Tusmørke vs Spectral Haze

Here is another blog post in the on going series on record covers made by Norwegian artist Thore Hansen.

This month Duplicate Records is releasing Tusmørke vs Spectral Haze: "Elektriske Skrekkøgler og Forhistoriske Framtidsfabler" (Google Translate: "Electric Horror Lizards and Prehistoric Future Fables").
Duplicate says: "An exclusive collaboration between two sonically contrasting yet equally mind expanding Norwegian acts on Duplicate.
Occult prog minstrels TUSMØRKE and space travelling shamans SPECTRAL HAZE gather in a 41 minute ritual.
Available as a fabulous gatefold LP adorned with specially commissioned artwork by legendary Norwegian artist Thore Hansen!"

The list of Thore Hansen record covers so far:

Sverre Anker Ousdal M/ Venner & Kjente - "Godnattsang For Jørgen Moes Vei Nr. 13"/ "Ruffens sang" (EMI/Odeon 1973)
Trygve Madsen/ Tor Åge Bringsværd: "Det blå folket" (EMI 1975)
Per Husby Septett: «Peacemaker» (1976)Various artists: Jeg har mitt hjerte i Oslo" (Talent 1979)
Frøydis Ree Wekre og Jens Harald Bratlie: "Contemporary music for horn and piano" (Varèse International (?) 1981).
Frode Thingnæs´ Quintet: "Samba karneval/Karneval i by'n" (7" 1983)
Frøydis Ree Wekre et al: "Songs of the Wolf" (Crystal 1996)
Various Artists: "Maiden Voyage" (Melodisc 2002)
Kiruna : "Irun" (Melodisc 2003)
Various Artists: "Aerien Voyage" (Melodisc 2004)
Various Artists: "Stellar Voyage"(Melodisc 2005).
Trygve Madsen: "Sketches from Norway" (Pro Musica 2005).
Various Artists: «Drunk In A Ditch - Tales From Rock Limbo 1969-1980» (Rhino/Warner) (2006).
Motorpsyho and Ståle Storløkken: "The Death Defying Unicorn" (Rune 2012) (på tekstheftet).
El Cuero: "Victors Justice" (EMI 2013).
Spectral Haze: "Elektriske Skrekkøgler og Forhistoriske Framtidsfabler" (Duplicate Records 2015).

Thore Hansen on the Cover

I have had a few posts on the Norwegian illustrator and author Thore Hansen, because I´m interested in making a list of all the records he has illustrated.

And he´s back, with paintings on the cover and booklet (and poster of course!) of Norwegian rockers El Cuero´s: "Victors Justice" (EMI 2013).

My Thore Hansen list so far (and please tell if you know others too):

Per Husby Septett: «Peacemaker» (1976)
Frode Thingnæs´ Quintet: "Samba karneval/Karneval i by'n" (7" 1983)
Various Artists: "Maiden Voyage" (Melodisc 2002)
Kiruna : "Irun" (Melodisc 2003)
Various Artists: "Aerien Voyage" (Melodisc 2004)
Various Artists: "Stellar Voyage"(Melodisc 2005).
Trygve Madsen: "Sketches from Norway" (Pro Musica 2005).
Various Artists: «Drunk In A Ditch - Tales From Rock Limbo 1969-1980» (Rhino/Warner) (2006).
Motorpsyho and Ståle Storløkken: "The Death Defying Unicorn" (Rune 2012) (på tekstheftet).
El Cuero: "Victors Justice" (EMI 2013).

And here is El Cuero with "My Dark America", from "Victors Justice":

The Death Defying Unicorn

"Motorpsyho and Ståle Storløkken present The Death Defying Unicorn. A fanciful and fairly far-out musical fable. Featuring Ola Kvernberg, Trondheimsolistene and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra" (Rune 2012)! No less!
Let´s just spill it, this is a prog opera (to be performed at the Norwegian Opera this fall), with a "libretto" inspired by books written by Owen Chase, N. Philbrick and Patrick O´Brian.

Motorpsycho is Kenneth Kapstad, Hans Magnus Ryan and Bent Sæther, and this time with Ståle Storløkken (keyb, composer, arranger) as important part of the group. This work was originally performed at the Molde International Jazz Festival in 2010 (commissioned work), but this is a quite different version, with quite a gang of musicians involved!
We have the strings of the Trondheim Soloists, the horns of the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (Kjetil Møster, Hanna Paulsberg, Klaus E. Holm, André Roligheten, Mathias Eick, Eivind N. Lønning, Mats Äleklint and Kristoffer Kompen), and not to be forgotten, Kåre Chr. Vestrheim (mellotron ++) and Ola Kvernberg (violin).

The album has received rave reviews here in Norway, and everybody seem to agree that this is the big thing. To me it may be just a little bit too big some places, but let me admit, I am the kind of guy who has sold off all my Yes and Rick Wakeman albums long time ago. That may not have been very smart, because it seems like prog is back. Better prepare for a punk revival in a year or so.

If you are into prog, get it right away!

My favorite tunes: "Through the veil", "Mutiny!" and "Into the mystic".

Cover design: Kim Hiorthøy.
Illustration: Thore Hansen.

Cover: Thore Hansen

In September 2008 I wrote a blog post on Norwegian illustrator (and author) Thore Hansen, and his record covers. I've found some other albums too now, and hope there are lots more. Please write a comment if you recognise his style and have some albums I don't know.
So far this is my list:

Per Husby Septett: «Peacemaker» (1976)
Various Artists: "Maiden Voyage" (Melodisc 2002)
Kiruna : "Irun" (Melodisc 2003)
Various Artists: "Aerien Voyage" (Melodisc 2004)
Various Artists: "Stellar Voyage"(Melodisc 2005).
Trygve Madsen: "Sketches from Norway" (Pro Musica 2005).
Various Artists: «Drunk In A Ditch - Tales From Rock Limbo 1969-1980» (Rhino/Warner) (2006).

And you might want to buy a book for your child too! Thore Hansen illustrated Tor Åge Bringsværds "Ruffen : the sea serpent who couldn't swim" (MacKenzie Smiles, 2008). Great book!

Changes 1 July: I had Popol Vuh: "Popol Vuh" (1972) on the list, but this one is illustrated by Bjørn Morisse. (W are not talking about the German band Popol Vuh here).

Thore Hansen

Thore Hansen is well known (in Norway at least) for his own books and his collaborations with other authors as illustrator. He has also made great illustrations for records. We have mentioned Kiruna in an earlier blog post, and now i own the sampler "Aerien Voyage" (picture) too.

So far I found out he illustrated these records:
Various Artists: "Maiden Voyage" (Melodisc 2002)
Kiruna : "Irun" (Melodisc 2003)
Various Artists: "Aerien Voyage" (Melodisc 2004)
Various Artists: "Stellar Voyage"(Melodisc 2005).

The samplers contain rare and unreleased Norwegian music. See info and covers here. There are probably others too, so please write a comment if you know more record covers by Thore Hansen.

Kiruna

You might want to check out the Norwegian band Kiruna. I heard them yesterday doing a great soundtrack to an old science fiction movie. In the press material their music is called "noise-psychedelic-free-rock", but let me call it some kind of jazz, since we were in a jazz club. Inside the cover of their first album "Irun" (2003), they describe the music as "electric jazz reeking of passion, herbs and sweat"! Well, the second album "Tarasarus" (2007) is more noisy and sweaty, but i love the cover of "Irun", made by Norwegian artist, illustrator and author Thore Hansen.