Mads Eriksen (born 12 October 1962 in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

, Norway) is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

guitarist and composer, known as solo artist and for his collaboration with Chris Thompson among others. (in Norwegian)

Biography

Mads Eriksen at Rootsfestivalen in Brønnøysund

Eriksen was born in

and picked up the guitar at twelve, and started the band "Lorraine" in 1976 together with schoolmates (including keyboardist Hans-Petter Isaksen & bassist Roar Nilson) from

Nattland Nattland (also written "Natland") is a neighbourhood in Årstad and Fana boroughs in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located south of Landås and northeast of Paradis, although, like every neighbourhood outside Bergenhus bor ...

primary school. He got the role as "local guitar hero" inspired by

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

and Stones guitarist

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

, playing at school dances. He continued appearing in various local bands, including "Sharks & Whales" (the continuation of "Lorraine" now including Hans-Petter Isaksen & bassist Ole Vaksdal) with the album ''Reaped by Man'' released in 1988. After being labeled "A cross between

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...

and

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...

" by the ''

Guitar Player Magazine ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...

'' in 1989, (in Norwegian) Eriksen has embarked on a solo recording career together with producer and bassist Frank Hovland. In 1989 he debuted as a solo artist with the album ''Journey'', and has released a total of eight solo albums since then. Among other releases is the album ''Rediscovery'' which was released together with previous

Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...

guitarist and vocalist Chris Thompson. In 1993 Eriksen was invited to contribute to the 150th anniversary of Edvard Grieg's birth. The result was a mini-CD called ''Intermission Troldhaugen'' (1993), where he interpreted six compositions by Grieg on electric guitar. This was also the year Eriksen participated in the band ''Jordal Express'' with

Helge Jordal Helge Jordal (born 17 February 1946) is a Norwegian actor. He was appointed a Knight of the Royal Order of St. Olav in 2006 for his long career as an actor both on screen and on stage, and for his position as a "grand old man" among Norwegian a ...

, Gisle Johnsen, Eirik "Pytten" Hundvin and Magne Lunde. The following year he was appointed musical ambassador of Norway in the U.S. Eriksen has also performed with

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society), it later changed its name t ...

among other symphony orchestras. In the spring of 2009 he toured with

Ronni Le Tekrø Ronni Le Tekrø (born Rolf Ågrim Tekrø, 5 October 1963) is a Norwegian guitarist best known for playing with the Norwegian hard rock band TNT and as a solo guitarist cooperating with guitarists Terje Rypdal and Mads Eriksen as "N3". LeTekrø ...

(

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

) og

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypdal ...

under the name N3 (short for Norwegian Three). Eriksen has been working full-time as a guitarist and guitar teacher since 1988. In addition to many private students, he has taught in the municipal musical schools in

and Sund. From 1989 he held a permanent position as part-time teacher of electric guitar at

Voss Folk High School Voss Folk High School ( no, Voss Folkehøgskule) is a private folk school in Voss, Norway. The school is located at the village of Seim west of Vossevangen in Hordaland. It was established in 1895 by educators Olaus Alvestad Peter Olaus Alv ...

until 2001. Since 1994 he has been frequently used as teacher at the Bergen College of Education, Åsane Folk High School, Voss high school and Kongshaug music college. Mads Eriksen is the father of

Major Parkinson Major Parkinson is a Norwegian rock group currently based in Bergen. History Major Parkinson was started in 2003 by Jon Ivar Kollbotn, Eivind Gammersvik, André Lund and Jan Are Rønhovde. In the same year, they won the Eggstock festival in Berg ...

guitarist Øystein Bech-Eriksen.

Honors

* ''Guitar Player Magazine'', January 1989, acclaimed as guitarist * ''Guitar for the Practising Musician'' (''Guitar Magazine''), June 1992, selected ''Journey'' (1990) as Album of the Month * Appointed musical ambassador of Norway in the U.S. by Grete Knutsen, Norwegian Minister of Trade * ''Guitar Techniques Magazine'', January 2012, selected ''Just What the World Needs'' (2010) as Album of the Month

Discography

Solo albums

*1990: ''Journey'' (Storyteller Records) (in Norwegian) (in Norwegian) *1991: ''Storyteller'' – (Storyteller Records) *1993: ''Intermission Troldhaugen'' (Lightbringer) *1994: ''M.E.'' (Storyteller Records) *1997: ''The Plough Boy'' (Storyteller Records, ) *1998: ''Suburban Cowboy'' (MTG Music) *2001: ''Redhanded'' (

Grappa Music Grappa Musikkforlag (established 1983 in Norway) is a Norwegian music company initiated and directed by Helge Westbye. It is one of the oldest and biggest independent record companies in Norway today. The company represents prominent Norwegian a ...

) *2010: ''Just What the World Needs'' (MTG Music) ;Within Mad & Hungry, with Hungry John *2007: ''Travelin (Hungry Records) *2010: ''Just What The World Needs'' (Hungry Records)

Collaborations

*1988: ''Reaped By Man'' (Big Hand Records), with ''Sharks & Whales'' *1993: ''Jordal Express'' (Respons), with

and Gisle Johnsen *2001: ''Verden Venter'' (Orchard), with ''Tintin & The Hairdryers'' *2004: ''Rediscovery'' (VME), with Chris Thompson *2008: ''Live'' (Voiceprint) *2008: ''Off the Records ...'', with ''Sharks & Whales'' (limited edition) *2009: ''Timeline'' (Voiceprint) *2011: ''Acoustic'' (Gonzo Multimedia), with Chris Thompson live & unplugged performance recorded at the WDR2 radio station 2006 in Cologne, Germany *2012: ''Berlin Live & The Aschffenburg Remains Live at the Colos-Saal'', with Chris Thompson

References

External links

*
Mads Eriksen Destroyer, Album of the month Guitar Techniques Magazine Jan 2012
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Eriksen, Mads 20th-century Norwegian guitarists 21st-century Norwegian guitarists Norwegian rock guitarists Norwegian male guitarists Norwegian composers Norwegian musicians Scandinavian musicians Norwegian male composers Musicians from Bergen 1962 births Living people 20th-century guitarists 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians