Surprise Eyes

Kings of Convenience SPLIT UP! (UPDATED)

2005-04-01T09:00:00.000+02:00

I found this article in the spring music insert of Dagbladet today. This is really bad news. I’ve translated it. ADDED EXTRA INFO BELOW. SCROLL DOWN!

There’s only room for one king in a country…
Kings of Convenience split up?

Kings of Convenience take a sabbatical year. Only it just might be longer than one year. Eirik (Glambek Boe) called Dagbladet exclusively to tell this. We couldn’t believe it, ofcourse, but it seems that it is true.

Eirik: “Erlend (Øye) has decided to focus on DJ’ing. After his DJ Kicks Compilation in 2004 we started touring again and Erlend really got the hang of it again. But then suddenly he became less interested and he started working on other things again. I couldn’t prove it at first but I noticed that he was less interested at concerts and interviews. I had to make all the jokes. During the US tour it was hard to recognize the dancing Erlend. In Europe and in the video he danced way better and more enthousiastic. I was really worried. The only way our gigs got a little magic was to bring Feist along, or Bart Davenport, a friend of Erlend. With Bart and Feist he was happy, but the song with just us became pretty boring.”

Dagbladet: But how did you find out then?
Eirik: “One night Erlend said: I’m going to the hotel early tonight, we were supposed to rehearse some songs with Feist for the next gig. I said that it was Ok, because I thought he was ill. So, instead of rehearsing, Feist went to a friend and I decided to check out the local club scene. The first club I got to I saw a familiar face DJ’ing. It was Erlend!!! He didn’t see me, but I walked up to him as soon as he finished, and I said: “I thought you were in the hotel?” But he just ignored me so I just said; ‘we’ll talk about it later.’ So after the tour we sat down for a good talk. We talked and well, we found out that there was only one way to go with Kings of Convenience…”

Dagbladet: And which way is that?
Eirik: “Well we figured out that we needed a clean sheet. A new start, a fresh beginning. First we have to figure out what we want for ourselves, which direction we want to go. And we need time for that. We’re not really splitting up. We will get together again, in a few years. But now we need to live separate lives again. I want to travel, I want see the world with my girlfriend Ina. Erlend wants to DJ and try new things. Kings of Convenience is not abstract enough for Erlend. He wants to surprise people. He has the feeling he can’t do that with Kings of Convenience anymore.”

Dagbladet: Do you feel the same way?
Eirik: “I don’t think Kings of Convenience is necessarily acoustic music or harmonies. I think it’s just a name, under which we work. When we recorded ‘Riot On An Empty Street’ the record company wanted the album to be in the same style as our previous one. We have to release one more album and then we can do anything we want.”

Dagbladet: So when is that album coming out?
Eirik: “Well Erlend wants to focus on his new projects now, so we made an agreement with the record company. It will be a live CD with DVD. We will record it in Bergen, and will give away tickets to fans with a special contest. We’re currently picking a date for it, but Erlend wants to get it over as soon as possible. All other upcoming dates are postponed.”

Dagbladet: And then?
Eirik: “After the final concert we’ll have a big break to figure out what we want. Maybe we will do something new in one year time, but it could be longer. I can’t tell what the future is going to bring.”

Dagbladet ofcourse tried to contact Erlend, who is in Mexico at the moment. He gave a short statement:
Erlend: “I feel free now really. I can do anything I want. It’s a pity for the fans who didn’t get to see us, but that’s why we’ll be doing one more concert. I am collaborating with several artists now and I want to get a new project on track, called ‘The Whitest Boy Alive’. People are expecting a certain sound from Kings of Convenience. I don’t want that, I have lots of ideas that I can’t work out with KoC. I’m positive we’ll be doing things together in the future. After a while I need to get back to basics. Working with Eirik is a refreshment. I’m looking forward to something new in the future.”

Dagbladet will ofcourse keep you up to date on everything and will let you know when tickets are available for Kings of Convenience – the final concert.

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It’s really bad news… I can't believe it....

a.b.

p.s.:

I've just fallen in love with this song

2005-03-29T15:45:00.000+02:00

http://a650.g.akamai.net/f/650/3080/6h/bmgdv.download.Akamai.com/3080/production/wu/wuffff0000000000000000000000000000071903.asx

Alright the link is a bit long but you'll get the intention. It's a song by this band called Kasabian. I like it.

Anyway, happy easter one and all... I almost forgot :). Had a nice weekend with lots of eggs :).

ab

Radiohead o on classic new material

2005-03-22T19:43:00.000+01:00

Radiohead are working on new material – and guitarist JONNY GREENWOOD has spoken for the first time about a rare live appearance next week in LONDON.

As previously reported, new music from members of Radiohead will be played for the first time at the London Ether Festival.

Material penned by Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood will form part of The London Sinfonietta at the London Royal Festival Hall (March 27-28).

Organisers say the events will feature "two evenings of experimentation, collaboration and cross-genre juxtaposition". New music from Greenwood and Yorke will form part of the show, along with more classical composers and traditional Arabic song.

Speaking in The Guardian newspaper, Greenwood explained the challenges of the shows, and how they will influence the next Radiohead record.

He said: "I feel embarrassed talking about it. I'm so patchy. I'll be obsessed with a few composers, and know nothing about the rest. I get these enthusiasms which can drive the band crazy, but I just say: ‘Listen, French horns are amazing, we've got to find a way of using them. Or I'll say, ‘It would be great if this song sounded like Penderecki, or Alice Coltrane’.

” And it's childish because none of us can play jazz like Alice Coltrane, and none of us can write the kind of music that Penderecki does. We've only got guitars and a basic knowledge of music, but we reach for these things and miss. That's what's cool about it."

Speaking about working with the Sinfonietta, he added: "They're a great orchestra because they're up for radically changing things at the last minute. I cut six minutes out during rehearsals… There's something about classical musicians - they tend to be totally without ego, and so enthusiastic, but also just so talented."

However, Greenwood has ruled out working in classical music full-time, saying that his heart remains with Radiohead.

He concluded: "Radiohead is always going to be the centre of what I do. Everything starts with songs, and with Thom, and with the excitement you can get in the band when you hear new music, and you know you've got the chance to watch it mutate and change. There's nothing like that, nothing as exciting. We're rehearsing at the moment, and again it's fun. We all want to push forward, and when you have five people who are all like that, you couldn't ask for a better thing."

(from NME.com)

I hope they'll be releasing a new album soon! It's always exciting, new radiohead stuff....

a.b.

Turin Brakes touring again!

2005-03-21T21:30:00.000+01:00

Turin Brakes have just announced three tourdates in the UK on their website.

Birmingham Academy - 9th June
Manchester Ritz - 12th June
London Shepherds Bush Empire - 13th June

I'm hoping they're coming to Norway soon too. I'd love to see them finally! Maybe this summer?

a.b.