking Highs and Lows podcast has written a new book called Lesson One: What Listening to a-ha Has Taught Me About Life, which is now available to order from Amazon.

Here’s how the 361-page hardcover book is described:

Book cover

 
‘Lesson One: What Listening to a-ha Has Taught Me About Life’ is not a traditional band biography.

Instead, it is a personal, reflective journey through the songs, lyrics, and long career of a-ha – and what they can tell us about friendship, doubt, love, time, fear, decisions, and belonging.

Each chapter takes its starting point in a line from an a-ha song and unfolds into a life lesson, blending close listening, cultural context, humour, nostalgia, and deeply personal reflection. The result is a book about growing up, growing older, and learning to listen – not just to music, but to people around you and life itself – with your favourite band to guide you.

On the journey, we encounter UFOs, questionable fashion choices, trips to concerts, piles of letters, hundreds of a-ha posters and records, a demo tape, and teen music magazines.

Written by a lifelong fan, ‘Lesson One’ explores what it means to stay connected to a band across decades, and how pop songs can become quiet companions through change, loss, and renewal.

This book is for readers who love a-ha, but also for anyone who has ever found meaning, comfort, or clarity in a song.
 

In connection with the book release, a-ha: Ranking Highs and Lows has posted a special episode today, where Peter the Producer interviews JP about the book.

Lesson One will only be available as a hardcover edition, and only through Amazon. It features cover art by Steve Rolls and a foreword by Barry Page.

Apparatjik to present new album ‘Entropolis’ at Creative Synergies 2026

Magne on stage with Apparatjik in 2016

Magne Furuholmen, Jonas Bjerre and Martin Terefe will all appear at next week’s Creative Synergies 2026 event at the University in Agder (UiA) in Kristiansand, Norway from 23-27 February, as Apparatjik will be the Artist-in-Residence and present their new album Entropolis.

Creative Synergies 2026 is set to bring together “artists, educators, researchers, and students for an intensive week of seminars, group work, and performances”.

“This will be a rare opportunity for our students to work closely with artists that have shaped popular culture and who also work experimentally across different fields. To have our honorary doctor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Magne Furuholmen, coming here and bringing along Jonas Bjerre and Martin Terefe for a whole week with our students, says something about our level of ambition for this event”, UiA Professor (and a-ha / Apparatjik drummer) Karl Oluf Wennerberg says.

a-ha’s musical director (and Apparatjik contributor) Erik Ljunggren is also connected to UiA as an Associate Professor, and will serve as producer and technical advisor for the residency.

Here are some of the scheduled events:

Monday 23/2:
Apparatjik (Artist-in-Residence): Presenting Their New Album ‘Entropolis’
In this talk, you will meet Apparatjik as they present and discuss their upcoming album. They will also discuss different approaches, strategies, and mindsets for facilitating creative processes. Chaired by Bernt Rune Stray and Jan Bang.

Tuesday 24/2:
Talk: ‘Cross-Platform Aesthetics, Artistic Bildung (kunstnerisk dannelse), and the Search for a Unique Artistic Expression’ – with Magne Furuholmen
In this talk, Magne will discuss and reflect on the effects of working within and moving between different aesthetic forms of expression, such as music and the visual arts. Chaired by Karl Olav Segrov Mortensen.

Talk: ‘The Role of the Producer and Collaborative Decision-Making in the Studio’ – with Martin Terefe
In this talk, Martin will present examples from his extensive career as a producer and songwriter with a particular focus on collaborative decision making and the producer role. Chaired by Kristine Hoff.

Talk: ‘Using Animation as a Visual Expression in a Concert Format’ – with Jonas Bjerre
In this talk, Jonas will discuss and showcase different approaches to how animation can be used in concert settings. Chaired by Erik Ljunggren.

Participation is free for staff and students.
More info can be found at uia.no.

Magne to speak at Tallinn Music Week

Photo by Nina Djærff,
provided by Tallinn Music Week.

Magne will appear at the Tallinn Music Week conference in Estonia on 10-11 April 2026 to speak about his career in music and visual arts, the conference announced on its website:

“In conversation with British author, journalist and music historian Kieron Tyler, Furuholmen will reflect on the extraordinary journey of a-ha and his parallel career in visual arts, revealing what it takes to break out from a small European country, the lessons behind creating a global pop phenomenon, and the importance of sustaining artistic integrity.”

Kieron Tyler has extensive knowledge about Magne and a-ha, having written official a-ha press releases and liner notes for a number of a-ha deluxe editions and Savoy reissues.

The conference is part of the larger Tallinn Music Week Festival (9-12 April) and held at the Nordic Hotel Forum in Tallinn.

More info about the event and tickets can be found at tmw.ee.

Analogue 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

A much requested reissue, finally coming in 2026

Rhino and Record Store Day has announced that a 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of a-ha’s eighth studio album Analogue (2005) will be released on both CD and vinyl this year:

“To celebrate its 20th anniversary, a deluxe 2-CD edition will be released featuring 21 bonus tracks – 15 of which are previously unreleased – including b-sides, remixes, demos, and alternate versions. Includes the hit singles, “Celice”, “Analogue (All I Want)” and “Cosy Prisons”. It charted internationally, hitting #1 in Norway and top 30 in several other countries. The album was produced by a-ha and Martin Terefe, mixed by Flood, and features backing vocals from Graham Nash. The audio has been remastered by Bill Inglot, and this release marks the album’s first appearance on vinyl.”

According to the RSD website, 2500 copies of the vinyl will be available on Record Store Day, 18 April 2026.

It does not specify if the 2CD edition will also be available on the same date, and which bonus tracks are included.

Vinyl tracklist:

LP1:
A1. Celice (2026 Remaster)
A2. Don’t Do Me Any Favours (2026 Remaster)
A3. Cosy Prisons (2026 Remaster)
A4. Analogue (All I Want) (2026 Remaster)
B1. Birthright (2026 Remaster)
B2. Holy Ground (2026 Remaster)
B3. Over The Treetops (2026 Remaster)

LP2
C1. Halfway Through The Tour (2026 Remaster)
C2. A Fine Blue Line (2026 Remaster)
C3. Keeper Of The Flame (2026 Remaster)
D1. Make It Soon (2026 Remaster)
D2. White Dwarf (2026 Remaster)
D3. The Summers Of Our Youth (2026 Remaster)

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