NORWAY

[ARKHE]

I don't think I've seen any thread dedicated only to Norwegian noise/industrial/experimental music, so I thought there should be one. If one already exists, this may be scrapped.

I'm listening to a double tape box called "Kassettkassett" (supposedly), a compilation made by Lasse Marhaug (who else?) for an exhibition on cassette culture held last autumn in Bergen (http://www.lydgalleriet.no/?p=262). Everything from blippy sound art to grim electronica to arty black metal (Fleurety) to straight out harsh noise & old-school industrial (Sten-Ove Toft and Maurhaug appear jsut about everywhere on the two cassettes), it seems this comp sustains the idea I've always had of Norwegian experimental & harsh music - always very diverse and artistic in a sense, from start to finish, in a way that somehow feels genuinely Norwegian (but very hard to put in any other kind of labelled box). Always a strong but somewhat unheralded scene (perhaps I just haven't been paying attention?), with older bands like When and Famlende Försök going haywire with any kind of genre.

Any favourites, recommendations, opinions, on the west-Scandinavians' sounds, instead of all these Swedes and Finns who always get our backs scratched and caressed by the international community?

[ARKHE]

What about Norwegian labels, like Roggbif and.. well, I can only think of Jester Records right now, which isn't really noisy at all..

[Andrew McIntosh]

The Nor-Noise dvd seems to me a good starting point.

And Mr. Marhaug's work goes without saying, at least by me. Those better qualified could say more.

[alessio]

andreas/flesh coffin's twilight luggage is based there, a lot of great and varied stuff in its catalog (also available as free downloads)
not sure which releases are strictly by norwegian projects/bands tho

[post-morten]

And Mr. Marhaug's work goes without saying, at least by me. Those better qualified could say more.

Yeah, Lasse's got the Midas touch.Though he was a member of Origami Replika too, I don't think his input to their Ka/Skader CD was that big. In any case, this album, that compiles outtakes from early tapes, was always one of my favourites out of the Norwegian scene, filled to the brim with fucked up noise and cutups - all delivered with cheeky in-yer-face attitude. It's excellent stuff to mix in when dj'ing experimental sets too.

Sten-Ove Toft was mentioned. He's becoming nearly as prolific as Lasse Marhaug, but his Ryfylke project seems to have fallen off the face of Earth. Which is a shame. Their Morild/Nuema Brister LP was a gem, a suggestive mosaic of subterranean drones and thunderous rumbles. It definitely would deserve more listeners. 

Over the last decade Kjetil D. Brandsdal has wasted his talents in Noxagt, but previous to that he did very nice loop/drone excursions solo in his own name. Check out the superb Freedom Waaaoh Waaoh CD on Corpus Hermeticum to sample his style.

Speaking of Norwegian forerunners, Holy Toy must be mentioned, though they were more of an experimental postpunk combo than true industrialists. I have three or four albums which I used to listen a lot to, but they don't really stand the test of time, unfortunately. I saw them open for Dead Can Dance back in -84, one of my weirdest concert experiences ever.

[ARKHE]

Yes, HOLY TOY is definitely worth mentioning. Lars of WHEN started his career there I think, like a Norwegian Brian Eno. Too bad WHEN is only good at his darkest, like Svartedauen and the recent You Are Silent album (very far from industrial the latter though). Otherwise too much Peter Gabriel (in a bad way) and "world music".

Twilight Luggage was mentioned, and I suppose this is a more recent addition to the scene; are there any other newer acts/labels?

all delivered with cheeky in-yer-face attitude

Yes, that's the feeling I often get from Norwegians, esp. when compared to the grimy gutter-bleakness and humourlessness of their Scandiavian comrades.

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

Yes, HOLY TOY is definitely worth mentioning.

I recommend "Warszawa" and "Panzer Rabbits" - items where old school industrial influences are very heard. This group set up in Norway but the leader was from Poland who was immigrant.

[tiny_tove]

Lasse's work has been top notch since the beginning.
Great guy!

[Strömkarlen]

The Golden Serenades are great. I really like the Swan tape actually better than the lp we released...

If we talk about anything from Norway I have fond memories of early YM-stammen but can't find the tapes right now.

[Jaakko V.]

Clop Neplat was good.

[cipher chris]

DEATHPROD.  Read my recent SI piece.

Kai Mikelsen's work is another unsung positive, his Kobe Project did a really good album whose title escapes me.  Also a member of KA.

I still consider the Origami collective/network as predominantly a Norwegian enterprise, even though it hasn't been exclusive to, or based in, Norway for some time.  That 2xCDR collection from a decade or so ago seemed overwhelmingly Norwegian?

The other suspects named above are all to check.

[tiny_tove]

http://marhaugforlag.no/