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CD
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GR 854CD
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Rodge played keyboards and bass in The White Birch. Together with Hans Christian Almendingen and Ola Fløttum he released four albums and one EP between 1996 and 2005. After that the band disappeared, until Fløttum returned with the album The Weight of Spring in 2015 (GR 830CD/LP). Thirteen years before, The White Birch released its masterpiece, Star Is Just a Sun, on Glitterhouse Records. Keyboard spaces, piano melodies, soundscapes, a slow pulsating bass, and quiet drums, with Fløttum's warm, high voice adding even more gentle textures. The White Birch are from Oslo, Norway, and were musical comrades to Savoy Grand. It was the second wave of slowcore. Unlike their British label-mates from Nottingham, The White Birch spread out a warm carpet, on one side depressingly heavy and on the other gentle. Their sound was painted in a dark, blurry yellow, like falling leaves in autumn. Maybe Star Is Just a Sun could only have emerged in that period. A monument to silence. At that time print media was the gatekeeper to most music aficionados. It was word of mouth -- and occasionally blogs -- that spread the news of the existence of this new band. They brought pop into slowness. Like Mark Hollis's masterpiece The Colour of Spring (1986), Slint's Spiderland (1991), Codeine's Frigid Stars LP (1990), or even Savoy Grand's Burn the Furniture (2002), Star Is Just a Sun stands the test of time. A painting without darkness can't be warm and beautiful. Remastered from the original tapes by Helge Sten (Supersilent, Motorpsycho, Nils Petter Molvær). CD in digipak; includes booklet.
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LP+CD
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GR 854LP
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LP version. Includes CD. First vinyl edition. Rodge played keyboards and bass in The White Birch. Together with Hans Christian Almendingen and Ola Fløttum he released four albums and one EP between 1996 and 2005. After that the band disappeared, until Fløttum returned with the album The Weight of Spring in 2015 (GR 830CD/LP). Thirteen years before, The White Birch released its masterpiece, Star Is Just a Sun, on Glitterhouse Records. Keyboard spaces, piano melodies, soundscapes, a slow pulsating bass, and quiet drums, with Fløttum's warm, high voice adding even more gentle textures. The White Birch are from Oslo, Norway, and were musical comrades to Savoy Grand. It was the second wave of slowcore. Unlike their British label-mates from Nottingham, The White Birch spread out a warm carpet, on one side depressingly heavy and on the other gentle. Their sound was painted in a dark, blurry yellow, like falling leaves in autumn. Maybe Star Is Just a Sun could only have emerged in that period. A monument to silence. At that time print media was the gatekeeper to most music aficionados. It was word of mouth -- and occasionally blogs -- that spread the news of the existence of this new band. They brought pop into slowness. Like Mark Hollis's masterpiece The Colour of Spring (1986), Slint's Spiderland (1991), Codeine's Frigid Stars LP (1990), or even Savoy Grand's Burn the Furniture (2002), Star Is Just a Sun stands the test of time. A painting without darkness can't be warm and beautiful. Remastered from the original tapes by Helge Sten (Supersilent, Motorpsycho, Nils Petter Molvær).
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2LP+CD
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GR 830LP
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Gatefold double LP version on 180 gram vinyl. Includes CD. In August 2006, Norwegian band The White Birch played what seemed at the time to be their final show, and broke up after ten years and four albums together. The band survived, though, in the heart and mind of Ola Fløttum, who refused to forsake the band. He began composing music for films, learning bit by bit how to accompany pictures with his music. He describes his time since the band's break-up: "It has taken nine years, many songs have been thrown out the window before I eventually found my 12 chosen ones. During these years I've lost my mother, started a family, raised two kids, and bought a house in Oslo were I've recorded most of the album in the basement." The resultant music takes the form of sometimes almost unnoticeable tones and soundscapes. The Weight of Spring. The world as we see it. A long road. In the end Darkness will prevail. "Once I was just a boy with the urge to destroy. I did not read these newborn sparks through the wilting trees, I could only see the dark as it came." Earth, as it awakes. Warmth. "I was blind, now I can see... no more darkened doors." And as it elapses. Pain. "As the morning dew fell as rain." The White Birch became Ola Fløttum. "A lot of freedom, not always so easy to cope with, since you have to argue with yourself." Fløttum recorded alongside the classically trained composer Ole Henrik Moe on violin, viola, and singing saw, with rhythm from Norwegian Academy of Music graduate Pål Hausken and Moren Barrikmo -- both members of Susanna Wallumrød's Magical Orchestra (Wallumrød herself contributes vocals on "The Hours"). The album also features Ingrid Olava, Ingar Hunskaar (Kings of Convenience, St. Thomas, Serena-Maneesh,Jaga Jazzist), and Fløttum's wife, the actress Ellen Dorrit Petersen. Grammy-winning mastering engineer Bob Katz put the final touches on The Weight of Spring. Will we remember this album in the distant future? And if so how? Names? Instruments? Its origin? The places it took us to? The White Birch: The Weight of Spring: Love, as it awakes. "Love will never change the morning sun, love will never change the way the darkness runs."
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CD
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GR 830CD
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In August 2006, Norwegian band The White Birch played what seemed at the time to be their final show, and broke up after ten years and four albums together. The band survived, though, in the heart and mind of Ola Fløttum, who refused to forsake the band. He began composing music for films, learning bit by bit how to accompany pictures with his music. He describes his time since the band's break-up: "It has taken nine years, many songs have been thrown out the window before I eventually found my 12 chosen ones. During these years I've lost my mother, started a family, raised two kids, and bought a house in Oslo were I've recorded most of the album in the basement." The resultant music takes the form of sometimes almost unnoticeable tones and soundscapes. The Weight of Spring. The world as we see it. A long road. In the end Darkness will prevail. "Once I was just a boy with the urge to destroy. I did not read these newborn sparks through the wilting trees, I could only see the dark as it came." Earth, as it awakes. Warmth. "I was blind, now I can see... no more darkened doors." And as it elapses. Pain. "As the morning dew fell as rain." The White Birch became Ola Fløttum. "A lot of freedom, not always so easy to cope with, since you have to argue with yourself." Fløttum recorded alongside the classically trained composer Ole Henrik Moe on violin, viola, and singing saw, with rhythm from Norwegian Academy of Music graduate Pål Hausken and Moren Barrikmo -- both members of Susanna Wallumrød's Magical Orchestra (Wallumrød herself contributes vocals on "The Hours"). The album also features Ingrid Olava, Ingar Hunskaar (Kings of Convenience, St. Thomas, Serena-Maneesh,Jaga Jazzist), and Fløttum's wife, the actress Ellen Dorrit Petersen. Grammy-winning mastering engineer Bob Katz put the final touches on The Weight of Spring. Will we remember this album in the distant future? And if so how? Names? Instruments? Its origin? The places it took us to? The White Birch: The Weight of Spring: Love, as it awakes. "Love will never change the morning sun, love will never change the way the darkness runs."
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CD
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RCD 2052CD
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This is the fourth full-length release from this Norwegian trio led by singer, guitarist and main songwriter Ola Fløttum. Come Up For Air shows a band growing with confidence and maturing as writers since their debut album Self-Portrayal ten years ago. First appearing as angry young men with lo-fi Sonic Youth-like riffing, then exploring industrial prog and more structured songwriting, they found their current sound with their previous record, Star Is Just A Sun (2002). Come Up For Air is once again produced by Helge Sten, the sonic magician of Deathprod and Supersilent fame. This time the songs are more focused, the melodies clearer and the atmosphere brighter. But this is still a highly melancholic set of dreamy rock that some will say has a "Nordic" feel to it, whatever that really means. Others have compared The White Birch to Sigur Rós, Talk Talk and A-Ha without any of those references hitting the spot. We say this is a collection of original and personal songs, some of which will grab you straight away, like the captivating "Seer Believer" and "June" (with Susanna Wallumrød from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra guesting on vocals) and others are certain to sneak under your skin after a few more rounds. Originally released in Europe in November 2005 by German label Glitterhouse, this Rune Grammofon CD issue has exclusive artwork by Kim Hiorthøy.
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LP
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RLP 3052LP
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LP version, deluxe gatefold jacket, limited pressing.
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