Hanne Kolstø | FlashBlack

It feels like I've just put down the record player's needle (good old vinyl records, huh?); the vinyl would still feel warm from playing it; and I'd just told the world about Riot Break. Yet it didn't even take a year to release the follow-up for Hanne Kolstø's debutrecord.

FlashBlack provides ten popsongs. Partly very complex and gloomy and light and danceable on the other hand. In contrary to Kolstø's first record Riot Break the songs don't have their climax in a orchestral sphere rather in a landscape with all kinds of sounds and noises. The album is provoking curiosity as well as satisfying it - it's the 2nd of a record-triology; adding another piece to the puzzle.

Pretty Veil was the first song that was released due to the "alternative christmas calender" in 2011. It's rather trivial in its arrangement but is riveting at the same time. Gloomy but honest. Suitable to the darker and cold season of the year.

After lots of touring including gigs in Norway and abroad, the summer came. And along the first official singlerelease: La-la-la-la Lovesong. "I lay awake at night, I'm not myself. So sick and tired of La-la-la-la Lovesong." Hanne's anti-lovesong quickly made its way to Norwegian radio stations and P3 ranges it among the Best Norwegian Songs in 2012. The soundrange for this one reaches back to 80s syth-pop elements. Casio-tunes, muted strings and rich cymbal work creating the rythm. Watch here the offical video for La-la-la-la Lovesong.

It got a bit quiet around Kolstø until September came and FlashBlack finally was released. Many songs remind of Depeche Mode, late Tears for Fears, Radiohead or maybe even a mixture of it all. Especially The Scoop could be ranged into the 80s with its steady and danceable beats.

"FlashBlack" albumcover by Erik Pirolt who also did the cover for "Riot Break"

Other tracks like "Not Looking For Us" (--> goosebumps!!) and "Far Ahead" (--> watch here a live version of Far Ahead recorded by P3) mostly remind of the debutrecord. They are carried by guitar chords and bring Hanne's (and choir) voice into focus. "Sizzly" is of the same playful character as "The City" but could have very likely been released by POST [--> A pop-orchestra of four members including Hanne; they released their debut album "Common Rand Of People" in 2010; as far as I understood they're now focusing on writing their lyrics in Nynorsk instead of English, which is very cool; Nynorsk is cool].

Quite doubtless is "Carousel" the track that might leave the most impression to the listener. It's so full of engergy that it's difficult to stay seated while listening to it. It makes you dance, hop around and gets you into a good mood. Very suiting to it is the music video which just fully captured my heart. It was directed by Fred Arne Wergeland who also directed Kolstø's video to "The City" and POST's "Slow Song". Furthermore the video features drift champion Fredric Aasbø and was filmed at several locations in Norway. To me it's the best music video of the year. Best described in a way of: Hipster meets Bunad. 

All in all is FlashBlack a good follow-up to Riot Break and preview for Blue Anger (the record yet to come). It features more electronic elements than Riot Break and might require a few listenings to really grow on the music. But generally it's a good mix of soft tunes, playful chords and drums, thrilling beats and piercing Casio-sounds. Most recommended are the tracks: Pretty Veil, Carousel and The Scoop. And I would give the album a 5/6 rating.

FlashBlack was released on the 14th of September with Karmakosmetix Records. The album (even vinyl) can be bought via CDON.eu, Platekompaniet or directly from Karmakosmetix Records and downloaded from several music stores. You can also listen to the album via Spotify and Wimp.


Get connected with Hanne Kolstø: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Thelma & Clyde | Back2Black

The Norwegian electropop duo Thelma & Clyde is back with a new single - Back2Black.

Released on the 18th of May, therefore about 1,5 years after their last release - their debutrecord White Line, the new single Back2Black gives a flavour of what might await us on the sequencing record.

One and a half year is quite some time to wait for something new, but Back2Black stands out with a dancable, resounding rhythm, catchy lyrics and a slight touch of the 90s. This makes the single suitable for both being played in a club as well as on the radio.
Not surprising either is the quality of the song itself - the way it is mixed and the particular elements and beats are put together. Just like you're used to it from previous Thelma & Clyde songs.

I can imagine well how the new album will be built around the sound of Back2Black. Just can't wait to hear more of the new material!!



Thelma & Clyde single Back2Black released on the 18th of May 2012 with Karmakosmetix Records. Music written and produced by Hanne Kolstø and Trygve Tambs-Lyche.
Follow Thelma & Clyde on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

You can stream Back2Black on Spotify, Wimp, SoundCloud or YouTube.
Or buy the song on iTunes or Platekompaniet.

Hanne Kolstø - Riot Break

I'm not sure when exactly I started to listen to Hanne Kolstø's music, but it must have been in connection with Thelma & Clyde playing from my loudspeakers in February 2010. I guess there is no need to explain that Hanne is filling the Thelma-part of the widely known electropop duo. But besides of two more bands (Love:Fi, POST) she is also making music on her own behalf - her soloproject, so to say. And on Friday, 16th of September, her debut album "Riot Break" was finally and officially released. Big day!!!

Hanne Kolstø, Photo by Kjartan Bjelland // fvn.no

But before I start telling you what I like about this album I should explain how I came to listen to her music and how things developed. Back then (in Feb. 2010, as mentioned above) I listened to the solo-recording of "A Long Way" (a song she later released with POST) which I found and downloaded from her Urørt page. I would lie if I'd say I was fascinated and stunned at first sight. It was after all the only song I had known, besides of the 5-6 Thelma & Clyde songs. But I liked Hanne's voice, it's very pleasant to listen to and found the song interesting. And just thinking that the Thelma-stuff is one of the best things I've ever heard, made me curious to find and hear more from Hanne self or "In the Basement" as she called her soloproject back then. 

A long search on the internet provided me a couple of clips. Some live performances which I downloaded wisely thinking in advance because the page I took them from was deleted some time ago - it was some Norwegian page with lots of live performances and couple of muisc videos mainly from artists from southern Norway. However this way I got a preview of the things I could expect, sort of. And first and foremost I could see how she is performing the songs. Her voice, a guitar, a loopstation and some other unimposing utilities - not much more needed to make the songs sound complete and unique. And that truely impressed me.

So now the album is out and it's hard for me to stay objective - therefore I can't write a proper review (or I won't do that here on my private blog). But if you don't mind a personal opinion about "Riot Break" you can continue reading - otherwise I recommend the reviews from Norskmusikk.org and Musikknyheter.no !!

"Riot Break" albumcover by Erik Pirolt

"Riot Break" is not only title of the album but also of the song I had known the longest and which is based on voice looping and the sounds of a little keyboard. It's the coolest song on the album and interesting in the way it is put together. The other song I had known some time already is "What The Wind Can't Carry" - it starts so calming, kinda melancholic with a heartbeat-like rhythm. But by the end the song goes over into an orchestral-like explosion. "Clandestine" is of a similar kind - not that sad though. It's funny that this song wasn't much of my taste first but made me get up again at around 4 o'clock in the morning just because I had to listen to this song once more and another time, and another... It's now one of my absolute favourites of the album as well as "Black Hand" which I love because of the lyrics and this really nice guitar based melody underlined with some e-guitar. 

"Dead Seat" was probably the song I've been looking forward to the most since it was put out as teaser for the album and it's satisfying to hear how the full version turned out to be. The first track on the album "Don't Wan't To Be Happy In The Moment, I Want It To Last" I had known for several months and I was sceptic first of all but came to like it really, not least because of its lyrics: "Nobody can leave me, I'm already alone. I'm fine on my own, I don't need anyone. [...] If we don't know ourselves how can we be ourselevs? [...] If you don't like yourself than be someone else." These lyrics will just stick to your head and leave you pondering.

I was also sceptic about "Simca" which consists of drumming and Hanne's voice forming the melody in addition to guitar and some claps. It's maybe not the best tracks on the album but it belongs to the album just like the others. And on the other hand - some of the songs on the record are extraordinary good - just like the killer-hit-single "The City" - this beautiful, unique song starts quite gloomy but turns into a comforting popsong making you sing, dance and clap along. It's magical and a good choice for the music video which was released just about a week ago.
"Hide And Seek" makes the impression of a very honest and grounded song played on acoustic guitar with solid lyrics. The album is ending with "Dear Friend" - a, on a sweet guitar melody based, track awaiting an equally sweet song, but it gets a bit twisted in the middle just where you don't expect it.

All in all you get sweet melodies, cool loops, playful but carefully placed effects on Riot Break which are carried by Hanne's voice and underlined by the lyrics. If I had to express my feelings about the album in figures (like it's common in reviews), I'd give the album 5/6! And if I could recommend just three songs of it, I'd mention: Clandestine, What The Wind Can't Carry and The City.

Riot Break was released on the 16th of September 2011with Karmakosmetix Records. The album (vinyl!!!) can be bought via CDON.eu or Platekompaniet (if you live in Norway) and downloaded from many music stores. You can also listen to the album via Spotify or WIMP. 

Links to connect with Hanne Kolstø: Webpage | MySpace | NRK Urørt | SoundCloud

K-town is The City

Kristiansand, Norway. Summer 2011. Empty streets make this city in the very south of Norway appear like a small village were everybody knows each other. Its inhabitants: a bunch of people that couldn't differ more from each other. It's a special atmosphere - odd but familiar, controversial but interesting, excentric but magnetic. And in the middle of all this: Hanne Kolstø.

The City is the first single of Hanne Kolstø's upcoming album "Riot Break". It's a nice grounded pop song of the gloomy kind and at the same time embracing - especially the samplings in the background. Tommy Olsson writes in Morgenbladet: "[...] I can't possibly be alone to have noticed this seldom quality of a feeling as if someone's caressing my hair and saying that everything's going to be okay [...]" That description suits the song pretty well I think.

And now the music video to The City is released. Directed by Fred Arne Wergeland who already directed a video to one of Hanne's songs some years ago: Slow Song by POST (one of the bands Hanne is working with). As I'm a person who loves good music videos and who loves videoediting, I come to say that I like the way the video was cut, the slight vignetting and lighting.
But you better watch for yourself and stay tuned for the album release on the 16th of September 2011.

Be the city with all the lights that never ever sleeps at night & ENJOY!!

Thelma & Clyde - White Line

"When you walk, I'm right behind you; Don't know what I'm getting into" - It's a line of Ice, I'm quoting here. The first track on Thelma & Clyde's recently released album White Line. When you listen to the songs you can try to catch every soundsample, can try to catch the sense of the lyrics and you will get close to its meaning. But still... you won't know what you're getting into.

There is probably no other Norwegian electronica duo that has aroused as much interest as Thelma & Clyde during the last weeks. Now their debutalbum was just released and more and more people get soaked into this whole new universe. The duo, consisting of Hanne Kolstø and Trygve Tambs-Lyche, clearly differs from other electronica/electropop constellations and come up with their very own sound and style using elements from trip-hop, rock and hip-hop.

Photo by Per Sveinung Larsen

They create a gloomy and mysterious atmosphere with their songs. And you will notice that within the first 3:46 minutes of the album. The lyrics of Ice are well thought-out, the samples and programming elaborated to perfection. At this point should be mentioned that the album was mixed by the renowned producer duo Jan Bang and Erik Honoré (except for track no. 3 which was mixed by Thor Kvande) who took all the good material that has been recorded with Thelma & Clyde and transformed it into something stunningly great. And that kind of perfection can be heard on every track.

If you had known Thelma & Clyde before; if you already know the tracks they had on their EP you might feel a little overload in all the electronics, samples and synths for a moment but then you get carried away by the very powerful tracks Lockstitch, Hibernation and Crosscheck (featuring a rap by Salvador Sanchez known from Darkside Of The Force). Just go with the flow and the beats! ;)

Worth mentioning is also their first music video to Lockstitch. Directed by Per Sveinung Larsen. Great atmosphere in the video and suiting well to the song.

I absolutely recommend to listen to the whole album twice or more before you judge it. It grows! Take your time, lock yourself in a room, close the shutters in front of your windows and simply concentrate on the music, on Hanne's voice and the lyrics. Seperate the beats from the samples; the percussion from the synths; the keys from the bass. Enjoy every bit of it and the whole mix. It is worth it.

White Line comes with great lyrics. Some will make you shiver others will make you sing along. Some lines you won't be able to get out of your head again. "Big surprise; You were made out of worries and lies" - Bubble, Ice, Wicker, Sleep Slow - strong lyrics that will make you ponder for a while. In any case do the lyrics suit to Thelma & Clyde's style.

Also their live shows shouldn't be missed. A great example is the live video of Elusive Girl that can be watched on YouTube. The live shows are arranged in details: Matching tracksuits with glass tiles on the hoodies, lots of choreography and dancing, video visuals in the background, Hanne's pink wig, Trygve's glass-tile-glasses....

On White Line you get 11 electronica-tracks that will make you want to hear more of Thelma & Clyde. You will dance along, sing along.... and if you feel the urge to buy a pink wig or to smash a disco ball to glue its tiles on a black hoodie of yours - that's normal. By the way, the record is also available on vinyl for the special audio experience.


Thelma & Clyde's debut album White Line was released on the 8th of November 2010 with Karmakosmetix Records. All songs can be bought on iTunes. 

www.thelmaandclyde.com

Album cover by Per Sveinung Larsen