Browse by Label: RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)

Artist:	NORDHEIM, ARNE
Title:	Electric
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2002CD

Beautifully presented reissue of classic archival electroacoustic works, first released on now very obscure vinyl in 1974. Bright orange fold-out digipak, extensive booklet of notes package some of the most exciting, shimmering and crystalline electronic sounds to be unearthed in quite a while. Important and essential. "Born in 1931 and highly active, Arne Nordheim is considered by most as the greatest living Norwegian composer, his chamber music, orchestral and various other work spanning a 40 year period. He started to get international recognition in 1960 with his orchestral work 'Canzona per Orchestra' and soon after began to explore the use of pre-recorded tape as part of the compositions. His electronic works were recorded in Warszaw between 1967 and 1971, and have strangely enough not been available on record since the 70s. We are extremely proud to be able to present what can be termed the collected electronic works of Arne Nordheim. Furiously dismissed in academic circles in Norway when they first appeared almost 30 years ago, and in a way that have put an effective stop to weaker souls, we believe this music stands up remarkably well today. Compared to some of the more 'famous' electronic composers, Nordheim distinguish's himself by his sheer musicality and sense of structure...Electronic boxes, electric instruments and recorded tape glide in and out as a natural part of the orchestra, in constant pursuit of magical and spellbinding timbres. The orchestral parts reveal how working with mixers and tape splicing have influenced the development of musical ideas in more traditional arrangements."

Artist:	CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE
Title:	Whatever
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2003CD

1998 release. "In “92 and “93 Chocolate Overdose released two very ambitious albums for WEA in Norway. However, the combination of a truly original band, a major label, an expensive producer, media hype and lack of immediate results once again proved to be a dismal one. The 5 years gone have been spent playing with others, producing other artists, writing and recording new songs and getting in a brilliant new guitarist (the old one left to front Libido and is now better known as Magnet). Whatever is mostly recorded live in the studio, almost underproduced and all the better for it. The sound has a rough carelessness to it, but is full of detail, depth and colour, and all in all it“s a real grower."

Artist:	NILSEN, TOVE
Title:	Flash Caravan
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2004CD

Highly exotic debut album from this Norwegian vocalist, with Björk-like tendencies, strange electronic-pop assemblage and plenty of intrigue -- another out-of-nowhere and potentially explosive release from Rune Grammofon. "From the dictaphone surrealism of the opening track to the achingly beautiful 'Breaking The Girl', there's no doubt that we're dealing with a highly original and uncompromising artist not afraid to follow her creative intuition. Heavy electronics, twisted rhythms, triphop, and minimalist lo-fi country is all put together by the young singer/writer in her own musical universe. Several of the songs are built virtually without harmonic structures, quite unusual in most popular genres, and leave special demands on the vocal performances. Many of the songs are improvised in the recording studio, and she's not too fond of structural means like verse and chorus. Her often poetic/surrealist lyrics are quite peculiar, to say the least, and even if the 'rock' genre often is seen as a place for experimentation, it is relatively rare to see language challenged to such a degree as Tove Nilsen is doing here."

Artist:	BIOSPHERE/DEATHPROD
Title:	Nordheim Transformed
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2005CD

A series of remix transformations of original materials by Arne Nordheim, whose archival CD of 60s/70s electronic music was previously issued by Rune Grammofon (RCD 2002) to great acclaim. This CD features a total of 7 tracks which use Nordheim's Electric as source material for new compositions by the Norwegian artists Biosphere (Geir Jenssen, long-acclaimed ambient producer) and Deathprod. The results are 49 minutes worth of ice-laden, sweeping electronic deepness, shimmering background fog, and mesmerizing ambiance and abstraction A fascinating all-Norwegian excursion. "Deep and haunting and acknowledged by Nordheim himself as more than worthy."

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	4
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2007CD

Explosive, mind-battering second album by Norwegian group. "This quartet has quickly developed into being the most exciting group in what many will call the new wave of young Norwegian jazz. Still in their twenties, they have all been involved in numerous groups and projects, ranging from Terje Rypdal Skywards (Ståle Storlųkken) to rock group Motorpsycho (Helge Sten). Arve Henriksen and Jarle Vespestad are considered two of the most personal instrumentalists in Norway, the former receiving due attention for his playing on Christian Wallumrųd Trios No Birch, released on ECM. Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) is an in demand producer, and recently grabbed a lot of attention for his reworking of Arne Nordheims electronic music. With total improvisation in a 'traditional' band format they stress the importance of realtime interaction, playing together and against each other. Although they can sound very electronic, there“s not a computer or drumloop in sight and they will frequently slip into stretches that are much closer to something like Autechre than what is normally considered as 'jazz'. On 4 they appear more focused and to the point than on their 3 hour debut set and deliver an absolutely stunning album of improvised 'jazz', electronica, power and lyrical beauty." The group consists of: Helge Sten: Audio virus, Ståle Storlųkken: synthesizers, Arve Henriksen: trumpet, electronics, Jarle Vespestad: drums. "While their sound has the added depth of modern recording techniques and digitized, one touch electronica, their improvisations have the ramshackle DIY qualities found in early live electronics projects by pioneers such as Gordon Mumma, Robert Ashley and Musica Elettronica Viva." -- The Wire.

Artist:	FURUHOLMEN/BJERKESTRAND/WADLING
Title:	Hermetic
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2008CD

1998 release. "Since the glorydays of A-ha, Magne Furuholmen has established himself as a respected painter and composer of filmmusic. Kjetil Bjerkestrand is also a famous film composer in Norway, as well as being a composer, arranger and producer for several Norwegian and international artists. The enigmatic Swedish singer Freddie Wadling is best known for his work in groups such as the much acclaimed Flesh Quartet and Blue For Two. Here they team up for the music to the dark and unsettling Norwegian feature film 1732 Hųtten ('Bloody Angels'). Several hours of studio jamming, fractured ideas, sketches and synth experiments in addition to a couple of 'real' songs has been edited down to make Hermetic an album in its own right, rather than being a traditional soundtrack album. In fact, most of the music here is not even in the film, but all through it there is a strong feeling of detachment and things falling apart, just as in the film."

Artist:	CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE
Title:	Dingledoodies
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2009CD

1999 release. "Dingledoodies, their second album for Rune Grammofon, is a much more optimistic record than Whatever and in many ways a far more polished production. It“s a more immediately melodic and catchy record; from the irresistible pop refrains of 'Memories' and the jazzy 'Black Rainbow' to the more enigmatic growers like 'Hint' and 'Satisfactory', from the hard-hitting title track to the lovely ballads 'Lou And Lee' and 'Shining At The Sun'."

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Det Eneste Jeg Vet, Er at Det Ikke Er En Stovsuger
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2010CD

"Spunk is a young, all-girl improvquartet with backgrounds from classical, jazz, rock, contemporary and country (!?). The group has been going since 1995 and in spite of their young age, they have built a solid reputation in both jazz and classical circles (three of the members are studying composition). With their unusual line up they are hard to categorize, with soundscapes and musical material from all genres being used in a non-dogmatic and unprejudiced way. The title translates like this: The Only Thing I Know, Is That It Isn't A Vacuum Cleaner. (check your Pippi Longstocking references!)." Kristin Andersen (trumpet), Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn), Maja Solveig Kjeldstrup Ratkje (vocals), Lene Grenager (cello). Another out-of-nowhere, bewildering and idiosyncratic recording from the increasingly faithful Rune Grammofon label.

Artist:	ALOG
Title:	Red Shift Swing
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2011CD

"Highly original and different music from a young Norwegian duo (Espen Sommer Eide & Dag-Are Haugan). Bits of classic minimalism (Reich), postrock, techno, jazz, this and that. Most tracks come from improvisations made with various reed, percussion and string instruments, as well as electronic keyboards and field recordings. The results are then manipulated in different digital and analog ways. Quite brilliant, we haven“t really heard anything like it."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Love Comes Shining Over The Mountains
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2012CD

"78 minutes of the finest contemporary electronics from both wellknown and unknown Norwegian artists and composers. All tracks and versions are exclusive for this compilation. Information (duo signed to Tromsų label Beatservice; their first CD, Artifacts, was last year nominated for a Grammy in Norway. Currently working on a new 99 track CD, the main theme being the importance of chance), Phonophani (Espen Sommer Eide from Alog; this is his first recorded output since his quite brilliant debut for the Biophon label a couple of years ago), Düplo (something as old fashioned as a band; improvised electronics, analogue synths, treatments), A Threatened Logical Unit (according to himself, "skewed" is his final try to bridge elements from the Detroit scene and his own, more abstract electroacoustic universe. Oivind Idsų is his name), Arne Nordheim (taken from an outdoor installation where a collection of randomly selected soundscapes continuously change according to the weather conditions, meaning that this selection is totally unique and will never be repeated in the exact same way), Monolight (first sign of life since the selftitled debut 5 years ago), Deathprod (outtake from the Nordheim Transformed session), Plirk (improvised live recording from art collective type of project, the main man being Morten Skogly), Supersilent (selection from live improvisation set to a screening of the classic silent movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in Oslo last autumn), Furuholmen/Bjerkestrand (from A-ha and composer Ketil Bjerkestrand with slightly different mix from track off hermetic on Rune Grammofon), Alog ('we did a really good recording, you know, high quality, analog-digital-analog, noise and hiss. We have all the warm sound, all the really organic quality of sound: percussion instrument, piano, machinery, little old, but working well. the other: the voice, or wind instruments, field-recordings -- poor technology, clear crystal nature of sound. and so say all of us'), Marhaug/Rishaug (the longtime electronic/noise master behind the Jazzassin label), Biosphere/Deathprod (live recording from their sold out church concert in Oslo last year)." Beautiful digipak cover and the finest in digital soundform. An excellent introduction to the label

Artist:	VALEN, FARTEIN
Title:	The Eternal
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2013CD

Reissue of orchestral works by this mythical Norwegian-born composer, Valen Fartein (1887-1952). "It is with great joy and pride that we present this highly personal selection of works by one of Norways greatest composers. Several years after I first heard 'The Churchyard By The Sea' it still remains one of the single classical pieces of music that has made the greatest impression on me. And although the violin concerto is often singled out as the 'entrance' to the music of Valen, it is probably in the symphonic poems, here represented by the three first tracks, that we come closest to the very core of his art. It now also seems like this was the format most suited to Valen, something that can easily nourish the view that he was never really comfortable with the larger frames of the symphonies. Most experts will probably question the inclusion of the first symphony rather than any of the others. The reason is simple: It“s the one I like the most, possibly because it“s the one that has most in common with the symphonic poems. This collection has been remastered using 24-bit technology. -- Rune Kristoffersen/Rune Grammofon. From liner notes: "Valen's music is very distinctive. We need only hear a few notes to be able to identify his signature immediately. In technical terms, his music is strongly dissonant and based on polyphony. But the overall sound is more colorful than dissonant, more vibrant than strident, and airy despite its dense textures...Valen's world of sound is soft and supple, without the ironic or robust characteristics that dominate much contemporary music." -- Morten Eide Pedersen.

Artist:	JAZZKAMMER
Title:	Timex
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2014CD

"Jazzkammer is the joining of two Norwegian composer/musicians. John Herge is a guitarist, improviser, and composer who's been making music for over 15 years. He plays in Der Brief, a band often compared to Supersilent. Lasse Marhaug has been networking within the noise/experimental underground for ten years, having been involved in over 100 cassette, vinyl, and CD releases, playing concerts and taking part in countless collaborations. Timex features turntables, field recordings, guitars, static electric atmospheres, samplers, casios, and sine waves. All are used in free improvisation and to create collages. At exactly what time does the final track from an innocent New Year's Eve transform into the soundtrack from one of CNN's war reports? Lasse and John have previously collaborated on the Comfort of Objects CD with Helge Sten (Deathprod/Supersilent)."

Artist:	ŲKLAND, NILS
Title:	Straum
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2015CD

"Nils Ųkland is one of Norway's most remarkable fiddlers, a renewer of traditional folk music, building bridges to classical, contemporary and improvised music. His music combines freedom and tradition -- he is concerned with the tradition of passing music by word of mouth and at the same time to see it in a fruitful meeting with modern impulses. Hallvard Kvale, an authority on Norwegian folk music and the founder of Norway's biggest and longest running record company for traditional music, Helio, names Nils Ųkland a visionary, the best thing to happen to Norwegian folk music in decades, and the closest the tradition has come to a Miles Davis." Ųkland (Hardanger fiddle, violin), Sigbųrn Apeland (harmonium, piano, organ), Torbjųrn Ųkland (guitar, trumpet), Pål Thorstensen (double bass), Åsne Valland (vocal).

Artist:	PHONOPHANI
Title:	Genetic Engineering
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2016CD

"The second album from Phonophani, aka Espen Sommer Eide (Alog), his first from 1998 so far being the only release on Biosphere's Biophon label. Phonophani's work is characterized by various manipulated 'live instruments' seamlessly integrated with pure electronic sounds. Espen will not admit to this being a concept album, but says of the title that 'sampling is a form of gene manipulation where you arrange and rearrange soundparts from your own playing and the works of others to create new organisms of sound'."

Artist:	ELGARŲY, TORE
Title:	The Sound Of The Sun
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2017CD

"In our estimate the most personal and inventive Norwegian guitarist since Terje Rypdal. Tore Elgarųy's career soared to great heights when he appeared on Lee Claytons comeback album and Europe tour in 89. After this he withdrew from the music scene, but started writing and recording some years ago, with a completely new approach. The Sound of The Sun is a mix of solo guitar pieces and improvised sound abstractions, all deeply personal, intense and unlike any 'guitar' records we've heard."

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	5
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2018CD

"New and long awaited album from a band that refuse categorisation and is the act whose improvisations are sketching out the areas in which Rune Grammofon operates, being ambient, jazz, electronica, rock, techno, noise or musique concréte. Critics have compared them to the Miles Davis band of the early 70s, to Stockhausen and groups like Einstürzende Neubauten and Can. Producer and member Helge Sten (Deathprod) went through some 30 hours of live recordings to come up with this 70 minute collection, including selections from Oslo, London and Bologna. With typical Supersilent unpredictability, the material chosen seems to avoid the confrontational aspects of the group's live presentation. Mostly a calmer, more reflective side of Supersilent, it proposes a raw, electronic lyricism."

Artist:	ARCHETTI/BO WIGET, LUIGI
Title:	Low Tide Digitals
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2019CD

"First non-Norwegian artists on the label, needless to say we really love this record and are proud to have it in our catalogue. With cello, guitar and electronics our Swiss friends weave a beautiful, detailed and fragile soundscape. References to ambient, electronica and contemporary music but basically beyond categorisation. We seem to be hearing Eno in here somewhere, but can't really say why. Both Archetti and Wiget have been involved in several groups and projects over the years, both as recording artists and touring in Europe, Japan, Russia and USA. Archetti is a member of vintage German psychedelic band Guru Guru since more than 10 years and appear on 4 albums including their triple CD set from 1999."

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Filtered Through Friends
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2022CD

"Central artists from Norway“s flowering electronica and noise scene join forces to remix female chamber anarchist quartet Spunk, the source being the group“s debut album from 1999, Det eneste jeg vet er at det ikke er en stųvsuger (RCD 2010). Contributions from Martin Horntveth, Kim Hiorthųy, Upper Rooms, Phonophani, Svalastog, Kristin Andersen, (X, Y, Z), Andreas Meland, Jųrgen Tręen, Sun Demon, Risto Holopainen, Lasse Marhaug and Andreas Mjųs."

Artist:	MONOLIGHT
Title:	Free Music
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2023CD

"Monolight is the studio alias of Rune Kristoffersen. Most of the tracks were made using a set-up of one digital synthesizer, two old analogue synthesizers, and a couple of effects processors. He points out that the pieces that bookend this Free Music, namely 'Stranded In Narrow Air' and 'Still Light', are actually the most structured pieces on the album. Newer pieces, centred around the 'Duo Abstractions' tracks, derive from the fresh approach to recording: 'Once a couple of sounds are selected I use a very basic set-up where I can improvise using sequencers, arpeggio patterns and synthesizers that are triggered on the spot and combined in real time. This is all recorded digitally to two-track, with no real possibility to make repairs. When it works, you get a result that is truly unique in the sense that it's impossible to reproduce it. So: if it's a good take it'll be kept, if not, it'll get binned. And because everything is based on improvised manoeuvres, you can't really go back and try the same idea again. Having worked for many years in an environment where the recording process has been relatively structured and calculated, I have found this new hit-or-miss situation very liberating.' Specific inspiration for improvisations on Free Music included 'the work of painters like Rothko, Pollock, Klee, and Braque'."

Artist:	INFORMATION
Title:	Biomekano
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2024CD

"Third and easily the best album from these veterans of arctic ambient electronica. A beautiful and razorsharp production with plenty of depth and detail, this is an album that should most definitely appeal to Biosphere fans. Information is Per Henrik Svalastog from Tromsų and Jųrgen Knudsen from Bergen. Previous albums are Artifacts (nominated for a Norwegian Grammy in 98) and the 99 track play at random experiment of Successor from 2000. The duo are known to collaborate with artists from other genres and have worked closely with writers, performance artists, painters, sculptors and jazzmusicians. For Biomekano they invited several of Norway's most interesting video artists to work on moving images for the tracks."

Artist:	SCORCH TRIO
Title:	Scorch Trio
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2025CD

"The unique Finnish composer and guitar master Raoul Björkenheim teams up with the hot, young Norwegian rhythm section of Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) in a classic powertrio setup. Burning with an untamed energy this is neither jazz nor rock, but a free spirited music that in places reminds us of another trio, Hendrix“ criminally underrated Band Of Gypsys. Recorded live in the studio to analogue tape during two January days this year, the sound of this record is excellent with much warmth and clarity. The three of them have worked with names like Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Paul Schütze, Henry Kaiser, Nicky Skopelitis, Mats Gustafsson, Krakatou, Joe McPhee, Iain Ballamy, Dave Liebman, Tony Oxley, Pat Metheny, Django Bates and several others."

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Den ųverste toppen på en blåmalt flaggstang
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2026CD

"The new studio album from this increasingly exciting and colourful quartet boasts yet another Pippi Longstocking related title. This free spirited and anti authoritarian character is one of the most loved and wellknown from the late, great Swedish author of children's books, Astrid Lindgren. It translates 'The very top of a bluepainted flagpole' and on reflection it gets clearer and clearer why the four young women (all still in their twenties) in Spunk so easily will identify with this character, going their own pathways and relentlessly breaking most rules in the book. In many ways both more accessible, varied and distinct than their debut from 1999."

Artist:	FOOD
Title:	Veggie
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2027CD

"This is the third album from the quartet featuring Iain Ballamy (sax), Arve Henriksen (trumpet), Mats Eilertsen (bass) and Thomas Strųnen (trommer), produced by Helge Sten (Deathprod). The blend of Ballamy“s distinctive and lyrical saxophone and Henriksen“s breathy trumpet textures is the perfect foil for the entrancing bass and drum trips created by the young rhythm section and Deathprod's electronic soundscaping. Veggie also includes an exclusive track from Deathprod."

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	6
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2029CD

"Supersilent have been a solid cornerstone in Rune Grammofon since the very beginning and are seen by many as representing the very essence of the label. From the monumental hardcore blizzard storms of 1-3 to the elegant electrojazz of 4 and the almost quiet soundscapes of 5, this new album is where the sum of all things Supersilent comes together in a shape of almost epic proportions. Like 1-3 and Scorch Trio, it was recorded at Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway. More than ever it appears clear that their music lives in a no man's land between the genres, somewhere between rock, electronica, jazz and modern composition. As with all their recordings and live performances, everything here is improvised. That most of the music on 6 appears to be written or at least arranged is testament to the high, almost telepathic level they work at . Needless to say, there are no overdubs. Often being labelled jazz because of the improvising aspect of the music and the fact that three of the members come from a jazz background, with 6 they are just as likely to attract followers of bands such as Goodspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, King Crimson, (late) Talk Talk or Popol Vuh."

Artist:	NORDHEIM, ARNE
Title:	Dodeka
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2030CD

"It is with great joy and honour that we are able to celebrate our 30th release with a new album by one of the most distinguished personalities in Norwegian music. Not only that, Dodeka, meaning twelve in Greek, is a small sensation in that the twelve pieces presented here have never been available on record before. These compositions are made from the building blocks and basic elements from Nordheim“s work in Warszaw between 1967 and 1972. Considering the primitive working methods and the equipment available at the time, Dodeka is also special in that it“s sonic qualities are quite astounding with a clarity and character all of their own."

Artist:	JONO EL GRANDE
Title:	Fevergreens
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2031CD

Jono el Grande: (guitar, harp, synthesizer, programming); Erik Lųkra: (saxophone); Håkon Stene: (xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, percussion); Tomas Gantelius: (piano, synthesizer); Karl Strųmme: (trumpet); Kjell Tore Innervik: (xylophone); Kjell-Asbjųrn Bunęs: (flute); Rolf-Erik Nystrųm: (saxophone); Håkon Thelin: (doublebass); Terje Engen: (drums). "Jono el Grande, born Jon Andreas Håtun (29), surfaced in 1999 with the LP Utopiske Danser ('Utopian Dances'), a kind of concept album where Jono delivered his interpretations of 'utopian folk music' -- a musical genre that only exists in the dreams of human beings (!). The album was both odd and quite reckless, but at the same time it was a promising collection of mildly absurd instrumentals recorded under the artists bed (!?) using primarily a workstation synthesizer. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and on Fevergreens Jono appears as a more complete artist with an uncommonly strong and personal vision.

       Jono el Grande has no formal musical training and is a selfmade composer, musician and conductor. Authoritarian musical education institutions have never been his cup of tea. It is no exaggeration to say that Jono is a true outsider in the Norwegian music community, were most music outside the mainstream is made by pale young men with worried furrows on their foreheads. The concerts of the Jono el Grande Orchestra is quite a lively and entertaining musical rollercoaster ride. As a conductor Jono combines comic talent with Wagnerian patos and the ensemble has been a big live hit both in clubs and concert halls.

       In many ways Jono el Grande's music has its origin in the early seventies, with references to Canterbury, Henry Cow, Frank Zappa as well as Burt Bacharach, Easy Listening and TV series music. It's both smooth and simple but also complex and cleverly arranged, a kind of light art music with hooks. Songs that in best pop manner crawl in through your ears and stick to your brain -- in spite of the intricate melodies and arrangements."

Artist:	SKYPHONE
Title:	Fabula
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2033CD

"Fabula is the debut release from Danish trio Skyphone. Aged between 29 and 31, Keld Dam Schmidt, Thomas Holst and Mads Bųdker are childhood friends who grew up in the rainy marshlands of southern Jutland. Having played in various rock outfits during most of the nineties they slowly moved towards the electronica scene and the German dub scene before starting Skyphone in 1999 in the leftover room at a painters studio in Copenhagen. Since then they have steadily developed their own style, combining traditional rock instruments with electronics; scratching and carefully damaging the surface of the digital sounds, creating melodic pop-songs-without-singing, leaving it to the listener to infer what the songs actually could have been and what is lurking virtually beneath the constrained, deliberately ambiguous surface of the song. In the Rune Grammofon catalogue Skyphone is probably closest in spirit and musical ideology to Alog and Phonophani, especially in their extensive use of acoustic elements, either sampled or played by themselves. Thomas Holst plays bass and is responsible for the darker and sometimes moody side of Skyphone, occasionally in the shape of Joy Division sounding basslines and atmospheres. He has also gathered material from Mongolia and Nepal for their ever-expanding and quite vast archive of sounds. Keld Dam Schmidt plays modular synths and guitar, often acoustic, giving many of the tracks an organic pulse. He is also the man behind many of the simple but beautiful and effective melodies that are so characteristic of Fabula. Mads Bųdker, the youngest member, plays analogue synths, samplers, effects, a wide variety of battered toy instruments and things that go snap, crackle and pop. Originally a saxophone player, he has retained a certain jazz sensitivity in programming the pulsating, layered rhythms."

Artist:	SUSANNA AND THE MAGICAL ORCHESTRA
Title:	List of Lights and Buoys
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2034CD

"Susanna and her orchestra is in fact a duo that has been around some four years on the Norwegian live scene, to much acclaim. Singer Susanna Wallumrųd (23) is a new name while Morten Qvenild (24) is a profiled keyboard player with the likes of Jaga Jazzist, jazz quartet Shining, Norwegian pop diva Bertine Zetlitz and recently Nils Petter Molvęr. The first time it hit us that this was something very special was when we heard a demo including their versions of 'Jolene' and Leonard Cohen“s 'Hallelujah'. The second time was when they, with an intimate and intense performance, managed to silence a festive and lively audience at Rune Grammofon“s five year celebration in London last year. Many were taken by their highly personal interpretation of 'Jolene', but also their own songs like 'Believer' and 'Hello' made strong impressions. On our own account we“d like to add that their approach to 'Jolene' and Susanna“s heartfelt delivery brings a new dimension to this classic. Behind the maritime album title we find versions of the mentioned 'Jolene', written by Dolly Parton, and Leonard Bernstein's 'Who Am I' as well as nine originals that show a surprising degree of maturity, especially considering the writers young age and the fact that they operate in a landscape that requires a good deal of songwriting skills to hold your attention."

Artist:	DEATHPROD
Title:	Morals and Dogma
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2035CD

"Deathprod, or Helge Sten as his name is, has been an important player since the beginning of Rune Grammofon. As a member of Supersilent he was part of the very first release in January 1998, Supersilent 1-3 (RCD 2001), and later the same year he and Biosphere remixed Arne Nordheim“s electronic works on the album Nordheim Transformed (RCD 2005). Born in 1971, he has worked under the name Deathprod since around 1990 in all his work as musician and producer. He was a member rock group Motorpsycho from 92 to 94 adding 'audio noise', theremin, keyboards and sound-collages to the band's hard rock. He has also worked extensively in theatre, dance, performance, art exhibitions and installations with particular emphasis on interactive media and improvisation. He has appeared as a player on some 20 albums and produced and/or engineered a further 80. Associates in diverse contexts have ranged from members of rock groups Swans, Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine to the contemporary music interpreters of the Cikada Ensemble. He lives and works in Oslo.

       When talking about his work methods he has revealed that he often only uses one sound source for a track, and that he can elaborate on this sound for months until he“s completely satisfied. This attention to detail makes him quite unique and it“s difficult to compare him with specific contemporaries, but Biosphere and Thomas Köner comes to mind. From the Rune catalogue there“s the aforementioned remix album with Biosphere as well as Supesilent 5 (RCD 2018). Morals and Dogma is the new Deathprod album, the rightful follow-up to Treetop Drive and therefor given a separate release. Morals And Dogma, four pieces recorded intermittently between 1994 and 2000, is presented as music for the ceremonies of an imaginary secret society, a soundtrack to the arcane rituals of a fictitious freemasonry. Violins may evoke symbolism of the glass harmonica; harmonium may evoke the encoded mystical language of the organ. This is fertile ground for unearthing symbols and cracking codes.

       The title Morals And Dogma appears proscriptive, yet it alludes to obscure knowledge cloaked in sonic shadows, action glimpsed indistinctly through acoustic drizzle and failing light. That indistinctness, however, is paradoxically vivid. As the glint or shine of minerals externalize their interior structure, the shimmer and glow of this music registers the inner life of sounds and corresponding interconnectedness of our sensory responses to them. At the primeval level of perception, according to Merleau-Ponty, 'experience is so ambiguous that the rhythm of a sound brings about the merging of cinematographic images and creates space that allows for a perception of movement'. Such experience depends on 'acoustic sustenance'. This music supplies such sustenance, the image flow, the play of textures.

       Morals And Dogma is a potent distillation of Deathprod music, simultaneously concentrated and diffuse, mining seams of potentiality in mood and slow movement, at once finely detailed and vast, microscopic and boundless, breaking open temporal cells to access zones of timelessness."

Artist:	DEATHPROD
Title:	Deathprod
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	4CD BOX
Price:	$45.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2036CD

Repressed! What was once one of the most acclaimed releases of 2004 will be available one last time. Beautifully-packaged 4CD boxset (4 digipaks in a heavy-duty box, nearly all black packaging). Includes the 2004 album Morals And Dogma (which is also available separately), plus reissues of the 3 prior albums: Reference Frequencies, Treetop Drive, Imaginary Songs From Tristan de Cunha, with 32 pages of liner notes, all eloquently designed by Kim Hiorthųy. These four CDs here document the period from 1991 to 2001. Treetop Drive from '95 and Imaginary Songs From Tristan Da Cunha from '94, both remastered and included here in full, were originally released in limited editions of 500 copies. In his music laboratory in Oslo, Deathprod (Helge Sten) works at the threshold between the latent potential of musical technology and the forms of life that sound assumes: the life of vibrations; the life of imagination. Deathprod is suggestive of last and first things, physical decay and the processes of production, decomposition and composition, the breaking down of sound that precedes fresh musical creation. A guiding principle in Deathprod's laboratory work is that his music should have the capacity to evoke images without becoming excessively programmatic. He references the soundtracks made by Florian Fricke and his group Popol Vuh to accompany films by Werner Herzog. The Reference Frequencies series of nine live electronic improvisations was made in 1991, recorded to cassette using unpromisingly basic electronic equipment. Loops mysteriously slide from the groove of repetition into swirling forms and cryptic atmospheres. Layers thicken, some congeal and sink as others thin and evaporate in glistening spray. Figures stalk through clouds; strange topographies form from molten matter then dissolve in crystalline streams; curious stories in remote languages cry out to be deciphered.

       Imaginary Songs from Tristan da Cunha is an extraordinary adventure in ethnographic surrealism that began when Sten graduated from the Trondheim Art Academy. Tristan da Cunha is the most remote island in the world, a volcanic mound in the distant reaches of the South Atlantic.

       Treetop Drive, from 1993 and 1994, opens with a symphonic ending, a dying fall severed from some massive structure and reanimated as another music. Last and first things; the afterlife of a final chord; classical closure reversed by means of sampling and a homemade feedback device.

Artist:	HENRIKSEN, ARVE
Title:	Chiaroscuro
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2037CD

Arve Henriksen (trumpet, vocal, electronics); Jan Bang (live sampling); Audun Kleive (drums, percussion). "Chiaroscuro is the follow-up to this fantastic trumpet player“s debut album, the much acclaimed Sakuteiki from 2001 (RCD2021). This time he is joined by drummer Audun Kleive and sound artist Jan Bang to create some very beautiful musical soundscapes where the trumpet is the natural focal point. There“s also more room for Arve“s wordless singing, sometimes used to stunning effect with Supersilent. As with Sakuteiki, Chiaroscuro is recorded on locations in Norway, but this time in concert situations. The final selections have been chosen by Arve himself and treated and mixed by Jan Bang and Erik Honoré. The album“s title comes from the Italian word meaning light and shade, referring to the technique of using these elements to achieve an illusion of depth in two-dimensional works of art and later in moving pictures, cue the titles of the individual tracks on the album."

Artist:	PHONOPHANI
Title:	Oak or Rock
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2038CD

"Phonophani is multi-instrumentalist and digital electronics expert Espen Sommer Eide. Born in 1972 in Oslo, Sommer Eide has been playing music in one form or another since childhood; for the last decade his priority has been computer music. In 1998 he released his first, now deleted, album Phonophani on the Biophon label run by Geir Jenssen (aka Biosphere). His second album, Genetic Engineering (RCD 2016) was released by Rune Grammofon in 2001 to critical acclaim. He is also a member of Alog, the duo with two albums on Rune Grammofon (Red Shift Swing from 1999 and Duck-Rabbit from 2001). It“s difficult to place Phonophani in todays musical landscape, Espen himself says that Oak or Rock is all about rediscovering the great mystery of music. Through dissecting the sound of ordinary or 'real' instruments and dissolving melodies into their elementary particles, he seeks to excavate the 'ur' music itself. These sounds are often sampled and manipulated using software designed and made by himself, a keen programmer who prefers this to the so-called industry standards. The title itself refers to mysterious connections between material things."

Artist:	STRONEN/STORLOKKEN
Title:	Humcrush
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2039CD

"This exceptional debut release from Food drummer Thomas Strųnen and Supersilent keyboardist Ståle Storlųkken is a most welcome addition to the Rune Grammofon catalogue. Thomas Strųnen (born 72) has studied music and composition. He is a regular member of several bands, most notably Food, Maria Kannegaard Trio and Parish, the quartet led by Swedish ace pianist Bobo Stenson. As is the case for most Norwegian jazz musicians of his generation he has played with just about everybody and been a frequent performer at the Norwegian and European festival circuit for several years. Ståle Storlųkken is a founder member of Supersilent, Terje Rypdal“s Skywards and jazzrock quartet Cucumber but was first noticed with freeform trio Veslefrekk with fellow Supersilent members Arve Henriksen and Jarle Vespestad. This group was formed as a result of meeting at the 'jazz academy' in Trondheim, breeding ground for a whole generation of young players in Norway. He is probably the most interesting and adventurous electric keyboard player operating on the Norwegian scene at the moment. Being raised on Joe Zawinul and Herbie Hancock, he has developed a style and a personal signature that is uniquely his own, heard to great effect on stage and on record with Supersilent. And of course on Humcrush. Humcrush is a set of improvisations recorded live in the studio, believe it or not we might add, as they more often sound like meticulously composed and programmed pieces of music."

Artist:	SCORCH TRIO
Title:	Luggumt
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2040CD

"Raoul Björkenheim, the highly original Finnish composer and guitarist, is representing the perfect balance between raw electricity and restrained elegance. Here he is paired with Norway's hottest young rhythm section in what can only be described as a classic power trio, burning with an untamed, but still focused energy. Bookended by two lengthy tour de force workouts, this is a more varied collection than their self-titled debut from 2002. We get some lovely free playing demonstrating the great interplay these musicians are capable of, beautiful soundscapes and some strange sounding Korean court music vibes. All recorded live in the studio without overdubs or edits, and once again to analogue tape.

       Björkenheim was raised on Hendrix, Zappa and other rock music before he discovered Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Eric Dolphy. He played in several groups before being invited into the circle around the late, legendary drummer Edward Vesala to play on three records with him before forming Krakatou and recording two strong albums for ECM. He has written film scores and orchestral music, toured everywhere and recorded with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schütze, Mats Gustafsson, Nicky Skopelitis, Lukas Ligeti a.o.

       Håker Flaten is one of Norway's most in-demand bassists. In addition to Scorch Trio he is a regular member of The Thing w/Mats Gustafsson, Atomic, Close Erase w/Christian Wallumrųd, School Days and Petter Wettre Trio. He has also toured with Trygve Seim, Joe McPhee, Chris Potter, Iain Ballamy, Dave Liebman, Tony Oxley, Frode Gjerstad and SPUNK.

       Paal Nilsen-Love is one of the most profiled players on the Norwegian jaszz scene.

       He has always been occupied with different forms of jazz, but the two factors that are always important to him are those of energy and creative freedom. In addition to Scorch Trio he is a regular member of The Thing, School Days, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Atomic and Håkon Kornstad Trio. He has recorded and performed with a number of musicians, from Pat Metheny and Django Bates to Svein Finnerud and Nils Petter Molvęr."

Artist:	FOOD
Title:	Last Supper
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2041CD

"The fourth album from this quartet and quite possibly their very best. Brilliantly performed and recorded, it's highlighting the delicate balance between Ballamy and Henriksen's melodic and lyrical playing and the electronic soundscapes they fully started to explore on Veggie. Which speaks volumes when we know that Veggie was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy and received some outstanding reviews, 'this is remarkable, visionary music', (Jazz UK), 'a very important work', (Milkfactory, UK). And lets not forget Mats Eilertsen and Thomas Strųnen, one of many excellent rhythm sections currently working in Norwegian jazz."

Artist:	OKLAND, NILS
Title:	Bris
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2042CD

"Nils Ųkland is an innovative violinist and Hardanger fiddle specialist who is creatively expanding the range of the traditional music of his homeland. He is a renewer of folk music, consistently building bridges to classical, contemporary and improvised musics. His playing combines freedom with respect for Norway's musical heritage. He is concerned both with the preservation of the oral folk music tradition and with the experimental possibilities of the music when it is charged with modern impulses. Bris, meaning 'Breeze', is Ųkland“s third album, his second for Rune Grammofon, and the first where practically all the material is written by himself. This is quite unusual for the genre, but only emphasizes his interest to move in new directions and to explore new possibilities in his instruments and his playing, both solo and with a group. The group assembled for this recording is in itself ample proof of genre crossing, with Sigbjųrn Apeland the only one left from previous albums Blå Harding and Straum (RCD 2015). Per Oddvar Johansen and Mats Eilertsen (Food, etc.) are young veterans of the flowering Norwegian jazz scene, while Håkon Stene, who appeared on Jono El Grande“s Fevergreens (RCD 2031), comes from the classical world. Parts of the album are based on music Ųkland wrote for Melankolia, a play based on Jon Fosse“s novel about the Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig (1830-1902)."

Artist:	ALOG
Title:	Miniatures
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2043CD

Originally released in 2005. Alog are Norwegian duo Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan. Alog have been with Rune Grammofon since their debut album Red Shift Swing was released in 1999. Already a mature and original collection, their sound has since been perfected through their second album, Duck-Rabbit, and concert activities before arriving with Miniatures, their third and in Rune Grammofon's view, best and most consistent album. The title is inspired by Turkish miniature paintings, where the rules are as follows: no shadows, no mixed colors, no perspective, no facial characteristics, no uniqueness of objects. Only pure radiant colored objects configured in mysterious patterns. Whether these rules are applied to the music of Alog is open to discussion, but there's no doubt that there are similarities of expression. Eide is involved in the city's experimental music scene and has released three solo albums as Phonophani. Haugan studied at the Malmö Academy of Fine Art in Sweden. Four years ago he released a solo vinyl album, 9 Solitaires, on the K-RAA-K label. The duo's name alludes to their preferred method of sound treatment, to show that both digitAL and anaLOG procedures are integral to their work, with Espen being "Digitalman" and Dag-Are being "Analogman." The actual playing of "real" instruments has always been a vital element in their music-making, and even more so this time. Some of the tracks are based on live recordings, the "Steve Reich-with-punk- guitar track" "St. Paul Sessions II" being a prime example.

Artist:	SHINING
Title:	In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2044CD

"In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster is Shining's third album and their first for Rune Grammofon, marking a somewhat distinct change of direction. While their previous offerings could easily be categorised as jazz, their new album is a much more varied affair that has more in common with progressive art rock, going from heavy, complex riffing to subtle and lyrical passages. For the first time they use a number of guitars, vintage keyboards, horns and percussion instruments. But forget endless synth soloing, twenty minute directionless 'symphonies' and incomprehensible lyrics about cosmos. This is a fresh, vital and highly evolved collection of music, and it“s quite remarkable to think it“s all written and conceived by someone so young. Producer Kåre Chr. Vestrheim has been instrumental in shaping the album. He is a rising star in Norway having produced indie acts such as Hanne Hukkelberg as well as highly successful local chart acts such as Odd Nordstoga and Gåte.

Shining is a Jaga Jazzist offshoot with two former members/writers in their ranks. Leader and multi instrumentalist Jųrgen Munkeby (24) was a member since their first album in 96 (yes, he joined Jaga at the age of 16) and left the band after their latest album, The Stix. He recorded In The Fishtank with rock group Motorpsycho and has worked with Bobby Hughes Combination (formely Experience) and has written film music. Jųrgen listened to bands like Sepultura, Pantera and Death as a kid before picking up the saxophone at the age of nine (!!). Since then he's had periods listening to jazz and sax players like Coltrane and Garbarek, classical and contemporary music as well as more metal and progressive rock. Kingdom fulfils his need to return to his roots, picking up elements from music that has inspired him along the way. Bass player Aslak Hartberg (29) is the brain and musical force behind Norway“s best selling hip-hop band, Klovner i Kamp. He has also toured with Bugge Wesseltoft“s band. Torstein Lofthus (26) is one of the most used session drummers in Norway and has played with a number of local pop acts. Keyboard player Morten Qvenild (25) was in Jaga Jazzist during the same period as Jųrgen. Since the recording of Kingdom he has left Shining to concentrate on Susanna and the Magical Orchestra and his acoustic trio, In The Country, whose debut album will be released by Rune Grammofon in March. His replacement is Jaga Jazzist keyboardist Andreas Schei (24)."

Artist:	IN THE COUNTRY
Title:	This Was the Pace of My Heartbeat
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2045CD

Rune Grammofon presents its first "jazz" record with the debut release from this Norwegian-based piano trio led by pianist Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, The National Bank). Along with bass player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hulsken, In the Country are all active in other groups as well -- Qvenild and Arntzen most notably in Shining, Jaga Jazzist, and Damp. This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat is not your typical piano trio album, meaning that Qvenild has skipped the Keith Jarrett school. When it comes to piano players he will admit to a certain fondness for Paul Bley and the late Norwegian free player Svein Finnerud, but he also draws inspiration from pop writers when it comes to a sense of structure, and modern composers such as Messiaen and Feldman for the use of space and sound. The album includes nine original Qvenild compositions as well as a Ryan Adams cover and an interpretation of Händel“s beautiful "Laschia Ch“io Pianga." Morten Qvenild is already a central force in a young generation of extremely competent Norwegian musicians operating with great ease between various genres such as jazz, pop, rock, classical, electronic and modern composition. The album is an analogue recording and is produced by Arve Henriksen.

Artist:	ARCHETTI/BO WIGET, LUIGI
Title:	Low Tide Digitals II
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2046CD

Low Tide Digitals II is the sequel to this non-Norwegian duo's acclaimed 2001 debut album of the same name (RCD 2019). As with the debut, this is an Eno-esque, extremely fine-tuned mix of acoustic instruments and electronic elements. Switzerland-based musicians Luigi Archetti and Bo Wiget have created an album of sensitive, electronically-tinged free improvising. With cello, guitar and electronics, Archetti and Wiget weave a beautiful, detailed and fragile soundscape. Most see references to ambient, electronica and contemporary music but basically this release is beyond categorization. Archetti is a multi-media visual and sound artist, who has been active in both free improv groups and experimental rock since the late 1970s. Currently known as a member of the psychedelic group Guru Guru and also acclaimed for his work as a painter, Archetti has improvised with artists such as Urs Voerkel, Ellen Christi, Magikami Koichi and many others. Possessing a similar rock background, the last decade has seen Bo Wiget working with numerous improvisers including legendary Swiss free saxophonist Werner Lüdi, Czech singer/violinist Iva Bittova, and Japanese guitarist Taku Sugimoto.

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2048CD

Spunk's third studio album marks the 10th anniversary of this playful and ever experimenting Norwegian quartet. Members Maja Ratkje (voice, Theremin, electronics), Kristin Andersen (trumpet, violin, flute), Lene Grenager (cello) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (French horn, flute, electronics) have been involved in various musical activities since their debut release in 1999, and they remain four musicians with very different backgrounds -- classical, contemporary, jazz, pop, rock, techno, even country -- that makes a musical landscape which is new for most people, even to well-trained musicians. En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom also boasts yet another Pippi Longstocking-related title. The title translates as "'An Absolutely Terrible Disease" and on reflection it gets clearer and clearer why the four young women in Spunk so easily identify with such a character. Coming from a formal, academic music education, it hasn't always been so easy to break almost every rule in the book, and this is exactly what they relentlessly have been doing since forming back in 1995. Free collective improvising is one of the most demanding ways of making music: the pitfalls are many -- self-absorption, incoherence, certain standardized "gestures" of free jazz, lack of dynamics, humourlessness -- but Spunk are alert to the dangers. Bold, sometimes witty, always alert, they make engaging music, and keep the sound of surprise alive. They have no fear of bringing the music to the brink of anarchy -- they are interested in extremes as well as subtleties -- but their instincts as composers-in-action also serve them well. Most of all, perhaps, Spunk convince by the force of their own convictions.

Artist:	MOHA!
Title:	Raus Aus Stavanger
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2049CD

MoHa! is the latest Rune Grammofon signing and, after a series of highly-sought after CD-Rs, this is the Norwegian duo's first proper full-length release. Comprised of guitarist Anders Hana and percussionist Morten Olsen, this is the absolute in improv/guitar/electronics violence. Hana and Olsen have played together since 1999, in duo or in collaboration with Andrew D'Angelo/Morthana, Ultralyd, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Phō, John Hegre, Ingebrigt H. Flaten, Maja Ratkje, Pål Jackman and Per Zanussi. In addition, they are members of the N-Collective, and apart have participated in musical acts such as Noxagt, Thomas Dybdahl & TGOS, Jaga Jazzist, M/N/O/G and Office-R(6). Both have played with greats such as Paal Nilssen-Love, Steve Lacy, Axel Dörner, Mats Gustafsson, Lasse Marhaug, Fred Frith, Trevor Dunn and Arve Henriksen. Raus Aus Stavanger displays the best of the duo's most recent output, with noise-based rock textures, good old cheap contact microphones, screeing guitar and ear-battering, processed drums. This release was recorded in analogue heaven Athletic Sound, home of great sounding releases from Supersilent and Scorch Trio. And if pushed to find references, it's probably these two acts MoHa! have most in common with. Everything was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs, showing two young musicians playing at a very high level of control, communication and creative power.

Artist:	STRONEN, THOMAS
Title:	Pohlitz
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2051CD

This is the first solo release from Thomas Strųnen who is founder and leader of the Norwegian/British band Food. Strųnen has since long established himself as much more than a traditional drummer, but also as a composer of percussion and electronics, as well as an active contributor to other major projects including the Humcrush duo with Supersilent keyboardist Ståle Storlųkken, the Maria Kannegaard Trio and Parish, the quartet he leads with ace Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson. Strųnen has also worked with trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, the Cikada String quartet and singer Silje Nergaard. Pohlitz marks the 30th release Strųnen has appeared on, and the eight tracks show a mature writer and arranger, the music sharing some possible references with minimalists such as Steve Reich, traditional gamelan music as well as fellow Norwegian Arne Nordheim's classic electronic exercises. From jazz, to improv, to electronics, each detail and melodic element is an important part of the whole picture. Thomas Strųnen has already done several solo live shows under the Pohlitz name and will continue to do so in the future, all the music being played and processed live in real-time.

Artist:	WHITE BIRCH, THE
Title:	Come Up For Air
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2052CD

This is the fourth full-length release from this Norwegian trio led by singer, guitarist and main songwriter Ola Flųttum. Come Up For Air shows a band growing with confidence and maturing as writers since their debut album Self-Portrayal ten years ago. First appearing as angry young men with lo-fi Sonic Youth-like riffing, then exploring industrial prog and more structured songwriting, they found their current sound with their previous record, Star Is Just A Sun (2002). Come Up For Air is once again produced by Helge Sten, the sonic magician of Deathprod and Supersilent fame. This time the songs are more focused, the melodies clearer and the atmosphere brighter. But this is still a highly melancholic set of dreamy rock that some will say has a "Nordic" feel to it, whatever that really means. Others have compared The White Birch to Sigur Rós, Talk Talk and A-Ha without any of those references hitting the spot. We say this is a collection of original and personal songs, some of which will grab you straight away, like the captivating "Seer Believer" and "June" (with Susanna Wallumrųd from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra guesting on vocals) and others are certain to sneak under your skin after a few more rounds. Originally released in Europe in November 2005 by German label Glitterhouse, this Rune Grammofon CD issue has exclusive artwork by Kim Hiorthųy.

Artist:	PHONOPHANI
Title:	Phonophani
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2054CD

Phonophani is Bergen-based multi-instrumentalist and digital electronics expert Espen Sommer Eide. Originally released in 1998 as a limited edition (500 only) on Biosphere's Biophon label, and a true breath of fresh air at the time, this excellent debut from Phonophani still stands as one of the very best electronica albums ever released in Norway. Well-crafted and full of ideas and original turns, it has a rare timeless quality that makes it sound as fresh today as it did back then. It's difficult to come up with comparisons, but certain aspects of Alog and Boards Of Canada can serve as references. This issue includes three bonus tracks from the same period. As Phonophani Eide has released two albums on Rune Grammofon, Genetic Engineering (2001) and Oak Or Rock (2004), and as one half of Alog the albums Red Shift Swing (1999), Duck-Rabitt (2001) and Miniatures (2005), the last one being awarded the first Norwegian Grammy for the Rune Grammofon label. Espen Sommer Eide: all instruments, programming, sampling.

Artist:	HUMCRUSH
Title:	Hornswoggle
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2055CD

The second album from the duo that is Thomas Strųnen and Ståle Storlųkken, now simply calling themselves Humcrush, after the title of their debut from 2004. While that had a focus on rhythm and abstract grooves, this is a more varied, subtle and somehow eclectic output. Thomas Strųnen has studied music and composition. He is a regular member of several bands, most notably Food, Maria Kannegaard Trio and Parish, the quartet led by Swedish ace pianist Bobo Stenson. Having appeared on 30 records, he released his first solo album Pohlitz earlier this year. Ståle Storlųkken is a founding member of Supersilent, Terje Rypdal's Skywards, Bol and jazzrock quartet Cucumber but was first noticed with freeform trio Veslefrekk with fellow Supersilent members Arve Henriksen and Jarle Vespestad. This group was formed as a result of meeting at the "jazz academy" in Trondheim, an important breeding ground for a whole generation of young players in Norway. Storlųkken is probably the most interesting and adventurous electric keyboard player operating on the Norwegian scene at the moment. Ståle Storlųkken: keyboards, Thomas Strųnen: drums and live electronics.

Artist:	SVALASTOG
Title:	Woodwork
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2056CD

This is the second full-length release by Tromsų, Norway (hometown of Biosphere, Alog, Bel Canto and Röyksopp) native Per Henrik Svalastog. Performed on Harpeleik (Norwegian zither), Bukkehorn (ram's horn) and Kuhorn (cow's horn). True story, as told by Per Henrik Svalastog himself: "I found an old Norwegian zither laying around my grandfather's barn in the mountains. It appeared that he had been a fiddler before he lost all his fingers at the sawmill and converted to become a hardcore pietist setting down a prohibition against music, dancing, card-playing and television. That made me want to convert as well, from digital medias to real playing. From electronica to folk music. Back to the sources. Heritage and environment." Per Henrik is actually playing and improvising on archaic folk instruments like the ram's horn and harpeleik, and then processing them into the computer, resulting in a detailed and accomplished but soothing and quite hypnotic music. Taking the music out of the city and into the Norwegian woods, and not the Arctic regions, as is the popular image if you come from Tromsų and are associated with electronic music. This project was started with his first album Silencer, released by Beatservice in 2005 and called "a work of hushed splendour" in The Wire. Here it has been developed further into near perfection.

Artist:	SUSANNA AND THE MAGICAL ORCHESTRA
Title:	Melody Mountain
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2057CD

This is the second release from the Norwegian duo consisting of Susanna Karolina Wallumrųd (vocals) and Morten Qvenild (Jaga Jazzist, Shining, In the Country) (piano, cembalo, autoharp, vibraphone, church organ and keyboards). This time they have chosen to record ten interpretations of mostly well-known songs by artists such as Prince, AC/DC, Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Angus Young, Matt Burt, Peter Hook, Paul Stanley, Bob Dylan, Martin L. Gore and Sandy Denny. Susanna has a unique way of making a song her own, and to fill the lyrics and melodies with the emotional content it requires. This was made crystal clear with her stunning interpretation of Dolly Parton's classic "Jolene," recorded for the duo's debut album List Of Lights and Buoys. The same can be said of their version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," one of the first songs they demoed and have since presented in their live show, now finally recorded for inclusion on Melody Mountain. Known to turn venues so quiet you can hear grown people sob, it's only one of a string of moving performances that make up this album. In addition to Susanna's moving vocal deliveries, Morten Qvenild's naked-to- the-bone approach is essential to the way this duo come across, both on record and in a live situation. This album is produced by Deathprod.

Artist:	HUNTSVILLE
Title:	For the Middle Class
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2058CD

This is the debut release for Norwegian trio Huntsville. Huntville are Ivar Grydeland, (guitars, banjo, pedal steel guitar, etc.) Tonny Kluften (double bass, etc.) and Ingar Zach (percussion, tabla machine, sarangi box, shruti box, etc.) Grydeland and Zach founded the Sofa label for improvised music in 2000 and appear together in various projects on several of the label's releases. They have worked with Kluften since 1998, as the core of improvising ensemble No Spaghetti Edition and in the quartet HISS with British keyboardist Pat Thomas. The HISS CD from 2003, Zahir, shows the group's intense application of so-called free improvisation. The Huntsville project contrasts sharply with their earlier work, and this release reveals a quite different, more groove-based approach with strong elements of composition. Zach comments, "... during the last two or three years, our interest in country music and electronic music has developed into a sound we really wanted to investigate -- also Feldman and Cage, drone music, folk music..." The group's multi-instrumentalism means that this is no conventional guitar-bass-drums trio. On acoustic and electric guitar as well as banjo, Grydeland mixes finger-picking techniques with various types of bow, as well as acoustic and electronic devices. Tonny Kluften on double-bass uses various bows, sticks and rubber bands, while Zach produces a wide range of sounds on drum kit. They make striking use of a marvelous polyrhythmic approach pioneered by Ornette Coleman on "Lonely Woman," and Zach's locomotive groove is contrasted by the free tempo of plangent, folk-like acoustic guitar, in a kind of fractured descendent of the railroad blues. Alternately, the drums set up a tight and furious high-tempo, with the other instruments either at a slower tempo, or out of tempo completely. When the group lowers the energy levels, soft arpeggios on acoustic guitar are heard against percussive objects and a lone, rather erratic bass drum -- these effects are spare, haunting and quite beautiful. For The Middle Class displays a genuinely musical use of unexpected sounds and textures, allied with echoes of traditional genres in a radical new conceptual language.

Artist:	IN THE COUNTRY
Title:	Losing Stones, Collecting Bones
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2059CD

This is the second full-length release from In The Country, a Norwegian-based piano trio led by pianist Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Shining, Damp), along with bass player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hulsken. Since their debut, they have been selected best young jazz artists in Norway and played concerts in Europe and the USA and released their debut album This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat to much critical acclaim. Downbeat called it "one of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe" that year, Mojo said "startling", Straight No Chaser said "fantastic," and a host of others followed. Losing Stones... is 11 brand new Qvenild originals that are bound to establish him as a writer with a strong signature -- original and melodic with elements from pop, rock, country, folk, gospel, blues and classical. It's all quite accessible, but also very rich in detail, with new twists and melodic turns that are revealed with each listen. His playing is, naturally, the focal point of the trio, but Arntzen and Hausken are not merely the pianist's rhythm section. This release was recorded in the legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, home of the first classic Abba recordings and full of vintage analog equipment. Special guest artists include Marc Ribot (guitar) and Stefan Sundström (vocals). Engineered by Janne Hansson, mastered by Bob Katz, artwork by Kim Hiorthųy. Morten Qvenild: grand piano, celesta, Hammond organ and vocals; Roger Arntzen: double bass and vocals; Pål Hausken: drums, percussion, vibraphone, glockenspiel and vocals.

Artist:	SHINING
Title:	Grindstone
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2060CD

This is the fourth album (2nd on Rune Grammofon) from Norway's experimental collective, Shining. The press dropped many names when trying to place Shining's previous album on the musical map, from The Mars Volta and Slayer via King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra to Henry Cow, This Heat, Ornette Coleman, Ligeti and Messiaen. One thing they all agreed on was the striking originality of this young group who had gone through a radical transition from starting out as a post-bop jazz quartet. With In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster they tried to squeeze in as much as they could, but masterful editing and production from Kåre Chr. Vestrheim made it all stick together in a very convincing way. Vestrheim is also the producer of Grindstone. Multi-instrumentalist, writer and mainman Jųrgen Munkeby is, like many of his contemporaries, from a young generation of Norwegian musicians, not content with sticking to one genre but listening to and drawing inspiration from several places, something that is as evident with this album as it was with its predecessor. Just witness how they move between complex riffing, filmic soundscapes, jazz, and classical and modern composition, all on the turn of a dime. Orchestral, confusing, thrilling. Shining is: Jųrgen Munkeby (guitar, sax and various instruments); Torstein Lofthus (drums); Andreas Schei (keyboards); Morten Strųm (bass).

Artist:	HENRIKSEN, ARVE
Title:	Strjon
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2061CD

This is Norwegian Arve Henriksen's third full-length release on Rune Grammofon. On Strjon, Henriksen is joined by his Supersilent colleagues Ståle Storlųkken and Helge Sten, who also produced the album. Strjon brings together the various sides of Henriksen, from the zen-like solo pieces of his debut album Sakuteiki to the open-ended melancholia of Chiaroscuro to the dark, brooding lyricism of Supersilent. "Strjon" is the medieval name of Arve's hometown Stryn on the west coast of Norway, referring to a streaming river or water. The nature around Stryn is fantastic and the changes between winter and summer are quite drastic, from crashing avalanches in steep mountains to calm beauty and majestic tranquility. Some of the music dates back to sketches made by a young Arve Henriksen in these surroundings, later worked on by both Arve himself and Helge Sten. Arve Henriksen is without doubt one of Norway's leading instrumentalists and a master of the trumpet, as can be heard on his previous solo albums, numerous Supersilent albums and as a side player for musicians such as Trygve Seim, Christian Wallumrųd, Dhafer Youssef, David Sylvian and Frode Haltli to name only a few. As Henriken himself explains: "Most of the music comes from my own 'library' of sounds and music created during my days at Stryn. At the age of 16 I started to make sketches and recorded lots of cassettes with improvised electronic sequences, and over the years loads of tapes and discs have been added to the pile of homemade studio sketches. My idea has been to look into this material to search for a history, for moods, perhaps to understand a little bit more and maybe discover some reasons for why I play like I do." Performed by: Arve Henriksen (trumpet, voice, keyboards and electronics), Ståle Storlųkken (keyboards) and Helge Sten (guitars and bow).

Artist:	OPSVIK & JENNINGS
Title:	Commuter Anthems
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2062CD

This is the second full-length release from Eivind Opsvik (bass, drums, percussion, piano, organ, Theremin, vocals, software) and Aaron Jennings (guitars, lap steel, banjo, concertina, vocals, software), and their first on Rune Grammofon. Opsvik is from Oslo, Norway, but has lived in New York since 1998. He started out playing the drums at a very early age, but gradually switched to bass in his teens while also spending time experimenting with a 4-track tape recorder. In New York he now has his own band Eivind Opsvik Overseas and plays with a number of other experimental groups. Jennings is a guitarist and software enthusiast from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who moved to New York after college, where he began working in a variety of musical projects. Over the course of his career, Aaron has concentrated on free jazz and electronica, but these days he's mostly considered a musician that works somewhere in the realm of experimental pop music. As with much of the incomparable Rune Grammofon catalog, Commuter Anthems is difficult to categorize. Both players come from a jazz background, but that's only a small part of the picture. Folk and country influences provide the album with a rural, almost relaxed feeling as guitars, double bass, concertina, pump organ, lap steel, banjo, and various recording techniques and software manipulations create a filmatic musical story being played by a dreamy experimental pop orchestra.

Artist:	ALOG
Title:	Amateur
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2063CD

Alog are duo Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan, and this is their fourth full-length release for the Rune Grammofon label. Since forming in 1997, Alog have been among Norway's leading performers of experimental electronic music. They are mainstays at Rune Grammofon and have been with the label since their debut album Red Shift Swing was released in 1999. Already a mature and original collection, their sound has since been developed through their second album, Duck-Rabbit (2001), and almost perfected with their previous album Miniatures, which also won them a Norwegian Grammy for best electronica release in 2005. Some of the techniques that Alog invented for their Miniatures album have now been refined and developed on their new album, Amateur. They have increasingly worked with various acoustic instruments and in collaboration with other musicians for long recording sessions in special locations. Travelling around the west coast of Norway with Nicholas H. Mųllerhaug and Nils Ųkland sidekick Sigbjųrn Apeland, they recorded in music schools in an attempt to capture the unique sound of each selection of instruments found. Because of bad weather they could be stuck for days on islands off the wild northern coast recording themselves playing any instruments they could find and building more of their own. These sessions were subsequently worked on in the studio to bring out the unique spirit of this release, characterized by a curious and fresh approach to playing that is often lost in the process of becoming a virtuoso on a singular instrument. The word "amateur" originally denotes a person who is motivated by a passion or love for their activity. It has been the goal of Alog on this album to preserve and enhance this special energy in their songs, and to do this they use their "augmented acoustics" technology and bring out the hidden "amateur" energy of each song.

Artist:	MOHA!
Title:	Norwegianism
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2064CD

This is the second full-length release from Norway's MoHa!. Due to the super-fertile Norwegian improv scene, MoHa! are boldly leading the way with a sound that encompasses the best of rock, free jazz and electronic music. Despite the enormity and broad spectrum of sounds that constitute their unique style, it is the work of just two talented young men, Anders Hana on guitar, obsolete electronics and a pallette of effects pedals, and Morten J. Olsen on drums, triggering a multitude of noises from each skin and cymbal using custom-built software. Having played together in various projects for close to 10 years, they have developed a high level of control and understanding in their musical communication. They compliment and confront each other, with sharp and mechanical movements on one hand, free flowing and loose gestures on the other. Since the release of their debut Raus Aus Stavanger in early 2006, they have done considerable touring, both in Europe and in USA. Norwegianism was recorded towards the end of a European tour in December 2006 and is an example of how a MoHa! live show could have sounded like at that point. It's a real scorcher; short, intense, to the point and brimming with head explosions, youthful energy and urgency. MoHa! is part of the N-Collective, an international conglomerate of musicians, composers, improvisors and artists.

Artist:	ULTRALYD
Title:	Conditions for a Piece of Music
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2065CD

This is the third full-length release by Norway's Ultralyd. This all-star quartet formed in 2004 when legendary saxophonist Frode Gjerstad suggested that the trio Gjerstad/Olsen/Hana needed a distinct bass player. The very first rehearsal with Kjetil D. Brandsdal (also of Noxagt) was released as the self-titled album Ultralyd on the English label FMR in 2004. After a UK tour the same year, the band established the sound captured on the album Chromosome Gun, which was released in 2005 on the American avant-rock label Load Records. Frode Gjerstad decided to leave later in the year and for a short while the band operated as a trio before recruiting new sax player Kjetil Mųster, winner of the Young International Jazz Talent award in New York in 2006. During two extensive European tours and several studio sessions, Ultralyd's direction slowly changed from a rather chaotic free rock approach towards composition and more structured forms of improvisation, experimenting with different layers and altered roles of the instruments, integrating elements from contemporary music, electronic music, funk and doom metal and ending up with something that might be classified as chamber rock. However contradictory that might sound. Ultralyd is part of the N-Collective, an international conglomerate of musicians, composers, improvisors and artists. Ultralyd is: Kjetil Mųster (saxophones), Anders Hana (guitar), Kjetil D. Brandsdal (bass), Morten J. Olsen (drums, vibraphone, percussion).

Artist:	SUSANNA
Title:	Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2066CD

This is the debut solo album from Norway's Susanna Karolina Wallumrųd, who is most known for two sublime albums and a number of quietly powerful concerts with Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, a duo which includes member Morten Qvenild (Jaga Jazzist, Shining, In The Country). This time she is simply "Susanna," and she has written twelve highly personal songs that make up this beautiful and quite extraordinary album. She plays piano and guitar and guests include brother and ECM recording artist Christian Wallumrųd (piano), Magical Orchestra partner Morten Qvenild (piano, synth), Big Bang leader Ųystein Greni (guitar), The White Birch leader Ola Flųttum (guitar), In The Country drummer Pål Hausken, Helge Sten (guitar, mellotron) and Giovanna Pessi (harp). As Rune Grammofon label head Rune Kristoffersen makes clear: "In these fast and restless times of instant entertainment and shortways to possible success, it's a rare treat to witness a young and genuinely talented singer and writer that operates to such a degree outside trends and fashions. Much in the same way as a young Tim Buckley, Nico or Scott Walker without making too much of those comparisons. We are delighted with this lovely addition to the catalog, a work of uncompromising dedication inviting us to reflect and to listen." Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos is produced by Deathprod (Helge Sten).

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	8
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	RCD 2067CD

Supersilent celebrate 10 years as a groundbreaking quartet with their first studio album in almost 5 years, the eighth release in their series. Members Arve Henriksen (trumpet, voice, electronics, drums), Helge Sten (audio virus), Ståle Storlųkken (keyboards, synthesizers) and Jarle Vespestad (drums) form a band that refuse categorization, with experiments in such disparate elements as ambient, jazz, electronica, rock, techno, noise and musique concréte. As with Supersilent 6, 8 was recorded during a 5-day studio session at all-analog facility, Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway. From the monumental hardcore blizzard storm of 1-3, to the elegant electro-jazz of 4, and from the quiet soundscapes of 5, to the epic 6, Supersilent have yet again re-invented themselves with an album that to a certain degree explores more abstract and mysterious pathways beyond category and comparisons. The 68 minutes that ended up on 8 was chosen from 5 hours of finished music, and at one time the group considered a double or even triple album. The album has been mastered by U.S. mastering guru, Bob Katz in close collaboration with producer Deathprod, and it's been handled almost like classical music to keep the extremely dynamic range of the original recording. Again, the names of the players do not appear on the cover. This is Supersilent music, collective work, group improvising, and not a matter of individual grandstanding. They never rehearse as a group and don't discuss the music with each other, meeting only to play concerts or to record. Supersilent music lives in a no-man's-land between the genres, somewhere between rock, electronica, jazz and modern composition. It can sometimes appear to be written or at least arranged, again making it clear that these musicians communicate on a high, almost telepathic level. Needless to say, there are no overdubs.

Artist:	MOE, OLE-HENRIK
Title:	Ciaccona/3 Persephone Perceptions
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2068CD

Norway's Ole-Henrik Moe is a renowned composer/improviser who has participated in theatre productions and modern dance performances, and this is his debut release. This is probably among the most extreme solo violin music ever written, performed and recorded. Two pieces lasting 40 and 43 minutes both push the performer to the edge when it comes to endurance and concentration, which is why Ole-Henrik Moe, himself a more than capable violinist, was happy to leave the difficult task to his wife, Kari Rųnnekleiv, an accomplished player perfect for this kind of challenge. He has worked with a wide selection of musicians and artists and dived into the most unlikely collaborations. At times too extreme even for the most open-minded in academic music circles, his like-minded kindred spirits will most likely be found among followers of sound artists like Deathprod, Maja Ratkje and Lasse Marhaug or composers like Giacinto Scelsi, Morton Feldman and Edgard Varčse. He studied violin at the Music Conservatory of Oslo and composition at the State Academy of Music in Oslo. He also studied composition with Iannis Xenakis at the Sorbonne University in France and at the Conservatoire Superieur de la Musique in Paris. He has written orchestral works, electronic works, chamber works, composed for art installations and has worked extensively with the Arditti Quartet. He has also worked and recorded with Deathprod, Nils Ųkland, Magne Furuholmen (Hermetic), The White Birch and Motorpsycho. In 2006 he was awarded the Arne Nordheim composer prize. Kari Rųnnekleiv co-founded the internationally-acclaimed Trondheimsolistene orchestra in 1988 and has worked with them as assistant concert master and soloist touring Europe and Japan as well as recording several CDs with them. She has also played with and been attached to Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Bodų Sinfonietta and has worked extensively with contemporary music and chamber music in several countries. Both Kari and Ole-Henrik have regularly and on several occasions experimented with improvisation in their playing, a rare thing among classically-trained violinists.

Artist:	FOOD
Title:	Molecular Gastronomy
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2069CD

This is the fifth full-length release for Norway's Food, now down to the duo of Iain Ballamy (saxophones, alto flute) and Thomas Strųnen (drums, electronics). Molecular Gastronomy was recorded by Jeremy Cox over a period of two years. Food was formed at the 1998 Molde International Jazz Festival when Iain Ballamy was invited to perform with three exceptional young Norwegian musicians. It soon became clear that the blend of Iain's distinctive saxophone and Arve Henriksen's breathy trumpet textures was the perfect foil for the entrancing bass and drum trips created by Mats Eilertsen and Thomas Strųnen. It's fair to say that a good amount of Food's earlier output was written as opposed to improvised -- however, this duo-version is mostly improvised, much in the same way as the music of Strųnen's other duo, Humcrush. Considered to be one of the most inventive Norwegian drummers, he has always been an important writer in Food. Ballamy's role is also expanded, giving more room to this quite excellent player. Ashley Slater -- who played with Ballamy in Loose Tubes in the late '80s and went on to form Freakpower with Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) -- mixed this record and also contributes on three tracks. Maria Kannegaard plays Fender Rhodes on five tracks and is also a superb pianist with three trio-recordings to her name, including a number of Norwegian jazz recordings.

Artist:	BOX
Title:	Studio 1
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2070CD

This is the debut release by Box: Raoul Björkenheim (guitars, viola da gamba), Trevor Dunn (bass), Ståle Storlųkken (keyboards, electronics), Morgan Ågren (drums). Something of an international supergroup, the founding of this excellent ensemble is a touch of genius that remains something of a mystery. Hand-picked by writer and film-maker Philip Mullarkey to record and play live as part of the art/film project Box, the four musicians met for the first time in Atlantis Studio in Stockholm for two short days of recording without having planned, scored or prepared any music in advance. It quickly became apparent that this avant-garde juggernaut was heading in the right direction -- the musical interplay making it hard to believe that these complex pieces were actually improvised on the spot -- again, a testament to instant music-making at the highest level. The music was recorded directly to analog tape and has an organic and rough quality to it. All tracks were mixed from analog tape and there is no digital editing nor Pro-Tooling involved, and no overdubs. Raoul Björkenheim has worked in a wide spectrum of styles, from free jazz improvisations with Edvard Vesala to the Finnish Radio Symphony and UMO orchestras, collaborations with Paul Schütze, Bill Laswell, William Parker/Hamid Drake and Jah Wobble, not to mention his present group, Scorch Trio. Trevor Dunn is a member of Fantōmas, John Zorn's Electric Masada, Trio Convulsant and Moonchild. He is one of the most in-demand bass players on the downtown jazz scene in New York and has an eclectic repertoire, having played with artists ranging from Marc Ribot to Melt Banana, Secret Chiefs 3 to Kronos Quartet. Ståle Storlųkken is a founder of Supersilent and Humcrush. Morgan is a Grammy-winning musician on both sides of the Atlantic, perhaps best known for his work with the Mats/Morgan Band, as well as with diverse artists such as The Flesh Quartet, Kaipa and Zappa's Universe.

Artist:	SKYPHONE
Title:	Avellaneda
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2071CD

This is the second full-length release by Danish trio Skyphone for the Rune Grammofon label. Keld Dam Schmidt, Thomas Holst and Mads Bųdker are childhood friends who grew up in the rainy marshlands of southern Jutland. Having played in various rock outfits during most of the '90s, they slowly moved towards the electronica scene and the German dub scene before starting Skyphone in 1999. Since then, they have steadily developed their own style, combining traditional rock instruments with electronics; scratching and carefully damaging the surface of the digital sounds, creating melodic pop songs without singing, leaving it to the listener to infer what the songs actually could have been and what is lurking virtually beneath the constrained, deliberately ambiguous surface of the song. With Avellaneda, they have further developed these ideas into a seamless blend of acoustic and electronic elements, rich in detail and sonic refinement, with the occasional touch of Scandinavian folk music providing a strong melodic base. The album title refers to Alonso Fernįndez de Avellaneda (a pseudonym) who wrote an unauthorized follow-up to Miguel de Cervantes' classic Don Quixote in 1614. The band haven't decided to what extent the amusing myths surrounding these books are relevant to the album. Thomas Holst plays bass and is responsible for the darker and sometimes moody atmospheres of Skyphone. He is also in charge of their vast archive of field recordings. Keld Dam Schmidt is the major tunesmith of the group and most often responsible for the simple but beautiful melodies. He plays modular synths and guitars, often acoustic. Mads Bųdker, the youngest member, plays analog synths, samplers, toy instruments and a variety of things that go snap, crackle and pop.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Money Will Ruin Everything, The Second Edition
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2CD/BOOK
Price:	$61.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2072BK

It's been a long, long time but finally it's here -- the second edition of Money Will Ruin Everything, Rune Grammofon's celebration of 5 more years of music. Originally planned as an update and slightly revised edition of the long deleted 2CD/book of the same name released in 2003, this has now turned into a completely new and quite gorgeous book. Completely redesigned and improved with new art from Kim Hiorthųy, more pages, slightly larger and with 4 different types of paper, it features graphic works, photos, video stills, used and unused sleeve art, complete discography and more. The essays on the musical and visual profiles of the label from the first book are included, as is the original interview Kim did with label founder Rune Kristoffersen in 2003. New to this edition is a new interview as well as forewards by Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis and David Fricke, senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, in addition to essays by Wire editor Rob Young and design writer Adrian Shaughnessy. The musical content is also stronger with this edition, with 2 CDs of all-new, mostly exclusive tracks from Supersilent, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Arve Henriksen, Nils Ųkland, Deathprod, Shining, Humcrush, Ultralyd, Food/Nils Petter Molvęr, Maja Ratkje, Box, Svalastog, Huntsville, Alog/Spunk, Opsvik & Jennings, Phonophani and more. At the launch of the first book, the folks at Rune Grammofon said that "although we like to look at ourselves as a progressive label, we have a certain nostalgic feeling regarding records and packaging. These days, when music is in danger of becoming even more fleeting and impersonal through downloading, we like to offer a collectable physical object worth owning." Five years later, this rings through even more, and we are very proud to see that it's possible for a small label to release something like this in our time. The first edition from 2003 sold out very quickly and has since been virtually impossible to trace on eBay and the secondhand market.

Artist:	MOTORPSYCHO
Title:	Little Lucid Moments
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2073CD

Motorpsycho was founded in 1989 in Trondheim, Norway's third biggest city, when mainstays Bent Sęther (bass, vocals) and Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan (guitar, vocals) were joined by drummer Kjell Runar "Killer" Jenssen. The first album, Lobotomizer, was released in 1991 after which Killer quit and Håkon Gebhardt took over the drums for many years to come. Gebhardt left in 2005 before the recording of Black Hole/Blank Canvas where Bent and Snah did most of the drumming themselves. With Little Lucid Moments they have a new, permanent drummer. Kenneth Kapstad is also a member of Animal Apha and Monolitich and has played with Dadafon, Gåte, Cucumber and Soundtank. Helge Sten, aka Deathprod, is back as a co-producer of Lucid Little Moments, and Kim Hiorthųy also returns to design the album sleeve. With 1993's Demon Box, Motorpsycho were already laying down the blueprint for much of the stoner psychedelia that would spawn a number of bands many years later. Since then, and several albums later, they have developed their personal style to sometimes include delicate use of brass, strings and other instrumentation, even flirting with pop structures and shorter songs, but never abandoning the original spirit of Motorpsycho and the long classic epics like "Demon Box," "The Wheel," "The Golden Core," "Un Chien D'Espace," "Vortex Surfer" and "Radiator Freak." With four long, energetic and evolving tracks ranging from 11 to 21 minutes, Little Lucid Moments is in every way what many hardcore fans will consider to be classic Motorpsycho in full flight. The album was recorded by Helge Sten and mixed by Jųrgen Tręen (Jaga Jazzist, Sondre Lerche). Mastered by U.S. mastering guru, Bob Katz.

Artist:	SCORCH TRIO
Title:	Brolt
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2074CD

This is the third full-length release from New York's free-spirited power trio, Scorch Trio: Raoul Björkenheim (electric guitar), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (electric bass and electronics), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums and percussion). As with their previous albums Scorch Trio and Luggumt, Brolt is an old school analog recording -- the band set up in one room, instruments and amps miked with vintage microphones, playing live and recording to analog multi-track tape with no overdubs and editing and then mixing down to quarter-inch analog tape. There's a slightly different vibe to Brolt than that of its predecessors, maybe caused by the change of studio or the fact that they specifically set out to make it more of an ensemble recording where all instruments are treated equally. They went into the studio straight after a short, but very hectic tour of Europe and Japan, which may explain the more loose, live feel of many of the tracks. Björkenheim was raised on Hendrix, Zappa and rock music before he discovered Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Eric Dolphy. He has written film scores and orchestral music and recorded with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schütze, Mats Gustafsson and others. Håker Flaten is a member of The Thing, Atomic, School Days and Free Fall and has his own quintet. He has played with Edvard Vesala, Krakatau and Tony Oxley and many others. Nilssen-Love is the most profiled player on the Norwegian jazz scene. A member of The Thing, School Days, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Atomic and several others, the two most important things for him are energy and creative freedom -- both vital ingredients in the Scorch Trio musical vocabulary.

Artist:	ELEPHANT9
Title:	DodoVoodoo
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2075CD

Already a firm live favorite on the Norwegian scene for a couple of years due to a handful of highly energetic and very enthusiastically received concerts, the trio of Ståle Storlųkken (Supersilent, Humcrush), Nikolai Eilertsen (The National Bank) and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums finally deliver their debut album. Ståle Storlųkken is widely considered to be the most inventive and musically creative keyboard player to spring out of the Norwegian jazz scene. On DodoVoodoo he mostly concentrates on organ and electric piano, giving the album a late '60s, early '70s feel with traces of rock, jazz, prog and psychedelia. This, in combination with a young rhythm section that comes mostly with a rock background, gives it a fresh and contemporary edge. Nikolai Eilertsen was first known to the Norwegian public through the rock groups Big Bang and The National Bank, which also includes Morten Qvenild from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra and In The Country as well as Jaga Jazzist brothers Lars and Martin Horntvet. Torstein Lofthus is an extremely versatile drummer who has done a lot of session work as well as playing in jazz, soul and rock bands, most notably Shining, being the only member still in the band along with founder Jųrgen Munkeby. DodoVoodoo was recorded live in Grand Sport Studio, the same analogue facility where Scorch Trio records.

Artist:	KJERSEM, HILDE MARIE
Title:	A Killer For That Ache
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2077CD

This is the first solo release for Norway's singer/songwriter Hilde Marie Kjersem. Kjersem was born and brought up in the northwest coastal town of Ålesund, with seven brothers and sisters and a father with a passion for science fiction and Kenny Rogers. Like many of her young contemporaries in Norway, she studied at the Music Conservatory. She has released two albums, Red Shoes Diary (2004) with her now-disbanded TUB Quartet and Twelve O'Clock Tales (2005), a duo album of standards with jazz guitarist Jon Eberson. The last couple of years, she has worked on A Killer For That Ache, the first proper album under her own name. Far from being a jazz album or your typical melancholy Nordic singer-songwriter album, Kjersem names some of her inspirations to be David Lynch, Roger Rabbit, Finn Graff (legendary Norwegian newspaper illustrator), Danny Elfman, Robert Wyatt, José Saramago, Kate Bush and Tim Burton. With her present band, including Shining main-man Jųrgen Munkeby, she has delivered some stunning performances that have been extremely well-received in the Norwegian press. A Killer For That Ache can be called a concept album of sorts, in the way that Kjersem sets out to critique the media by stepping into various disguises and characters using comments, facts, lies, repetitions, assumptions, exaggerations, humor, irony and absurd observations on things that might have happened, things that never happened and things that never will. Not surprisingly, the result is an eclectic selection of songs that are completely indescribable. Let us just say it is pop music with many twists, making it a dramatic, beautiful, mysterious, seductive, intricate, fascinating and unique musical ride. Hilde Marie Kjersem (vocals, keyboards, autoharp), Jųrgen Munkeby (saxophones, clarinets, flute, guitar, vocals), Torbjųrn Folke Zetterberg (bass, guitars, banjo, Moog, Rhodes, vocals), Sjur Miljeteig (trumpet, vocals), Peder Kjellsby (drums, percussion, piano).

Artist:	MOHA!
Title:	One-Way Ticket To Candyland
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2078CD

This is the third full-length release from Norway's noise spastics MoHa!. The Wire has called them an "extremist hybrid between free improv, gutter electronics and darkwave scuzz," and they have elsewhere simply been proclaimed the future of Norwegian rock. They may now appear slightly more structured in their music-making on this record, but don't let that lead you into thinking they have gone soft or lost any of their unhinged fire and creative spark. Out of Norway's super-fertile improv scene, MoHa! have boldly been leading the way with a sound that encompasses the best of rock, free jazz and electronic music. Despite the enormity and broad spectrum of sounds that constitute their unique style, it is the work of just two talented young men, Anders Hana on guitar, obsolete electronics, a palette of effects pedals and now also a synth, and Morten J. Olsen on drums, triggering a multitude of noises from each skin and cymbal using custom-built software. Having played together in various projects for around 10 years, they have developed a high level of control and understanding in their musical communication. As anyone who has seen them live during one of many tours in Europe and USA can testify, they compliment and confront each other with sharp and mechanical movements on the one hand, free-flowing and loose gestures on the other. Hana is also a member of Noxagt, and both are members of Ultralyd and legendary Norwegian sax player Frode Gjerstad's excellent free jazz ensemble Circulatione Totale Orchestra.

Artist:	HUNTSVILLE
Title:	Eco, Arches & Eras
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2079CD

This is the second album from Huntsville, the Norwegian trio of Ivar Grydeland, Tonny Kluften and Ingar Zach. Eros, Arches & Eras is the follow-up to their highly-acclaimed 2006 release, For The Middle Class, also on Rune Grammofon. Grydeland and Zach founded the Sofa label for improvised music in 2000 and appear together and in various projects on several of the label's releases. They have worked with Kluften since 1998, as the core of improvising ensemble No Spaghetti Edition. Here they are joined by the mother of all young Norwegian female jazz singers, Sidsel Endresen, for a short and beautiful vocal contribution. The second CD is a recording from the concert they did with Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche from Wilco at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2007. In general, the Huntsville project contrasts sharply with their other work, and reveals a quite different, more groove-based approach with strong elements of composition. "In Huntsville, improvisation is just one of the tools we use," Zach comments. "It still is a very important factor in the way we make music, but during the last few years, our interest in country music and electronic music has developed into a sound we really wanted to investigate -- also Feldman and Cage, drone music, folk music." Hence, their music has been described in such terms as abstract drone Americana and hypnotic country yoga. The group's multi-instrumentalism means that this is no conventional guitar/bass/drums trio. On acoustic and electric guitar as well as banjo, Grydeland mixes finger-picking technique with various types of bow, as well as acoustic and electronic devices. Tonny Kluften on double-bass uses various bows, sticks and rubber bands, while Zach produces a wide range of sounds on the drum kit -- but with all players indulging in idiosyncratic devices, it's almost impossible to know who's producing what hauntingly unusual or strangely beautiful sound. Huntsville are Ivar Grydeland, (guitars, banjo, pedal steel guitar, etc.) Tonny Kluften (double bass, etc.) and Ingar Zach (percussion, tabla machine, sarangi box, shruti box, etc.).

Artist:	SUSANNA
Title:	Flower Of Evil
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2080CD

Flower of Evil is the second solo album from Susanna Wallumrųd, mostly known from two fine albums and a number of quietly powerful concerts with Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. Susanna has already proved herself as an original songwriter, "Believer" from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's debut album from 2004 was named by Mojo as "one of the greatest break-up songs ever." And on her first solo album, Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos (2007) all 12 songs were her own. But Susanna is also known as an extraordinary interpreter of songs, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Hallelujah" from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's album Melody Mountain (2006) being two examples of her ability to renew "difficult" songs. Flower Of Evil is 12 sublime cover versions of mostly well-known songs as well as two Susanna originals, all beautifully sung by one of the most exceptional new voices of recent years, with lovely accompaniment by her trusted band members Helge Sten (Deathprod, Supersilent), Pål Hausken (In The Country) and with Bonnie "Prince" Billy guesting on two songs. Whether it's Thin Lizzy or Sandy Denny, Black Sabbath or Nico, Lou Reed or Abba, all are given the very personal Susanna treatment. Flower Of Evil was recorded in Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, a studio full of vintage, analog equipment and a wonderful engineer, Janne Hansson, who knows all there is to know about proper recording. And it is difficult to say something about this record without mentioning how good it sounds. While many are concerned about illegal downloading and the drop in CD sales, few seem troubled by the lost art of proper recording and the tyranny of compression and squeezing of music to make it sound as loud as possible on radio, mp3 players, cell phones and small PC speakers. Flower Of Evil is an old school recording of musicians playing and singing together with a bare minimum of compression being applied at the mixing and mastering stage, thus maintaining the natural dynamics of the performance.

Artist:	HUMCRUSH
Title:	Rest At Worlds End
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2081CD

This is the third full-length album from Norway's Humcrush (Thomas Strųnen and Ståle Storlųkken). Rest At Worlds End was recorded live at various European venues, although the high level of musicianship and focus on detail could easily lead you to think it would be a meticulously assembled studio recording. With this record, the duo continue adventurous explorations of abstract grooves and atmospheric moods. Thomas Strųnen has studied music and composition and is a regular member of several bands, most notably Food, Maria Kannegaard Trio and Parish, the quartet led by Swedish ace pianist Bobo Stenson. As is the case for most Norwegian jazz musicians of his generation, he has played with just about everybody and has been a frequent performer on the Norwegian and European festival circuit for several years. Ståle Storlųkken is a founding member of Supersilent, Elephant9, and played on Terje Rypdal records, but was first noticed with freeform trio Veslefrekk with fellow Supersilent members Arve Henriksen and Jarle Vespestad. He is probably the most versatile and adventurous electric keyboard player within the Norwegian scene at the moment. Rest At Worlds End perfectly showcases each artist's individual technical virtuosic talent -- Strųnen's percussion is textured, precise and surprising, while Storlųkken's keyboard work is diverse and varied, using daubs of sound across a colorful sonic spectrum. Sometimes frenetic, sometimes meanderingly contemplative, Rest At Worlds End stimulates your nerve-endings and fires neurons you never even knew existed. The double limited edition gatefold LP version has 7 bonus tracks not on the CD. Ståle Storlųkken (keyboards), Thomas Strųnen (drums, electronics).

Artist:	LOW FREQUENCY IN STEREO, THE
Title:	Futuro
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2082CD

This is the fourth full-length release from The Low Frequency In Stereo. Founded in 2001 in Haugesund on the west coast of Norway, they have been called the band with one foot in Pompeii and one in space. With their first three albums released from 2002 to 2006, they have developed from an instrumental lo-fi-post-rock band that Pitchfork dubbed "psych-garage dronemeisters" to a full-blown, focused and fresh-sounding rock ensemble with great songs and a mix of dark atmospheres and catchy choruses. From the Eastern-tinged pop flirt of "Starstruck" to the near 10-minute cosmic groove-trip that is "Solar System," the new album from this excellent group finds them in top form and taking a big leap from their previous, Norwegian Grammy-nominated album. A sharper and more focused effort without a weak track in sight, Futuro is both industrial and rough as well as polished and streamlined. There are nods to fellow Norwegians 120 Days as well as Stereolab, Can, Joy Division and even The B-52's, but first of all, this is a group that have perfected their own sound from album to album and through periods of extensive touring, working up some well-deserved hype in the process. Per Steinar Lie (bass, organ, voice, guitars), Ųrjan Haaland (drums, percussion, organ, voice) and Hanne Andersen (organ, percussion, trumpet, voice, guitars) are founding members, while Njål Clementsen (guitars, organ, piano, voice) and Linn Frųkedal (organ, voice) both joined ranks before the recording of Futuro. Clementsen and Frųkedal are also members of up-and-coming group Megaphonic Thrift. Guest musicians include Rune Grammofon-affiliates Nils Ųkland and Kjetil Mųster (Ultralyd) and the album is produced by wonderboy Jųrgen Tręen, who has also worked with Jaga Jazzist, Kaizers Orchestra, The National Bank, and Sondre Lerche.

Artist:	BUSHMAN'S REVENGE
Title:	You Lost Me At Hello
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2083CD

This is the second full-length release by Norway's Bushman's Revenge (Even Helte Hermansen, Gard Nilssen, Rune Nergaard). You Lost Me At Hello shows a distinct development from their debut Cowboy Music (Jazzaway, 2007). Founded by Hermansen and Nilssen in 2003 in their hometown of Skien, a couple of hours from Oslo, the trio aim to combine the jazz/improv background of the rhythm section with the rock/metal background of leader, composer and guitarist Hermansen to create their own expressive music inspired by names like Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix as well as Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. Hermansen is also a member of such diverse groups as Shining and Solveig Slettahjell's Slow Motion Quintet. Nergaard is from the northern town of Bodų and also plays in Humvee and the Eirik Hegdal Quartet, while Nilssen can be found in Puma, Humvee and Lord Kelvin. Both have a background at the Jazz Academy in Trondheim, breeding ground for musicians such as Arve Henriksen, Ståle Storlųkken, Nils Petter Molvęr, and many more. Musically, You Lost Me At Hello has an untamed energy, showing a looser and rougher side than the debut, yet with a more focused road-map towards free exploration. The production is quite heavy with a dark and dirty side to it, and within the Rune Grammofon catalog, this record is probably most comparable to Scorch Trio and Motorpsycho. Metal crunch, bass meanderings, free jazz space-drums, anthemic riffs, and bursts of scrawl and fire, Bushman's Revenge will lay to waste all other contenders.

Artist:	JONO EL GRANDE
Title:	Neo Dada
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2084CD

This is the second full-length release by Jon Andreas Håtun aka Jono El Grande, a self-taught composer, musician, conductor and prankster who remains an outsider on the far margin of the Norwegian experimental music scene. When Frank Zappa asked Does Humor Belong In Music?, a certified guess is that many a serious music lover already knew the answer. But like Zappa, Jono understands the importance of timing, and as anyone who has witnessed his concerts can testify to, Jono is a humorist and slapstick entertainer of sublime proportions, his great forte being not letting it get in the way of the music. Jono El Grande released his debut mini-album Utopian Dances in 1999, a collection of absurdist instrumentals recorded at home using not much more than a workstation synth. 2003 saw the release of Fevergreens (RCD 2031CD), an album that drew upon classic progressive rock, film music, easy listening and a variety of pop idioms and featured a 9-piece orchestra. If Jono's prankster image and celebrity status in Norway has meant not being taken seriously as a composer, Neo Dada should set the record straight once and for all. This is an album brimming with musical adventure, odd turns, weird combinations of sounds and instruments, complex signatures and a good portion of pure joy, all mysteriously sugared with melodic hooks that will stick to your brain like any annoying pop tune. There are elements from the Canterbury and Rock In Opposition scenes and traces of artists such as Frank Zappa, Magma, Henry Cow and Gentle Giant, but Jono has taken large steps since his last record when it comes to establishing his own musical signature. Instrumentations and arrangements are also more adventurous -- there are more prog sonics mixed with impressive orchestrations, all performed with a theatrical, art-rock, tragi-comedic flair. Musicians include: Jono El Grande (vocals, guitar, various); Petter Sųrlie Kragstad (keyboards); André Bongard (keyboards); Håkon Mųrk Stene (marimba, vibraphone, percussion); Erik Lųkra (saxophones); Embrik Snerte (bass); Terje Engen (drums); Hans Martin Austestad and Bård Bratlie (additional vocals); Ida Kristine Hansen (violin I); Isa Caroline Holmesland (violin II); Gunnhild Oddbjųrnsdatter (viola); Lisa Isabel Holstad (cello).

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Kantarell
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2085CD

This is the fourth studio album by the improv quartet of Kristin Andersen (trumpet), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (vocals), and Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn) aka SPUNK. Free collective improvising is one of the most demanding ways of making music: the pitfalls are many -- self-absorption, incoherence, certain standardized "gestures" of free-jazz, lack of dynamics, humorlessness, etc. -- but SPUNK are alert to the dangers. Bold, sometimes witty, always alert, they make engaging music and keep the element of surprise alive. They have no fear of bringing the music to the brink of anarchy -- they are interested in extremes as well as subtleties -- but their instincts as composers-in-action also serve them well. SPUNK work exclusively with improvised music, in concert as well as on record, and Kantarell marks yet another musical step for this playful and ever-experimenting quartet by possibly being the most acoustic-sounding album they have made -- though SPUNK have always been masters at seamlessly combining acoustic instruments with electronics, often making it impossible to identify what is what. Kantarell was produced by the group together with Sjur Miljeteig and Peder Kjellsby.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Runeology 2
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$7.50
Catalog #:	RCD S2CD

"Special low price 70 min sampler including tracks from recent and current releases as well as tracks from forthcoming 2005 albums. Artists featured are Deathprod, Arve Henriksen, Phonophani, Strųnen/Storlųkken, Scorch Trio, Food, Nils Ųkland, Alog, Shining and Archetti/Wiget. Comes in a slimcase cardboard sleeve with artwork by Kim Hiorthųy. Rune Grammofon was established by Rune Kristoffersen in January 1998 with the intention of releasing work by the most adventurous and creative Norwegian artists. Starting with the debut triple set by electro/improv quartet Supersilent and the collected electronic works of composer Arne Nordheim, the catalogue now include more than 40 releases by artists such as Food, Arve Henriksen, Nils Ųkland, Biosphere, Deathprod, Alog, Spunk, Phonophani, Jazzkammer, Scorch Trio, Information, Skyphone, Maja Ratkje and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. Rune Grammofon is probably the label that in the most consistent and wide ranging way has documented the amazing flowering and development of young Norwegian talent within the areas of electronica, improvisation, ambient, free music and most things in between and beyond. A scene that is getting the international recognition it deserves."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Runeology 3
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$8.00
Catalog #:	RCD S3CD

This is the third volume in Rune Grammofon's Runeology series, which covers stunning highlights of recent and forthcoming releases from 2007 and 2008. This low-priced sampler is comprised of 12 tracks from Arve Henriksen, Susanna, Opsvik & Jennings, Food, Supersilent, Ultralyd, Shining, Alog, Scorch Trio, Humcrush, Ole-Henrik Moe and MoHa!. Rune Grammofon is truly dedicated to the development of young Norwegian talent within the areas of electronica, improvisation, ambient, free music and most things in-between and beyond. A scene that is getting the international recognition it deserves. This is the same tracklisting as the recent CD that was given away to all subscribers of The Wire with issue #283, September 2007, but with a different sleeve. Please note that this does not come in a digipak, but in a slim sleeve as with previous editions of Runeology.

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	7
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	DVD
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	RDV 2047DVD

The Norwegian death-jazz improvising unit return for the seventh of their Supersilent series, this time in the form of a DVD release of a highly-anticipated live performance in Oslo on August 16, 2004. Members Arve Henriksen (trumpet, electronics), Helge Sten (audio virus), Ståle Storlųkken (keyboards) and Jarle Vespestad (drums) form a band that refuse categorization, with experiments in such disparate elements as ambient, jazz, electronica, rock, techno, noise and musique concréte. Critics have compared them to the Miles Davis band of the early '70s, and groups like Stockhausen, Einstürzende Neubauten and Can. Supersilent hadn't played the capital for quite some time and the line went around the block. With the uncertain knowledge that all Supersilent concerts are totally improvised, it didn't take long to hear that they were in excellent form and interplay, all captured by three cameras to black and white 16 mm film and recorded by Kai Andersen from Athletic Sound. Filmed by Norwegian multimedia artist Kim Hiorthųy, the black and white footage lends a filmic quality very rarely seen in concert DVDs. Constructed like an audio CD with visuals, there are no extras, no menus, no FBI warnings or meaningless graphics -- what you get is a pure, complete Supersilent concert from start to finish, 109 minutes. What you see and hear is how it was, no overdubs have been applied to the recording, but a couple of psychedelic hiccups have found their way to the film. The 6 "tracks" are divided so you can skip back and forth as on a CD. By using the audio button on the player's remote control you can chose between Dolby Digital and the slightly superior DTS sound alternatives, if your DVD player is ready for DTS. The sound is mixed by Deathprod in good old stereo. Please also note that this is a DVD-9 production, giving superior picture quality due to the disc having dual layers and more available space. What you hear and see is a multifarious, totally improvised, completely unique live performance from a group who define the best in bombastic Nordic sound. This is an NTSC format Region 0 DVD, for North America only. Running time: 109 minutes.

Artist:	DEATHPROD
Title:	6-track
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	10"
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	REP 2053EP

This is Norwegian producer and sonic manipulator Helge Sten's fourth release on Rune Grammofon. Sten has been an important player since the beginning of this label: as a member of Supersilent he was part of the very first release in January 1998, and later the same year he and Biosphere remixed Arne Nordheim's electronic works. A consummate producer, and former member of rock group Motorpsycho, Sten has since cemented his position as master sonic sculptor. Another stunning, beautifully-packaged deluxe limited edition vinyl release from Rune Grammofon. This is a single vinyl 10" in a pitch-black gatefold sleeve. And the music? Five Deathprod remixes of other artists, some of them difficult to find, one of them never before released, plus "Deerstalker," previously only available on Rune Grammofon's Money Will Ruin Everything compilation. The original artists being remixed are: Nils Petter Molvęr, Cloroform, Murcof and Larsen -- but this is all prime Deathprod. Printed in 1000 copies only and bound to become a collector's item, this is also an extremely rare occasion of Deathprod on vinyl and a must-have complement to the Deathprod box set. He has produced Arve Henriksen, Food, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra and The White Birch, as well as a number of artists for other labels, including Motorpsycho, Jaga Jazzist and Hope Sandoval.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Until Human Voices Wake Us and We Drown
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	5x10"
Price:	$80.00
Catalog #:	RLP 2050LP

The label Rune Grammofon celebrates 50 releases with this collection of 19 tracks from their catalog, showing the variation of music they have put out since their first release in January 1998. This committed, consistent label seeks to document the development of the most creative and adventurous young Norwegian talent within the areas of electronica, improvisation, ambient, free music and most things in-between and beyond, promoting a scene that is finally getting the international recognition it deserves. This compilation spans the timeless melancholia of Fartein Valen, the pioneering electronic music of Arne Nordheim, the magical pop diamonds of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra to the restless youth improv that is MoHa!, taking in some traditional music, free rock, jazz, ambient, contemporary experiments and various shades of electronica along the way. Some are cornerstones in the catalog, but this is not a "best-of" collection -- this compilation seeks to show the different aspects of Rune Grammofon while still displaying each record's common theme or base. There are five 10" vinyl records, all in their own sleeve with an exclusive Kim Hiorthųy design, as well as a 16-page catalog, also specially designed by Kim that includes a descriptive overview of the first 50 Rune Grammofon releases. All come in a nice cardboard box, also designed by Kim. Being limited to 1000 copies, this is bound to be a collector's item in no time, not only because of the limited aspect but also because of the fantastic design work at show, quite possibly the best record design work Kim has ever done.

Artist:	SUPERSILENT
Title:	6
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$23.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3029LP

LP version, packaged as a deluxe limited edition, gatefold 180 gram vinyl, limited to 1000 copies worldwide. The first Rune Grammofon vinyl release, due to customer requests! "More than ever it appears clear that their music lives in a no man's land between the genres, somewhere between rock, electronica, jazz and modern composition. As with all their recordings and live performances, everything here is improvised. That most of the music on 6 appears to be written or at least arranged is testament to the high, almost telepathic level they work at . Needless to say, there are no overdubs. Often being labelled jazz because of the improvising aspect of the music and the fact that three of the members come from a jazz background, with 6 they are just as likely to attract followers of bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, King Crimson, (late) Talk Talk or Popol Vuh."

Artist:	SCORCH TRIO
Title:	Luggumt
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$25.00
Catalog #:	RLP 3040LP

Double LP edition, gatefold sleeve, limited edition of 500 of the previously-released CD edition originally issued in 2004, this time with four bonus tracks not featured anywhere else. Raoul Björkenheim, the highly original Finnish composer and guitarist, represents the perfect balance between raw electricity and restrained elegance. Here he is paired with Norway's hottest young rhythm section in what can only be described as a classic power trio, burning with an untamed, but still focused energy. Bookended by two lengthy tour de force workouts, this is a more varied collection than their self-titled debut from 2002. We get some lovely free playing demonstrating the great interplay these musicians are capable of, beautiful soundscapes and some strange sounding Korean court music vibes -- all recorded live in the studio without overdubs or edits, to analog tape. Björkenheim was raised on Hendrix, Zappa and other rock music before he discovered Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Eric Dolphy. He played in several groups before being invited into the circle around the late, legendary drummer Edward Vesala to play on three records with him before forming Krakatou and recording two strong albums for ECM. He has written film scores and orchestral music and recorded with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schütze, Mats Gustafsson and Nicky Skopelitis, to name a few. Ingebrigt Håker Flaten is one of Norway's most in-demand bassists. In addition to Scorch Trio he is a regular member of The Thing with Mats Gustafsson, Atomic, Close Erase with Christian Wallumrųd, School Days and Petter Wettre Trio. Paal Nilsen-Love is one of the most profiled players on the Norwegian jazz scene. He has always been occupied with different forms of jazz, but the two factors that are always important to him are those of energy and creative freedom. In addition to Scorch Trio he is a regular member of The Thing, School Days, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Atomic and Håkon Kornstad Trio. He has recorded and performed with a number of musicians, from Pat Metheny and Django Bates to Svein Finnerud and Nils Petter Molvęr. Raoul Björkenheim: guitars; Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: bass; Paal Nilssen-Love: drums.

Artist:	ALOG
Title:	Amateur
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$25.00
Catalog #:	RLP 3063LP

Double LP version, deluxe gatefold sleeve. Alog are duo Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan, and this is their fourth full-length release for the Rune Grammofon label. Since forming in 1997, Alog have been among Norway's leading performers of experimental electronic music. They are mainstays at Rune Grammofon and have been with the label since their debut album Red Shift Swing was released in 1999. They have increasingly worked with various acoustic instruments and in collaboration with other musicians for long recording sessions in special locations. Travelling around the west coast of Norway with Nicholas H. Mųllerhaug and Nils Ųkland sidekick Sigbjųrn Apeland, they recorded in music schools in an attempt to capture the unique sound of each selection of instruments found. Because of bad weather they could be stuck for days on islands off the wild northern coast recording themselves playing any instruments they could find and building more of their own. These sessions were subsequently worked on in the studio to bring out the unique spirit of this release, characterized by a curious and fresh approach to playing that is often lost in the process of becoming a virtuoso on a singular instrument. The word "amateur" originally denotes a person who is motivated by a passion or love for their activity. It has been the goal of Alog on this album to preserve and enhance this special energy in their songs, and to do this they use their "augmented acoustics" technology and bring out the hidden "amateur" energy of each song.

Artist:	MOHA!
Title:	Norwegianism
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$16.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3064LP

LP version. This is the second full-length release from Norway's MoHa!. Due to the super-fertile Norwegian improv scene, MoHa! are boldly leading the way with a sound that encompasses the best of rock, free jazz and electronic music. Norwegianism was recorded towards the end of a European tour in December 2006 and is an example of how a MoHa! live show could have sounded like at that point. It's a real scorcher; short, intense, to the point and brimming with head explosions, youthful energy and urgency. MoHa! is part of the N-Collective, an international conglomerate of musicians, composers, improvisors and artists.

Artist:	ULTRALYD
Title:	Conditions for a Piece of Music
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$16.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3065LP

LP version. This is the third full-length release by Norway's Ultralyd. During two extensive European tours and several studio sessions, Ultralyd's direction slowly changed from a rather chaotic free rock approach towards composition and more structured forms of improvisation, experimenting with different layers and altered roles of the instruments, integrating elements from contemporary music, electronic music, funk and doom metal and ending up with something that might be classified as chamber rock. However contradictory that might sound. Ultralyd is: Kjetil Mųster (saxophones), Anders Hana (guitar), Kjetil D. Brandsdal (bass), Morten J. Olsen (drums, vibraphone, percussion). Limited stock.

Artist:	SCORCH TRIO
Title:	Brolt
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$26.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3074LP

Double LP version. This is the third full-length release from New York's free-spirited power trio, Scorch Trio: Raoul Björkenheim (electric guitar), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (electric bass and electronics), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums and percussion). As with their previous albums Scorch Trio and Luggumt, Brolt is an old school analog recording -- the band set up in one room, instruments and amps miked with vintage microphones, playing live and recording to analog multi-track tape with no overdubs and editing and then mixing down to quarter-inch analog tape. There's a slightly different vibe to Brolt than that of its predecessors, maybe caused by the change of studio or the fact that they specifically set out to make it more of an ensemble recording where all instruments are treated equally. They went into the studio straight after a short, but very hectic tour of Europe and Japan, which may explain the more loose, live feel of many of the tracks. Björkenheim was raised on Hendrix, Zappa and rock music before he discovered Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Eric Dolphy. He has written film scores and orchestral music and recorded with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schütze, Mats Gustafsson and others. Håker Flaten is a member of The Thing, Atomic, School Days and Free Fall and has his own quintet. He has played with Edvard Vesala, Krakatau and Tony Oxley and many others. Nilssen-Love is the most profiled player on the Norwegian jazz scene. A member of The Thing, School Days, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Atomic and several others, the two most important things for him are energy and creative freedom -- both vital ingredients in the Scorch Trio musical vocabulary.

Artist:	MOHA!
Title:	One-Way Ticket To Candyland
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	RLP 3078LP

Vinyl edition with extra thick sleeve (350g) limited to 500 copies only. This is the third full-length release from Norway's noise spastics MoHa!. The Wire has called them an "extremist hybrid between free improv, gutter electronics and darkwave scuzz," and they have elsewhere simply been proclaimed the future of Norwegian rock. They may now appear slightly more structured in their music-making on this record, but don't let that lead you into thinking they have gone soft or lost any of their unhinged fire and creative spark. Out of Norway's super-fertile improv scene, MoHa! have boldly been leading the way with a sound that encompasses the best of rock, free jazz and electronic music. Despite the enormity and broad spectrum of sounds that constitute their unique style, it is the work of just two talented young men, Anders Hana on guitar, obsolete electronics, a palette of effects pedals and now also a synth, and Morten J. Olsen on drums, triggering a multitude of noises from each skin and cymbal using custom-built software. Having played together in various projects for around 10 years, they have developed a high level of control and understanding in their musical communication. As anyone who has seen them live during one of many tours in Europe and USA can testify, they compliment and confront each other with sharp and mechanical movements on the one hand, free-flowing and loose gestures on the other. Hana is also a member of Noxagt, and both are members of Ultralyd and legendary Norwegian sax player Frode Gjerstad's excellent free jazz ensemble Circulatione Totale Orchestra.

Artist:	SUSANNA
Title:	Flower Of Evil
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$26.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3080LP

Limited double vinyl version in exquisite gatefold sleeve. Flower of Evil is the second solo album from Susanna Wallumrųd, mostly known from two fine albums and a number of quietly powerful concerts with Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. Susanna has already proved herself as an original songwriter, "Believer" from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's debut album from 2004 was named by Mojo as "one of the greatest break-up songs ever." And on her first solo album, Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos (2007) all 12 songs were her own. But Susanna is also known as an extraordinary interpreter of songs, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Hallelujah" from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's album Melody Mountain (2006) being two examples of her ability to renew "difficult" songs. Flower Of Evil is 12 sublime cover versions of mostly well-known songs as well as two Susanna originals, all beautifully sung by one of the most exceptional new voices of recent years, with lovely accompaniment by her trusted band members Helge Sten (Deathprod, Supersilent), Pål Hausken (In The Country) and with Bonnie "Prince" Billy guesting on two songs. Whether it's Thin Lizzy or Sandy Denny, Black Sabbath or Nico, Lou Reed or Abba, all are given the very personal Susanna treatment. Flower Of Evil was recorded in Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, a studio full of vintage, analog equipment and a wonderful engineer, Janne Hansson, who knows all there is to know about proper recording. And it is difficult to say something about this record without mentioning how good it sounds. While many are concerned about illegal downloading and the drop in CD sales, few seem troubled by the lost art of proper recording and the tyranny of compression and squeezing of music to make it sound as loud as possible on radio, mp3 players, cell phones and small PC speakers. Flower Of Evil is an old school recording of musicians playing and singing together with a bare minimum of compression being applied at the mixing and mastering stage, thus maintaining the natural dynamics of the performance.

Artist:	BUSHMAN'S REVENGE
Title:	You Lost Me At Hello
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	RLP 3083LP

LP version. Includes voucher for free MP3 download of the whole album. This is the second full-length release by Norway's Bushman's Revenge (Even Helte Hermansen, Gard Nilssen, Rune Nergaard). You Lost Me At Hello shows a distinct development from their debut Cowboy Music (Jazzaway, 2007). Founded by Hermansen and Nilssen in 2003 in their hometown of Skien, a couple of hours from Oslo, the trio aim to combine the jazz/improv background of the rhythm section with the rock/metal background of leader, composer and guitarist Hermansen to create their own expressive music inspired by names like Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix as well as Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. Hermansen is also a member of such diverse groups as Shining and Solveig Slettahjell's Slow Motion Quintet. Nergaard is from the northern town of Bodų and also plays in Humvee and the Eirik Hegdal Quartet, while Nilssen can be found in Puma, Humvee and Lord Kelvin. Both have a background at the Jazz Academy in Trondheim, breeding ground for musicians such as Arve Henriksen, Ståle Storlųkken, Nils Petter Molvęr, and many more. Musically, You Lost Me At Hello has an untamed energy, showing a looser and rougher side than the debut, yet with a more focused road-map towards free exploration. The production is quite heavy with a dark and dirty side to it, and within the Rune Grammofon catalog, this record is probably most comparable to Scorch Trio and Motorpsycho. Metal crunch, bass meanderings, free jazz space-drums, anthemic riffs, and bursts of scrawl and fire, Bushman's Revenge will lay to waste all other contenders.

Artist:	JONO EL GRANDE
Title:	Neo Dada
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	RLP 3084LP

LP version on white-colored vinyl in deluxe gatefold sleeve. Includes voucher for free MP3 download of the whole album. This is the second full-length release by Jon Andreas Håtun aka Jono El Grande, a self-taught composer, musician, conductor and prankster who remains an outsider on the far margin of the Norwegian experimental music scene. When Frank Zappa asked Does Humor Belong In Music?, a certified guess is that many a serious music lover already knew the answer. But like Zappa, Jono understands the importance of timing, and as anyone who has witnessed his concerts can testify to, Jono is a humorist and slapstick entertainer of sublime proportions, his great forte being not letting it get in the way of the music. Jono El Grande released his debut mini-album Utopian Dances in 1999, a collection of absurdist instrumentals recorded at home using not much more than a workstation synth. 2003 saw the release of Fevergreens (RCD 2031CD), an album that drew upon classic progressive rock, film music, easy listening and a variety of pop idioms and featured a 9-piece orchestra. If Jono's prankster image and celebrity status in Norway has meant not being taken seriously as a composer, Neo Dada should set the record straight once and for all. This is an album brimming with musical adventure, odd turns, weird combinations of sounds and instruments, complex signatures and a good portion of pure joy, all mysteriously sugared with melodic hooks that will stick to your brain like any annoying pop tune. There are elements from the Canterbury and Rock In Opposition scenes and traces of artists such as Frank Zappa, Magma, Henry Cow and Gentle Giant, but Jono has taken large steps since his last record when it comes to establishing his own musical signature. Instrumentations and arrangements are also more adventurous -- there are more prog sonics mixed with impressive orchestrations, all performed with a theatrical, art-rock, tragi-comedic flair. Musicians include: Jono El Grande (vocals, guitar, various); Petter Sųrlie Kragstad (keyboards); André Bongard (keyboards); Håkon Mųrk Stene (marimba, vibraphone, percussion); Erik Lųkra (saxophones); Embrik Snerte (bass); Terje Engen (drums); Hans Martin Austestad and Bård Bratlie (additional vocals); Ida Kristine Hansen (violin I); Isa Caroline Holmesland (violin II); Gunnhild Oddbjųrnsdatter (viola); Lisa Isabel Holstad (cello).

Artist:	IN THE COUNTRY
Title:	Whiteout
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$26.50
Catalog #:	RLP 3086LP

Gatefold double LP version, includes voucher for free mp3 download of the whole album. Ambitious, epic and grand in scale, the third album by Norway's piano trio In The Country could very well be their magnum opus. Most of the music was performed and written as a thank you, as is the tradition, after leader Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Shining) was awarded Kongsberg Jazzfestival's prestigious Musician's Award. Along with bass player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken, on Whiteout, Qvenild allows themes to develop and terrain to broaden, as in exploratory jazz and classic progressive rock music. For example, "Ursa Major" starts out as an almost space-jazz expedition, which then crescendos and decrescendos into over 9 minutes of intertwining piano and post-rock guitar stratospherics. It's also a highly personal album, coming to an emotional and dramatic conclusion with the touching last track softly sung by Morten himself -- all gossamer and hazy brushstrokes of circling piano melodies, cymbal wash, and distant percussion. In The Country has been selected as among Norway's best musicians, reaching critical acclaim with their previous albums This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat (RCD 2045CD) and Losing Stones, Collecting Bones (RCD 2059CD): Downbeat called their debut "one of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe" that year, Mojo said "startling," Straight No Chaser said "fantastic," and a host of others followed. Whiteout is set to eclipse all previous praise, with its epic, masterful scope that shows this trio at the absolute peak of their compositional and performance powers. Recorded in the legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, home of the first classic Abba recordings and full of vintage analog equipment. Engineered by Janne Hansson and mastered by Bob Katz, with a striking sleeve design by Kim Hiorthųy. In The Country are: Morten Qvenild (grand piano, synthesizers, Rhodes, programming and vocals), Roger Arntzen (double bass and vocals), Pål Hausken (drums, percussion, Dynacord Percuter and vocals), with Andreas Mjųs (Jaga Jazzist) (guitars, vibraphone, marimba, violin, programming and percussion).

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Artist:	RATKJE, MAJA
Title:	Voice
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2028CD