Fan looking for actors

I’ve been contacted by Brad Hansen in Ireland, who is looking for three young actors to play the a-ha members in a low-budget music video:

Ireland 2011: Morten, Magne and Paul lookalikes wanted in look, build, height etc to mirror their 1985 appearance as much as possible. This is a unique event, but with a low budget. If you know anyone in Europe, (closer to Ireland the better, to cut expenses), then please let them know of this. This is something by a fan FOR fans and a-ha themselves.

The full casting call can be found at starnow.com.

The Apparatjik Light Space Modulator opens in Berlin

Magne in Berlin last week, working on the Apparatjik installation together with his son Thomas Vincent.
(Picture from VG)

Apparatjik opened their Light Space Modulator project at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin this past weekend with a performance on Saturday that included a couple of new songs.

To promote this month’s events the band has teamed up with Smart to create a unique discoball electric car, covered by thousands of mirror pieces. In the YouTube video above, Magne can be seen driving around Berlin in the car. He also provides the vocals on the accompanying “Combat Disco” track.

More info about the collaboration with Smart can be found in an article on the New York Times website:
Band’s Electro Aesthetic Is Reflected by Discoball Smart Car

Magne has also done some new interviews in connection with the Berlin installation/performances:
QRO Magazine: Magne Furuholmen of Apparatjik & a-ha (English)
artnet.de: Complicate Your Life! – Interview mit Magne Furuholmen (German)
Monopol Magazin: Apparatjik – Vier gegen Mies (German)

A few YouTube videos from Saturday’s performance can be seen here. And a Danish company that delivered the sound equipment for the cube has posted some pictures of the rigging here.

The Apparatjik Light Space Modulator continues this month, with new performances planned on March 26th and March 27th – the latter in collaboration with the Deutsches Kammerorchester. “I will be conducting the orchestra together with the others in Apparatjik, and that’s something I’ve never done before“, Magne tells VG.

a-ha disappoint their fans with incomplete concert release

Not only are they getting an incomplete concert, German fans will also have their DVD covers ruined by a big freakin’ rating symbol.

The tracklisting for the upcoming Blu-ray, DVD and 2-CD release of Ending On A High Note – The Final Concert has now been officially confirmed by a-ha.com.

Unfortunately, it shows that two of the songs performed at Oslo Spektrum on December 4th will not be included – “Bowling Green” and “The Bandstand”.

The omission of the Everly Brothers cover “Bowling Green” was to be expected, considering the technical difficulties during that song. But leaving out “The Bandstand” is a very disappointing and puzzling decision.

Considered by many fans as one of the absolute highlights of the 2009 and 2010 tours and performed at nearly every show, there is no doubt that “The Bandstand” should definitely have been included…

This means that there’s still no complete a-ha concert that has been released officially. The previous live DVD Homecoming – Live at Vallhall (2001) left out the live version of “Angel In The Snow” that was performed at Vallhall.

In addition to the CD, DVD, Blu-ray and Deluxe Edition (2CD + DVD), Universal will also release a CD single with two live tracks; “Summer Moved On” and “Scoundrel Days”. The German release date for the CD single is March 25th and it can now be pre-ordered from Amazon.de.

Cover of the CD single, with a picture of Morten on the synth drums taken during…”The Bandstand”.

Apparatjik in Frankfurt

Magne during a discussion on March 4th.
(Picture by Silli)

Prior to appearing at the Spellemann Awards on Saturday, Magne spent some time in Frankfurt, Germany with Apparatjik.

On 25 February they performed at the opening ceremony of the newly renovated Deutsche Bank towers, now “one of the most eco-friendly high-rise buildings in the world”.

3 songs from this performance can be seen on YouTube:
Arrow and Bow   Snow Crystals   Look Kids

There was also an English interview with Magne in the Deutsche Bank ArtMag, with his (written) answers being delivered in typical Apparatjik style.

 

Then last week, from 2 – 4 March, there was an “Apparatjik Mini Summit” at the Deutsche Bank towers, as part of the “Globe” series of artistic events. Featuring film screenings, discussions and so-called “Apparatjik iPad Disco Combats”, these evenings were free and open to everyone interested.

To get an impression of the iPad Combat, check out this video. For additional pictures and video links from Frankfurt, there’s a thread on the WOTM forum with more info.

 

Magne is now in Berlin, where he’s preparing the Apparatjik Light Space Modulator – the art installation and performance project at the Neue Nationalgalerie that opens on Saturday, March 12th.

Signed photobooks

Signed copies of Just Loomis’ a-ha photobook are now available from his official website at justloomis.com.

There are two pricing options; signed book with priority international shipping ($90.00) and signed book plus signed 8×10 print with priority international shipping ($225.00).

Loomis’ exhibition “As We Are” at the Stenersen museum in Oslo is open until April 3rd.

a-ha receive honorary award

Morten and Magne with their trophy, meeting the press after the show

a-ha were given the honorary award at the Spellemann Awards for 2010, which were held at Oslo Spektrum on Saturday. This is actually the third time a-ha have been given the honorary award – they also received it in 1987 and 2001.

Magne and Morten had been specially invited, and was in the audience together with Heidi, Inez and manager Harald Wiik. Paul was in New York, where he is reportedly working on a new Savoy album.

The award was presented by Kaizers Orchestra vocalist Janove Ottesen, Thomas Dybdahl, Ida Maria Sivertsen and Bertine Zetlitz, who opened the show with a cover version of “The Sun Always Shines On TV” as a tribute to a-ha.

 

Here is Magne’s acceptance speech:

Thank you very much. The last time we were standing in almost this exact same spot, was on December 4th. That was a special evening, just as this is turning out to be.

We are a three-headed troll and we are missing one of our heads tonight. But on behalf of all of us I want to thank you all for a fantastic version of a song that’s actually 25 years old. And of course we can’t leave the stage without thanking our families and wives. According to my wife, that’s something we’ve never done before.

We have really been touring a lot. And I wouldn’t necessarily say that he managed to tame the troll, but he kept us organized; Harald Wiik, our manager in recent years. Thank you.

Thanks to everyone in Norway. It’s been a pleasure to entertain you through all these years.

Morten added: “Enough has been said. Thank you very much, everyone.

 

A video clip of the TSASOTV performance and the acceptance speech can be seen at tv2underholdning.no. Further down on the page is a clip of Morten and Magne arriving on the red carpet.

VGTV also has a video interview with Morten, who had just returned from a holiday “far away from Norway”.

And here is a video of Magne and Morten meeting the press after the show.

The Final Concert CD cover

 

The cover of the CD version of Ending On A High Note – The Final Concert has now started to appear online, including on the website of Universal Norway.

And I’d expect the covers of the DVD and Blu-ray to look somewhat similar.

These live releases are still scheduled to be out in Germany on April 1st, but details on tracklists and number of discs have not been officially confirmed yet.

Amazon.de has the CD version listed as being just 1 disc, which means it’s obviously not the complete concert. Hopefully the Deluxe Version (3 discs) will have all the songs. Needless to say we’re at least expecting the DVD and Blu-ray to feature the complete concert (although leaving out “Bowling Green” will be understandable).

An official announcement is expected soon.

Magne donates artwork to charity auction

 

Aftenposten has an interview with Magne today, in connection with a new campaign by LHL (The Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization). He is among a number of artists who have donated artworks for an online auction to benefit research on heart disease among women.

Magne himself has been suffering from atrial fibrillation for a number of years, and is scheduled to undergo heart surgery this summer.

So it’s natural for me to contribute to a campaign like this“, he says.

Magne has recently been busy moving into his new atelier at Galleri Trafo in Asker, and in the process he’s had a chance to go through a lot of his older paintings, graphic prints and ceramic art.

The monotype that he’s donated to the charity auction is from a series of prints that he made around 2000, where the motif somewhat resembles a heart against a background of electrical charges.

Shortly afterwards I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation“, Magne says.

It was almost a bit eerie. These prints were made right before my own heart problems were discovered. Yes, it does resemble a heart muscle. I had, perhaps, an underlying feeling in my body, which caused this to materialize.

The monotypes were exhibited only once, but were not available to buy. Now Magne has brought them out of storage.

This print does fit very well, considering my personal connection to heart problems“, he says.

The charity auction is now underway at the website of auction house Blomquist. Magne’s monotype is available here, with a starting price of 30 000 kroner. The auction is open until February 28th.

Sound On Sound article

Sound On Sound, a UK magazine focusing on music recording technology, has a 6-page article about the recording of “Take On Me” in its latest issue, March 2011.

Describing the studio work on the different versions of the song in great detail, the article features contributions from producer Alan Tarney and engineers Neill King and Gerry Kitchingham.

The March issue of the magazine can be ordered from soundonsound.com. The a-ha article is also available as a PDF file here (includes a preview of the article).

(Thanks to Oliver and Matthew for the tip)

Just Loomis book and exhibition

A sample of the book

The 96-page photo book a-ha photographer Just Loomis was published in Norway earlier this week. It features a selection of Loomis’ a-ha photos between 1985 and 1991, taken in the UK, Canada and Brazil.

The book also includes a foreword written by Magne, an interview with Morten (done by Loomis himself) and a text written by Paul. There are also interviews with Warner executive Jeff Ayeroff and graphic designer Jeri Heiden.

We recognised in Just someone whose ambition and passion for photography matched our own ambition and passion for music: he wanted to take great pictures, we wanted to make great music“, Magne writes in the foreword.

Just Loomis with some of the photos on display at the Stenersen Museum

The book release tied in with the opening of Loomis’ exhibition As We Are at the Stenersen Museum in Oslo on Thursday, February 10th, which also features some of his a-ha photos.

WOTM forum member “Hermetic”, who attended the opening, writes:

“Both Magne and Morten were at the opening of the exhibition, and I was lucky enough to have my copy signed by both + Just. Lauren was there too, but no sign of Paul though (might have left already as I arrived quite late).”

Update: Just Loomis has posted a couple of pictures from the opening on his Facebook page. Here he is with Morten, Magne, The Swing Of Things author Jan Omdahl and head of Press Publishing Håkon Harket. And here is another one with Morten and Jan.

A TV interview with Loomis from NRK Østlandssendingen can be seen here. There were also interviews with him at Dagbladet.no and Foto.no.

“This is the first time I’m in Oslo and it’s a great honour for me to show these photos now, following a-ha’s farewell tour”, Loomis says in the Foto.no interview.

“It’s very special for me to be among those who were there from the start, taking part in the process that eventually turned a-ha into international stars”, he added to Dagbladet.

The exhibition at the Stenersen Museum is on display until April 3rd.

The photo book, which will be available outside of Norway next month, can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

If you’re in Norway, the book is now available from online stores such as Bokkilden and Haugen Bok.

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