Globetrotter Plus
Interview by Pierre De Villiers
travelblog
blogger: annie
profile: pop singer / songwriter
subject: music scene in bergen
when it comes to producing top musicians Bergen is quite an extraordinary place. Over the last few years the likes of Kings of Convenience, Röyksopp and Sondre Lerche have all come out of a relatively small Norwegian city.
usually when you have a number of well-known artists emerging from one place the music is similar – for instance, you had the Seattle sound. Bergen, on the other hand, has produced musicians with completely different styles. I guess they are doing different things because it is such a small place that you can’t really hold on to just one sound.
whatever it is that makes bergen such a musical city, I still find the place hugely inspirational. I am based in Berlin now but I try to get back to Bergen every second month or so. My family still lives there so a big part of my heart will always be in the city.
i actually first fell in love with music in Kristiansand in southern Norway, where I lived until I was 13. I was obsessed with music from a young age, going through different phases of listening to hip-hop, electronic music and indie pop.
madonna was, and still is, a great inspiration. It’s quite incredible to see how she’s kept going – like a machine. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day she admitted she wasn’t human. It would be great to collaborate with her although I wouldn’t dare say much if we ever worked together.
after i moved from kristiansand to Bergen I discovered all these wonderful clubs that really got me into DJing. When I started doing music I was going to a lot of rave parties. A friend of mine was working at a small place in Bergen called Café Opera (Engen 18, +47 5523 0315). I was spending a lot of time there and this one guy asked me if I wanted to DJ because he knew I had a good record collection. I tried it and the first time wasn’t too bad.
over the years i’ve stepped back behind the decks at Café Opera and I always have a real blast. DJing is about fun and playing the records you love. And Bergen is a city where you can find some amazing clubs and club nights, especially if you are into electronic music. I actually organise club nights myself when I can find the time.
i like to do a few evenings at Landmark, a venue you have to experience when visiting Bergen (Rasmus Meyers alle 5 +47 5555 9310). Doing club nights is great, especially if you book DJs you know little about and don’t know if it is going to be successful. When people really like it and the place starts getting packed it’s always very exciting.
the music community in bergen has become less close-knit over the years, as local musicians have become more famous. When you start having success as an artist you inevitably start to travel and sometimes relocate. I haven’t seen fellow Bergen acts for a while simply because we have all been so busy touring or recording.
i’m sure another generation of talented musicians will come out of Bergen. There is something about this city that prompts people to come up with really inventive music that resonates around the world.
Annie’s single “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me” will be released in July followed by her new album Don’t Stop in September. See www.anniemusic.co.uk
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