Rockland Norwegen

If you live in Germany or if you happen to be able to receive the German TV station WDR tune in to a Rockpalast documentary about the "rock-country Norway" coming sunday night (15.01., 00:30 am)! The hour-long feature will throw some light on the Norwegian music scene in 2006 by visiting several Norwegian cities, as well as interviewing musicians, producers, labels & media. While Motorpsycho certainly weren't among the major new trends from Norway last year it should be interesting to see if the documentary & the interviewees give credit to the godfathers of alternative Norwegian rock music! Here is the full statement from the WDR newsletter:

Rockland Norwegen
14. auf 15.01.2007 (Sonntagnacht)
00:30-01:30
WDR Fernsehen

Ein Film von Elmas Sommer und Manuel Unger

In Norwegen leben kaum mehr als 4,5 Millionen Menschen, was in etwa der Einwohnerzahl Berlins entspricht. Dennoch kommt seit einem knappen Jahrzehnt eine stetig wachsende Zahl an international erfolgreichen Bands aus dem Nordland. Auf der Suche nach den Gründen für den konstanten Höhenflug der norwegischen Musikszene besucht das Rockpalast Team die Städte Bergen, Oslo und Tromsö, trifft Musiker, Produzenten, Labelchefs, Medienvertreter und viele andere Menschen, die ihr Land und seine Besonderheiten beschreiben. Entstanden ist eine 60-minütige Dokumentation, die eine Momentaufnahme der Musikszene Norwegens im Jahr 2006 zeigt und warum Bands wie Röyksopp, Turbonegro, Gluecifer, Kaizers Orchestra und viele andere bei uns genau so bekannt sind wie in ihrer Heimat.

Thanks to funki!

KissHerMind

After a year of refusing to jump on the bandwagon I have now joined MySpace. I have always considered this very space here -- MotorpsychoNews -- my space which I always proudly countered to all the MySpace-enthusiasts. However, during the last six months, through the work with the The Magnificent Brotherhood of Eternal Love & The Happiness's Close Companions, the psychedelic Garage Rock Band band I manage, I have learned to appreciate the advantages of MySpace. Everyone's favourite network has become almost irreplaceable in the music business, particularly for small unsigned bands, having a MySpace account seems to be really essential. So, in order to merge my multiple ambitions & interests in the music business -- band manager, webmaster of MotorpschoNews, aspiring writer/critic & last but not least scientific researcher about Berlin's music industry -- I considered it best to give in to the trend & finally create a profile at MySpace of my own. If you are curious to learn something about the man behind MotorpsychoNews as well as my ambitions & intentions for this site you are most welcome to visit my profile & join me as a friend.

KissHerMind @ MySpace

Thank you! Peace!

Sail on!

Happy New Year to Psychonauts near & afar!

Unlike the previous turn of the year, 2005/2006, when Motorpsycho fans had a double-album worth of new material as well as a tour to look forward to there are no Motorpsycho activities scheduled at the moment. And while it is way too early to write off 2007 as another inactive year for the band, it seems, however, as if Motorpsycho fans will have to get used to a more conventional work rhythm -- as opposed to the overwhelming release-frequency & ambitious work-ethos of the 1990s -- with at least a year off between each future album/tour-cycle.

Official statements by the band, their management or their label, Stickman Records, happen rarely & randomly. According to news on the Stickman Records homepage as well as their newsletter earlier in 2006, a comprehensive Motorpsycho double-DVD, expected to chronicle the band's videography as well as the cult-documentary "This is Motorpsycho" from 1994, is still being worked on, due for a future release -- perhaps finally in 2007?!

In September 2006 another post by Stickman stated that Bent & Snah are working on new material. Shortly afterwards the band debuted an amazing & epic new song called "Phoot's Phlower" during their fall tour of Norway in October 2006. However, after the concerts at Rockefeller Bent told a fan that they have "no plan" right now. He said he had written new material but not recorded yet.

Then, in early December 2006 various local & inside sources reveal that the band has indeed been recording in Trondheim, though we don't know if these sessions are intended for cutting new material for the follow-up to "Black hole/blank canvas". Either way, at this point it is safe to say that a spring 2007-release of new material accompanied by the traditional spring tour will not happen. For now Psychonauts will have to exercise patience for a sign of life from Motorpsycho -- but once we will see a concert-poster again featuring that so familiar drawing we will definitely know it was worth the wait...

Thanks to Wolfgang Schreinert for providing above picture of the poster announcing the Treviso 12.05.2006 concert!