Annons
It's pretty safe to say that the small city of Tromsø indeed wasn't only pulsating with their own sound, but at an early stage, was influencing European and American electronic music, too.
Twenty years ahead - today - the four teenagers have grown and built up respectable careers: Barlindhaug in Aedena Cylce; Lyslo in Lunchbox and Doc L jr; and Berge and Brundtland in Röyksopp. Together with their local musical peers, they've managed to pave the way for what is now a thriving electronic music scene in the urban village of Tromsø.
Along the way, Tromsø has become the home to Insomnia Festival, which has lightened up the city's cold, dark and endless winter nights for more than a decade. This year sees artists such as Prins Thomas (NO), Simian Mobile Disco (UK), Jaakko Eino Kalevi (FI), Forest Swords (UK), Helena Hauff (DE), and Hypnobeat (UK).
Annons
Gaute Barlindhaug: It started in 2002 as an arena for electronic music in Tromsø. Even though the creative music scene was well established, the audience was almost non-existent. We needed a way to make sure the music we created here, could be enjoyed here, too. And maybe inspire others to join our electronic cause.Noble. So what's the concept?
At first it was just Norwegian house and techno acts. But later, we included other genres and foreign names as well. We don't want it to be a hardcore German techno club. The city is too small for that [70,000 citizens]. Insomnia is organic and changes from year to year. That provides us with a booking-freedom. Also, we are non-commercial and mostly based on volunteer work. That means we can't - and won't - afford the international crowd pleasers. We want to maintain our core credibility, but keep it varied and flexible. As an example, we booked Swedish Dungen last year.An excellent booking. Is this tactic giving you a reputation outside of Tromsø?Yeah, we are now proudly part of the EU project European Cities of Advanced Sound (ECAS). A network of non-commercial core art and culture organisations around Europe. It also has an international branch with around 30 core festivals around the world.
Annons
It's a unique club experience on an arctic island trapped between white mountains. We have small intimate venues and a very positive and wildly energetic crowd. Insomnia happens once a year and that affects the energy in a huge way. In Berlin or Stockholm we would just be one of many, but in Tromsø, real clubbing is something rare. People are really, really psyched - and that alone is worth it.You were a part of the early electronic music scene in Norway. What has changed over the years?
Things seem much easier and defined now. In the late 80s and early 90s everything was allowed. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Now the music seems more conservative and genre bound, I guess.How is it seeing your childhood friends touring the world as Röyksopp? Any juicy stories?
It's great! [laughs] But our stories stay with us. Me, Kolbjørn, Svein and Torbjørn started playing together when we were around 13 years old. It was never the intention to start a group [Aedena Cycle], but we couldn't pay for the equipment if we didn't do it together. We gathered all our synths and a drum machines in one bedroom and made music. We had no laptops. Not even floppy discs! Bjørn Torske, Geir Jenssen and Per Martinsen were the first guys in Norway to make techno and house music, and we were the brats listening to their local radio show, taping everything. We were Tromsø's electronica weirdos back when we released "The Travellers' Dream" in 94, and I guess a lot has changed now. Anyway - these are all great memories, and we're still good friends. But now we mostly just play videogames and discuss music together.
Annons