Tromsø Techno Scene
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The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists within
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
. The internationally best-known names are
Röyksopp Röyksopp (), a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They enjoye ...
,
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
and
Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
. The record label
Beatservice Records Beatservice Records (established 10 October 1994 in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian record label releasing electronic music. It was initiated by Vidar Hanssen who was DJing for a local student radio with the program ''The Beatservice Radio Show'' ...
and the
Insomnia Festival The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and ...
makes
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
still leading in the country as of the development and promotion of the genre.


History

The city of
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
has since the early 1980s been mentioned as "the techno capital" of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. The first generation of the Tromsø techno scene consisted of, among others,
Geir Jenssen Geir Jenssen (born 30 May 1962)Thompson, Dave (2000) ''Alternative Rock'', Miller Freeman, , p.197-198 is a Norwegian electronic musician and composer who records as Biosphere. A resident of Tromsø within the Arctic Circle, Jenssen is well know ...
(
Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
/
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
),
Anneli Drecker Anneli Marian Drecker (born 12 February 1969, in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the frontwoman for the dream pop band Bel Canto. Life and career Drecker's father Peter, a German from Bielef ...
(
Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
), Per Martinsen (
Mental Overdrive Mental Overdrive is the primary solo moniker of Per Martinsen (born 31 July 1966), one of Norway's most prolific and influential techno musicians. His tracks have ranged from hardcore rave techno to vibrant space-disco, and he's always maintained ...
), Rune Lindbæk and Bjørn Torske. A local student radio by the name Brygga Radio, including Bjørn Torske, had success with radio show Beatservice at this time. Here was Vidar Hanssen, who later founded the record label
Beatservice Records Beatservice Records (established 10 October 1994 in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian record label releasing electronic music. It was initiated by Vidar Hanssen who was DJing for a local student radio with the program ''The Beatservice Radio Show'' ...
, a keen contributor. The success of especially
Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
,
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
and
Mental Overdrive Mental Overdrive is the primary solo moniker of Per Martinsen (born 31 July 1966), one of Norway's most prolific and influential techno musicians. His tracks have ranged from hardcore rave techno to vibrant space-disco, and he's always maintained ...
, both at home and abroad, inspired an increasing number of Tromsø residents to invest their time in the genre. This resulted in several new projects in the 1990s, with groups such as
Aedena Cycle Aedena Cycle is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge (from Röyksopp), Kolbjørn Lyslo and Gaute Barlindhaug. The quartet released an EP called "The Travellers' Dream EP" on ...
,
Alanïa Alanïa is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of Röyksopp, Rune Lindbæk and Gaute Barlindhaug. History Lindbæk and Brundtland were officially the main members of the grou ...
, Drum Island, and
Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
.
Svein Berge Svein is a Norwegian masculine given name which may refer to: Rulers * Sweyn Haakonsson (died c. 1016), in Norwegian Svein Håkonsson, an earl and co-ruler of Norway from 1000 to c. 1015 * Svein Knutsson (c. 1016–1035), King of Norway as Sweyn I ...
and Torbjørn Brundtland, who later formed the world-renowned group
Röyksopp Röyksopp (), a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They enjoye ...
, were very active in the scene at the time, and members of several of the above mentioned groups. Other new and important names at the time were Gaute Barlindhaug ( Kolar Goi), Kolbjørn Lyslo and Ole Johan Mjøs. In 2002, the
Insomnia Festival The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and ...
was founded. It is today Norway's leading festival for
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
, alongside Numusic in
Stavanger Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
. In the later years, artists like Doctor Katasztrofa, F.A.C.E., The Clean Shaven Grins, Kohib and the award-winning
Alog Alog is a Norwegian musical group. The musical duo Alog was formed in Tromsø in Troms county, Norway in 1997. Alog has been among Norway's performers of experimental electronic music. The musical duo consists of Norwegian musicians Espen Somm ...
have emerged from the scene.


The TOS.CD

To celebrate ten years of the Beatservice Radio show in 1994, Vidar Hanssen decided to collect tracks from all of the Tromsø techno artists for a compilation CD. The result was released in October 1994: "''TOS.CD - Tromsø Techno 1994''". Established acts like
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
,
Mental Overdrive Mental Overdrive is the primary solo moniker of Per Martinsen (born 31 July 1966), one of Norway's most prolific and influential techno musicians. His tracks have ranged from hardcore rave techno to vibrant space-disco, and he's always maintained ...
and Ismistik all contributed exclusive tracks, together with up-and-coming stars like
Aedena Cycle Aedena Cycle is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge (from Röyksopp), Kolbjørn Lyslo and Gaute Barlindhaug. The quartet released an EP called "The Travellers' Dream EP" on ...
, Electric-C, B-Code, Information and Dynamic Bits. The album showed the variety in the Tromsø scene, ranging from relaxed ambient via poppy dance to hard edged techno/trance. The album name refers to the airport code of the
Tromsø Airport Tromsø Airport ( no, Tromsø lufthavn; ) is an international airport located at Langnes in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø in Tromsø Municipality, Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. Situated on the western shore of the island of Tromsøya, i ...
, which is ''TOS''.


List of artists

*
Röyksopp Röyksopp (), a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They enjoye ...
*
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
*
Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
*
Mental Overdrive Mental Overdrive is the primary solo moniker of Per Martinsen (born 31 July 1966), one of Norway's most prolific and influential techno musicians. His tracks have ranged from hardcore rave techno to vibrant space-disco, and he's always maintained ...
* Bjørn Torske * Rune Lindbæk *
Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
* Kolar Goi *
Aedena Cycle Aedena Cycle is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge (from Röyksopp), Kolbjørn Lyslo and Gaute Barlindhaug. The quartet released an EP called "The Travellers' Dream EP" on ...
*
Alanïa Alanïa is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of Röyksopp, Rune Lindbæk and Gaute Barlindhaug. History Lindbæk and Brundtland were officially the main members of the grou ...
* Drum Island * Those Norwegians *
Alog Alog is a Norwegian musical group. The musical duo Alog was formed in Tromsø in Troms county, Norway in 1997. Alog has been among Norway's performers of experimental electronic music. The musical duo consists of Norwegian musicians Espen Somm ...
* The Clean Shaven Grins


See also

*
Insomnia Festival The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and ...
*
Beatservice Records Beatservice Records (established 10 October 1994 in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian record label releasing electronic music. It was initiated by Vidar Hanssen who was DJing for a local student radio with the program ''The Beatservice Radio Show'' ...
* Vidar Hanssen *
Bergen Wave The Bergen Wave (in Norwegian: ''Bergensbølgen'') is an expression often used by Norwegian media regarding the city of Bergen, Norway as a platform for the development of modern music, illustrating a period in time of a new generation of artists ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tromso Techno Scene Music in Tromsø Norwegian electronic music