Live in Barcelona 2022
(Photo by Carlos Maciá)

Magne has revealed on Instagram that he’s planning to release his new solo album in August this year. Alongside some new photos with babygoats on the farm he co-owns on the island of Stormolla in Lofoten, Norway, he writes:

“with your help i am planning some sort of release of my new album 31st of august in norway. should really have happened last year, but hey – longcovid was no joke!”

In early 2023 Magne was working on the album in his home studio with producer Bjarne Stensli, who also produced 2019’s White Xmas Lies. Later he and Stensli were joined by Karl Oluf Wennerberg and Even Ormestad for a recording session at Magne’s holiday home in Vence, Southern France, in June 2023. This is also where he recorded A Dot Of Black In The Blue Of Your Bliss back in 2007.

It will be interesting to see if Magne is planning to perform live in connection with the album release, like he did with White Xmas Lies.

What we do know is that on 12 September there will be a Q&A session with Magne at Aker Tech House, the recently opened office building located right next to his “Imprints” sculpture park at Fornebu. The event will be hosted by legendary Norwegian footballer Jan Åge Fjørtoft, who now works for Aker Property Group. It’s not clear if it’s open to the public, but more info is to follow.

Magne has been keeping a low profile so far this year, apart from a few appearances. On 10 February he attended the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event at Telenor Arena near Oslo, where he could be seen in the TV broadcast during the match between Casper Ruud and Nicolai Kjær.

While on 11 April he visited Høyenhall School at Manglerud, where four of his artworks were added to the school’s art collection. Both Magne and Paul went to primary school at Høyenhall in the late 60s/early 70s, and there is now a conference room called “Furuholmen” and another conference room called “Waaktaar”, named after its two most famous students.

One who’s been keeping an even lower profile recently is Morten Harket, who made his last public appearence in October 2022. But he’s been seen out and about occasionally, most recently at IKEA in Oslo last weekend, 4 May. Regina Crosby Haug, an American filmmaker living in Norway who’s also the founder of the OneWhale organization, ran into Morten there and posted a picture with him on her Instagram.