2009/12/07

Fleurety review from metal-archives.com

«This 7” EP, released in the autumn of 2009 by English label Aesthetic Death Records, is the first new release from the cult Norwegian band Fleurety since the Department Of Apocalyptic Affairs album appeared in the year 2000, although Aesthetic Death did re-release their debut album Min Tid Skall Komme in 2008 as a limited-edition double vinyl LP with bonus tracks. The label’s association with Fleurety goes back a lot further than that, though – they released the vinyl EP A Darker Shade Of Evil way back in 1994.

Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis features re-recorded versions of two old songs, ‘Descent Into Darkness’ from the 1993 Black Snow demo, and ‘Absence’ from the 1996 compilation album Blackend: The Black Metal Compilation Volume I. According to the band, ‘Descent Into Darkness’ was left off the first album because it didn’t fit with the rest of the tracks, so this is the first time it’s been ‘properly’ recorded. A number of very special guest musicians have contributed to ‘Descent Into Darkness’ alongside the Fleurety duo of Svein Egil Hatlevik and Alexander Nordgaren, namely Hellhammer and Necrobutcher from Mayhem and Arcturus, and vocalist Runhild Gammelsæter of Thorr’s Hammer and Sunn O))) renown – which in itself will make this release a must-have item for many black metal freaks. As for what the song sounds like – well, those who have previously encountered Fleurety’s work will know to expect the unexpected, and ‘Descent Into Darkness’ doesn’t disappoint on this front. In a marked departure from the band’s previous output, the song is a murky morass of lo-fi necro production values, squealing banshee vocals from Runhild, and pounding double bass beats from Hellhammer, punctuated by mellow, progressive keyboard interludes. ‘Descent…’ whips through different genres at breakneck pace, though it’s undeniably raw, nasty black metal first and foremost.

The B-side opens with ‘Choirs’, a short track of discordant synth drones and low, bestial growls, building to a NON-like wall of blaring industrial noise, before ‘Absence’, which again features a couple of guest musicians, bassist Plenum (a.k.a. Petter Bernstein), from Virus and Audiopain, and drummer Bjeima, from Delirium Bound and Swarms. ‘Absense’ surges into action with a ferocious barrage of fast drums and frenzied, angry-wasp riffing, Hatlevik's venomous vocals spat out emphatically over the top of the noise-storm. As with ‘Descent Into Darkness’, 'Absence’ seems to be a surprisingly straightforward piece of fast black metal, but then the song takes an abrupt swerve towards leftfield, careening chaotically to a halt with a bizarrely jaunty keyboard break that could almost have come from a 70s disco record.

The physical presentation of Ingentes… is impeccable – it’s a heavy-duty pressing on white vinyl in a white card sleeve with a sharp-looking snowflake design courtesy of Trine + Kim Design Studio, and it includes a sticker. The record is a limited-edition release of 666 copies.

Although Fleurety were an integral part of the Norwegian black metal scene during its glory days, they’ve always seemed rather neglected and overlooked, certainly when compared to their contemporaries such as Darkthrone, Burzum or Immortal. Maybe their unpredictability and eclectic, genre-bending approach has made it difficult for people to know exactly what to make of their work, something like what happened with Ulver. Hopefully, this release will go some way towards redressing the balance – and it seems possible that Fleurety are now well-placed to find an audience that simply didn’t exist in the early 90s, an audience attuned to the avant-garde metal of acts such as Nadja and Caïna. Orthodox black metal fans are never going to feel comfortable with this, but those of more catholic tastes may well find the revivified Fleurety worth checking out. The band has also promised a brand-new album called Master Of Hallucinogenic Poisons And Herbs for early 2010.»

(Note from Zweizz: The claims about a new album are incorrect, we never said anything about that. There will be a new 7" pretty soon, and it will be called "Evoco Bestias")

2009/11/04

New release


ZWEIZZ/RU-486 Split C-30 Ltd. 100 "A vile and disturbed pairing. The first is Zweizz, better known for his blackened work with Fleurety and Dodheimsgard, now dabbling in avant garde hysteria. The dragging and grunting sounds of moral rape coupled with harsh Norse prose, seething with unapologetic liturgy.

The post attack by RU-486 is no less forgiving. Christian zionism held under the blade of flesh skinning contempt. Cascades of deafening bliss. The last bullet of war ripping through dying skin. By devils be driven, they wade through our seed."

http://www.destructiveindustries.net/releases.htm

2009/10/22

First review of the new Fleurety EP

From avantgarde-metal.com:

A new vision to behold! A new whisper from ancient configurations! The master of hallucinogenic poisons and herbs has grown out of the earth's deepest labyrinths once more...

It is quite refreshing to welcome back a band as bizzarely out of tune with the current fashions in music and as completely forgotten by their peers as Fleurety. For years, it's never been really clear as to when exactly the experimentalist duo of Svein Egil Hatlevik and Alexander Nordgaren would make their highly expected return to the scene. Neither did they seem to care spreading optimistic signs of their desire to do so. Well, they finally did it, and here we are treated with 2 re-recorded songs from their past catalogue complemented by one short in-between interlude, a re-entrance I was at first a bit skeptical about to be honest. But as with every Fleurety album, one's initial skepticism is only a reactionary facade for the band to fuck with.

Right from the beginning, the deliberately murky-blurry under production on Descent into Darkness is indeed one mighty departure from their three official releases, though it is certainly done with class. Fleurety going old-school black metal? Striborg on 2C-B? Nah... it's much more than that. At last one gets to hear what the band had in mind in 1993, when they recorded Black Snow, their first and slightly scandalous demo. This song not only drowns into fragmented doom, stadium rock, minimalist prog and atmospheric black metal, but it is also drapped in the most cavernous and cryptic sounds you can imagine. Fleurety at their darkest hour for sure. While Hellhammer keeps the pace enjoyable with catchy double kicks and intricate grooves, Runhild Gammelsæter brings back to life the unique vocals Fleurety had come to be known for, as she sometimes sounds like a squealing and burning tire straight outta Hell's inverted highways. Now that woman is a demented freakshow on her own, isn't she! As for the riffs, well it is Fleurety we are talking about, so it's nothing short of unconventional for the genres between which it alternates, except for the fact that it sounds a little bit more primitive and retro than usual. Keeping in mind this was composed in 1993, one can't help but respect the band's daring creativity and weirdness. Also, the odd production they sticked to with this song gives it an experimental edge which is a bit unsettling at first sight. This is indeed an abrupt descent into darkness, now and then ponctuated by colorful diamonds hidden in the sound's funeral dust.

The second band song to be featured is Absence, a composition I'm sure at least some of you have heard in its original clothing. First, I should warn you that this reinterpretation is significantly different in tone from the "Blackend Vol. 1" 1995 version. Whereas this one was a mesmerizing ballad, the new reworked Absence comes closer to punk and thrash. Only some of the riffs, as far as I know, have been incorporated, but both the tempos and the structures have changed into a more energetic layout. As a matter of fact, this is Fleurety in a rush running after its own tail on amphetamines. The guitars are cutting-edge and riff after riff, the song asks for some grim headbanding; underneath you can hear a certain Petter Bernstein playing bass lines like mad. To top that off, Hatlevik's vocals are as digital-necro as only Zweizz can be, and I also have to highlight the drum performance by Bjeima which makes the song so cool and so spicy in some loose 70's way. Absence may be shorter than Descent into Darkness, but what it lacks in time it gains in musical explosiveness and dynamics. The ending disco part, for instance, could have lasted way longer if you ask me, but I guess that's why the repeat button has been invented in the first place. A very entertaining Fleurety top 10 hit had that ever existed...

I wouldn't know if this is avant-garde metal per se and I honestly don't care. My point is, it sounds like Fleurety had a great time in the studio, invited a few friends and ventured into their mostly unknown past for the better or the worst. In my case I would say it's for the better. To hear these recordings will teleport you back to Norway's nineties, and as such it is an interesting trip not devoid of nostalgia for any black metal fan. Of course I'd also like to hear new and fresh compositions by the band, which would make it easier to review their new standards. Let's wait and see where this immersion into the past might lead our two heros. Hopefully, they will not let us wait for another 10 years until next time.

Oliver Side

2009/10/20

new fleurety 7"


Email aesthetic.death@virgin.net for ordering details!

Artist:
Fleurety
Title: Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis
Label: Aesthetic Death Records
Format: Vinyl 7"
Cat. no: ADEP 002

«Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis» features the first new recordings by Fleurety since 1998. This band from Ytre Enebakk, Norway, has been hailed as one of the originators of the style that has lately come to be known as avant-garde metal, a status earned through their albums «Min Tid Skal Komme» (1995) and «Department of Apocalyptic Affairs» (2000) - plus the EP «Last-Minute Lies» (1997).
The songs featured on «Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis» are re-recordings of material from the early nineties. The song Descent into Darkness was first featured on Fleurety's first and only demo, «Black Snow» (1993). As this song did not fit in with the rest of the material on the debut album, it was never properly recorded - until now. This new recording features guest drummer Hellhammer and guest bassist Necrobutcher, both well known from the legendary black metal band Mayhem. Vocals are performed by Runhild Gammelsæter, also known from bands such as Thorr's Hammer, Khlyst and Sunn0))).
The second song, Absence, is a remake of a track Fleurety recorded exclusively for the compilation album «Blackend Vol. 1» (1995). This recording also features the bass work of Plenum (Virus, Audiopain) and the drum work of Bjeima (Delirium Bound, Swarms).
Both songs show the more traditional metal side of Fleurety, with an old school grimness not heard from the band since the «A Darker Shade of Evil» 7" EP (1994). But beware! There are also indulgent leaps into disco noise territory.
«Ingentes Atque Decorii Vexilliferi Apokalypsis» is limited to 666 copies. The cover artwork has been made by Trine & Kim Design Studio. The record is pressed on heavy duty white vinyl and - Hey! - there is a sticker somewhere inside the sleeve as well.
This release is the first in a series of new Fleurety recordings only available on vinyl. The next release «Summon the Beasts» - the first with brand new Fleurety material since 2000 - can be expected in early 2010.

2009/09/11

Zweizz live at Musikk, dans of drama

In the summer of 2007 I did some kind of live preformance at the radio programme Musikk, dans og drama, a weekly music show at the student radio in Oslo, Radio Nova.

However, just as we were about to begin the show, the fire alarm wanted to be a part of the concert as well. This is what it sounded like.

Then after a while it all turned out to be a fire rehearsal, no danger after all. Which means there is also a regular boring live recording for y'all somewhere around here.

2009/09/08

zweizz at støy på landet

youtube link

youtube playlist featuring all the artists at the støy på landet festival 2009

2009/07/11

List of past live performances

Sun Jun 30 2013: Supporting Goylem Space Klezmer at MIR/Oslo (NO)

Fri Jun 28 2013: No sleep II Festival at Stein & Jord/Oslo (NO)


Thu Mar 8 2012: Guest musician with Himmelriksskvadronen, Nordisk Samtidspoesi-festival - Rolf Jacobsen-dagene / Hamar (NO)
Thu Des 8 2012: Zweizz performance at the «Personal best» fanzine launch, Torpedo / Oslo (NO)

Sun Apr 10 2011:
Zweizz supporting Ulver at Colos-Saal/Aschaffenburg (DE)
Sun Apr 10 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Colos-Saal/Aschaffenburg (DE)

Sat Apr 09 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Biebop/Antwerp (BE)

Fri Apr 08 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Beatpol/Dresden (DE)

Thu Apr 07 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Majestic/Bratislava (SK)
Wed Apr 06 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at K17/Berlin (DE)

Tue Apr 05 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Eskulap/Poznan (PL)

Sun Apr 03 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Szene/Vienna (AT)

Sat Apr 02 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Bronson/Ravenna (IT)

Fri Apr 01 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Backstage/Munich (DE)

Thu Mar 31 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Z7/Pratteln (CH)

Wed Mar 30 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Substage/Karlsruhe (DE)

Tue Mar 29 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Matrix/Bochum (DE)

Sun Mar 27 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at Off_Corso/Rotterdam (NL)

Sat Mar 26 2011: Zweizz supporting Ulver at La Trabendo/Paris (FR)

Tue Mar 22 2011: Zweizz, Virus and Ulver at Koko/London (UK)

Fri Feb 11 2011:
Torgny vs. Zweizz performance at «Slippfest for Kreativt Forum» at Anti/Oslo (NO)

Thu Sep 16 2010: Torgny vs. Zweizz performance at «Ultima Noise Fest» at Blå/Oslo (NO)

Tue Sep 14 2010: Third Inhuman Music Regiment Berlin performance at «Litteratur på Blå» at Blå/Oslo (NO)

Sun Jun 13 2010:
Klezmer Space Goylem with guests Zweizz, Per Karang and Kompani IRO at MIR/Oslo (NO)

Sat May 29 2010: Torgny vs. Zweizz performance at «Modulert Grand Prix» at Gamle Logen/Oslo (NO)

Sat Dec 22 2009:
Zweizz & Homo Vinter performance at «Fosforos salon» at undisclosed venue/Oslo (NO)

Fri Oct 2 2009:
Zweizz performance at the opening of the exhibition «PUSTEMASKINEN & le Comte de Saint Germain» at Podium/Oslo (NO)

Wed Sep 9 2009: MAZ + DEL at Dans for Voksne at Podium/Oslo (NO)

Sat Aug 29 2009:
Jemterud/Hatlevik/Brungot Quartet at Badehusfestivalen, Ljansbakken/Oslo (NO)

Sun Jun 21 2009:
MAZ at Sound of Mu/Oslo (NO)

Sat Jun 20 2009: Zweizz at "Støy på landet" (with Animal Machine, Torstein Wjiik, Jan M. Iversen etc.) at Vikvarvet/Sælbu (NO)

Sun Jun 7 2009: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at "På med ørene" (with Årabrot/Concept Virus, Nils Bech & Bendik Giske, ALTAAR, Nude on Sand etc.) at Henie-Onstad Art Center/Høvikodden (NO)

Sun May 29 2009: MAZ and Nernes/Skagen at Mir/Oslo (NO)

Sat May 16 2009: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at the Modulated Eurovision Song Contest (with Håkon Kornstad, Pow Pow, Die Bettys etc.) at Blå/Oslo (NO)

Mon May 11 2009: Jemterud/Hatlevik Duo at Revolver/Oslo (NO)

Sat May 9 2009:
"FAAR liker Zweizz og Homo Vinter, samt The Making of Gentlemen" at Gamla/Oslo (NO)

Fri Apr 24 2009: Zweizz at the "MOTFESTIVAL! - Akademisk gravbørst" at the public toilet, Chateau Neuf/Oslo (NO)

Sat Apr 11 2009: Zweizz & Homo Vinter's Invocation of the Dark Spirit of Jezez XXX-ist the Lapdancer. Supp: The Laundry Room Squelchers (US). At Podium/Oslo (NO)

Sat Apr 4 2009:
Darina Zizkova with Zweizz at Salon Merkavah # 4: The Harliquinade. Undisclosed venue/Oslo (NO)

Thu Apr 2 2009: Dans for voksnes suuper ultra North of skakkjørt økonomi-prosjekt. Duo with Per Gisle Galåen at Podium/Oslo (NO)

Fri Feb 27 2009: MAZ live at "Musikk, Dans og Drama", Radio Nova fm 99,3Oslo (NO)

Thu Feb 5 2009: Spaceship Earth Salon #1 - Stockholm Furniture Un-fair at Lacrimosa Theater/Stockholm (SE)

Mon Feb 2 2009: Zweizz & Dag Stiberg at Upop-aften, KlubbscenenDet Norske Studentersamfund/Oslo (NO)

Sat Jan 24 2009: Zweizz at Sagveienfestivalen, Sagveien 16/Oslo (NO)

Sat Nov 29 2008: MAZ at Rockehuset/Halden (NO)

Fri Nov 14 2008: She Said Destroy releaseparty, support: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at Elm Street/Oslo (NO)

Sat Nov 8 2008: Zweizz at Bleepfest, La Generale en Manufacture/Paris (FR)

Thu Nov 6 2008: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at Sten Ove Toft-festivalen, Revolver/Oslo (NO)

Sat Nov 1 2008: MAZ at Verdensspeilet/Fredrikstad (NO)

Sat Oct 11 2008:
MAZ at Ellas pub og vinhus/Sarpsborg (NO)

Fri Sep 19 2008: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at Phonofestivalen, Hinsides/Bergen (NO)

Sat Aug 23 2008: Zweizz playing during king of the hill tournament at Badehusfestivalen, Ljansbakken/Oslo (NO)

Sat Aug 16 2008: Release party for Execration’s debut album "Syndicate of Lethargy". Supporting artists Zweizz and Blood Tsunami. At Elm Street/Oslo (NO)

Sat Jun 28 2008: Opening of the exhibition "Pale Males and Fairytales“ by Andreas Tellefsen at Galerie Fruehsorge/Berlin (DE)

Sun Jun 22 2008: Zweizz at the Icebreaker Festival in Kabelvåg (NO)

Sat Jun 21 2008: Zweizz at the Icebreaker Festival in Kabelvåg (NO)

Wed Mar 26 2008: Zweizz & Homo Vinter at Zur Möbelfabrik/Berlin (DE)

Thu Mar 6 2008: Zweizz at Podium/Oslo (NO)

Sat Feb 23 2008: Zweizz & Homo Vinter during By:Larm at Blå/Oslo (NO)

Sat Dec 15 2007: Killl & Zweizz at Blitz/Oslo (NO)

Wed Nov 21 2007: Next Life, Ars Dada & Zweizz at Blå/Oslo (NO)

Fri Sep 28 2007: Zweizz live at Musikk, Dans og Drama, Radio Nova/Oslo(NO)

Sat Aug 25 2007: Badehusfestivalen - Zweizz performance at Ljansbakken/Oslo (NO)

Sun Jun 17 2007: Zweizz, Tooth Kink, Dmitry Subochev at Yaroslavl Art Museum/Yaroslavl (RU)

Sat Jun 16 2007:
Noise & Fury Festival - Zweizz, Cultural Center Dom/Moscow (RU)

Sat Apr 14 2007: Happy Days sound festival with Zweizz & Homo Vinter, Rekord/Oslo (NO)

Sat Mar 24 2007:
Release party for "The Yawn of the New Age", with Origami Galaktika, Babyflesh, Ryfylke, Zweizz & Homo Vinter, Tafkag/Oslo (NO)

Thu Mar 23 2006: Release party for the literary magazine Bøygen - Zweizz performance, Spasibar/Oslo (NO)

Wed Jan 11 2006: Dans for voksne #43 Tommi Keränen (SF) / Zweizz (N), Chateau Neuf/Oslo (NO)

Sat Apr 09 2005: Nova-festivalen with Zweizz & Homo Vinter, Chateau Neuf/Oslo (NO)

Sat Apr 14 2003: Norwegian Noise Orchestra (André Borgen, Ansten Klev, Bjørn Hatterud, Harald Fetveit, Kai Mikalsen, Kjetil Svalastog Matheussen, Magnus Prytz, Marakel, Ole Hermann Melby, Peter Monsen, Peter Svenning, Sindre Andersen, Sten Ove Toft, Svein Egil Hatlevik and Thomas Narverud) Blå/Oslo (NO)

Thu Dec 12 2002: Norwegian Noise Orchestra (Andreas Meland, André Borgen, Bjørn Hatterud, Fredrik Ness Sevendal, Harald Fetveit, Hild Sofie Tafjord, Kai Mikalsen, Kim Sølve, Kjetil S. Matheussen, Maja S. K. Ratkje, Ole H. Melby, Per Gisle Galåen, Sindre Andersen, Sten Ove Toft and Svein Egil Hatlevik) Betong/Oslo (NO)

2009/07/09

begjær

lament of the compulsive masturbator

Vi er vel kommet fram til at den schizofrene tilstand er en strategi som et menneske har har satt seg i for å kunne eksistere i en situasjon det egetlig er umulig å leve i.

Slik som verden utvikler seg, er det grunn til å anta at denne såkalte sygdom, denne tilstand, vil bli mer og mer alminnelig. Grunnene til til ungdomssløvsinn og ungdomsopprør er ofte identiske: Nemlig en mangelfullt utviklet evne til å tolerere løgnene og dobbeltmoralen.

Denne sykelige trang til ærlighet, sannhet og rettferdighet går for de fleste av oss over av seg selv, og vil følgelig ikke ha behov for noen behandling


Fra «Adjø Solidaritet» (1985) av Svend Wam og Petter Vennerød

det snør og snør

«det snør og snør over slettene, i eit øyde utan grenser. ikkje eit levande tre. eit hus står her, eit einaste. det blir mindre for kvar time og skal snø ned. kring huset vekst fonnene. stilt og lett legg det seg stjerner på taket. inga vekt i det heile, men til sist vil taksperrene breste under knusande tyngd.»

tarjei vesaas (1897-1970)

new world

2009/07/05

deep inside the forest there is only more forest

«Kunsten vil henge i skogsgalleriet til naturen har fjernet den for godt. Altså vil utstillingen forsvinne mer eller mindre med tiden.»

http://langtinniskauen.noexit999.com/

everybody wanna go to berlin

a little update about this and that:

new maz song uploaded on myspace from our recent cd-r album "II"

going to berlin to work on the lyrics for the upcoming umoral album. we have no idea what the album title is going to be, but here is the track list - keep in mind it's tentative
  1. Du som skjender hvert kroppens hulrom
  2. (Shut up and) Worship my cock
  3. Miracle my ass
  4. Clit of the cult of the cunt
  5. Smothered in kindness and approachability
  6. The ecstacy that would not end
  7. Watch the eyes! The eyes!
  8. Therapist the rapist
  9. To enter the flesh
  10. Characteristics of a tiny soul
i'll also do some work trying to get closer to the completion of the zweizz & joey hopkins album. fuck, it's hard to get everything right

2009/06/26

some zweizz & homo vinter pics







all pics by ingrid aarvik berge

2009/06/16

upcoming gig




I'll be playing at the "Støy på landet" festival in Sælbu this Saturday!

2009/06/14

Flu Hartberg «Horgan»

Jeg har anmeldt Flu Hartbergs serieroman «Horgan». Les også intervju med opphavmannen.

2009/06/11

zweizz/utarm split tape

upcoming release: zweizz/utarm split cassette coming soon through destructive industries.

2009/06/09

Even more Zweizz & Homo Vinter

Here are some photos from last Sunday's Zweizz & Homo Vinter mini tour at the Henie Onstad Art Centre. More photos from the event here. (All pics by Lasse Marhaug)





2009/06/07

zweizz & homo vinter

Here are some pics of Zweizz & Homo Vinter. One from our concert in April at Podium i Oslo, and some from another concert at Gamla in May. I wish I were as cute as Homo Vinter. All pics by Ingrid Aarvik Berge.





2009/06/04

playing with fire




Photo by Ida Aalen.

2009/06/03

Concert scene investigators

Yesterday Homo Vinter and I went to Høvikodden to the Henie Onstad Art Centre to look at the toilet facilities. Lars Mørch Finborud, the music curator at the art centre gave us some kickass old Svein Finnerud Trio vinyls (from 1984!). Looking forward to the concert on Sunday! Read more about it!









2009/05/30

filthier than school

Tonight I was supposed to go to a concert at the local club Blå with the following line up: Center of the Universe, Thinguma*Jigsaw and A Hawk And A Hacksaw. My plan was to do some research, since I am reviewing new albums by Center of the Universe and A Hawk And A Hacksaw.

As usual my deadline was last Tuesday. The only problem was that I had to do last year's tax report today, and I really needed to procrastinate before I started going through all last year's invoices and receipts. So, here I am, it's late, and I'm listening to the new Center of the Universe album at home. It's called «Apokryfa».

I wrote some stuff on the A Hawk And A Hacksaw album some days ago. Let' see what I wrote:

«


A Hawk And A Hacksaw

Délivrance
2009. The Leaf Label

Ofte når jeg hører såkalt eksotiske lands folkemusikk framført av vestlige musikere, og når jeg samtidig registrerer hvor mye lettere det er å få oppmerksomhet for den musikken man lager om man spiller såkalt eksotiske lands folkemusikk som vestlig musiker enn som musiker fra det såkalt eksotiske landet hvor musikken kommer fra, tenker jeg som følger: Det er lettere å integrere musikk enn folk.

Men om man ser bort fra alle sånne ting: Det er uansett ikke til å komme unna at pekusjonist Jeremy Barnes, fiolinist Heather Trost og de andre musikerne spiller fordømt godt på dette albumet. A Hawk And A Hacksaw ga ut sitt første album i 2002 og
Délivrance er deres femte album.

»


Ok, so that's what I wrote. Don't really know if that makes sense. It seems I also pasted some text into that same document: « Taraf de Haïdouks The band's self-titled first album provided the soundtrack for the documentary Zizek!, which features Slovenian cultural theorist Slavoj Zizek.

Albuquerque duo Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost have followed their Balkan hearts to Hungary on this latest album as A Hawk And A Hacksaw, relocating for several months to Budapest, where they recorded with folk group The Hun Hangár Ensemble and other local musicians, most notably Kálmán Balogh, whose cimbalom (a sort of hammer dulcimer) brings a sparkling character to tracks such as “Hummingbirds” and “Kertész”, alongside the duo’s accordion and gipsy fiddle stylings.

Drawing on various Balkan strains – courtly Greek dance rhythms for “Foni tu Argile”, and Romanian café music for the offbeat two-step of “Kertész”, for instance – the results blend klezmer, polka, gipsy folk music and various other forms into a dizzy whirlwind of dance music, with touches of Mexican mariachi creeping in occasionally, particularly in the horns accompanying “Foni tu Argile”, which bears a striking resemblance to Beirut’s recent March Of The Zapotec album.

»

OK, now I'm still listening to the Center of the Universe album, and it does sound a lot like folk music from an exotic country. But yet it is obvious when you hear this that the instruments are played by skinny white guys. And this music is decidedly made by a skinny white guy. I happen to know for a fact that Jørgen «Sissyfus» Skjulstad is male, white and at least not overweight. He's been a very active force in the Norwegian underground, especially through the Metronomicon record label, even though there is really no reason his music should remain underground; it's neither too niché nor too unaccessible. But as can be read on their web page:

«

Metronomicon Audio is a little CD-R and CD label based in Oslo (Norway) that has chosen to go straight against the massive commercialism, double standards, vanity and unserious behaviour of the music industry.

Metronomicon Audio has focused on the freedom to make the music we like, and our never-resting design and typography crew Yokoland has done the very same in visual terms.

Metronomicon Audio is a community, with a flat structure where the artists have full control of their own music and artwork. We arrange concerts and happenings nearly all the the time, and every year we arrange the event By;Alarm, which is a mockery of all the grammy’s and awards that are to be won in the dirty, terrible, ridiculous and malicious business of music.

»

How social democratic! I like social democrats. If you're not a social democrat, you should go fuck yourself.

So, now the Center of the Universe album is over, and I'm listening to A Hawk And A Hacksaw. It sounds a lot less as if it's been recorded by skinny white Norwegian guys. If someone told me this was a Rumanian or Bulgarian folk band, I would believe it. But hey! There are a lot of Hungarian musicians here. That's why it sounds more authentic. Kinda reminds me of Taraf de Haïdouks.

Anyway, I like both these records better than the last western people doing exotic country folk music record I heard: «Surfin USSR» by the Norwegian band Farmer's Market. But I guess that's because Farmer's Market had a certain too dull not to be at school feeling to their music. the two albums I am supposed to review tonight both sound filthier than school. Which is obviously a good thing.

printf("Hello World");

Eventually I had to start blogging as well. Most of my posts here will be written in English, since I also want to use this blog as a channel for communication with the selected few around the world who care about my music. So let me get all that overwith by posting a link to my latest update on musical projects.

Search This Blog