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Background :
I came into this world on Good Friday 1965
in Stavanger Norway , then we went back to the island Karmoy
after the Easter vacation.
So basically I was always teased about my
birthplace , since the island is a very small place and very
influenced by America.
Family members had fishing boats in Alaska
and Seattle, and were bringing home with them big cars and
country & western music and other cultural influences.
That in a way put several marks into me,
shaped me to become a mix of country side and filled with the
American dream, in all my doings in good and bad.
But sorry to say , country music was never
my cup of tea, actually it made me feel strange listening to it ,
and when it was put on I ran quickly out and away.
Anyway there was a growing seed inside me ,
wanting the sunshine , even wet and grey and cold surroundings.
I was always interested in music , and
wanted and dreamt about playing guitar and having a band some day.
But since in this area where I was growing
up with about 30000 people and mostly all of them addicted to
c&w music and norwegian folk music , I was a little stuck ,
and it took me almost 20 years , before I really met and found
some musical friends , that also became personal friends.
My parents got divorced when I was around 4-5
, so I ended up living with my grandparents, even if they were
very old they were very kind and wise people , giving me some
advices and clues of life , that have been with me all the time.
They also gave me their house , so when I
was around 18 I had a very good area for musical experiments, and
also a little later a full set of instruments , so perfect for
rehearsels and friends meeting to jam and have fun.
I also have two younger sisters and a
brother , but we were a little disconnected , so not so much I
can say more about my family.
Anyway life was going forward on the island
, but in 89 I decided to get a little air under my wings , and I
moved to Copenhagen Denmark.
There I was spending more or less 7 months
in Poetry cafes and clubs of such sorts , reading my stuffs that
I had created at this time.
Also spent some time sneaking around in
different music clubs to get some input from older musicians etc.
So after this I went back home to Karmoy ,
filled with some sort of inspiration,and all just continued as
before.
In 98/99 I had been wondering about the
American dream again , and decided to take a little closer look,
I went to Denver Colorado , and spent 6 months looking around for
what I could discover.
I got a very good insight into the American
way of life , and met a whole bunch of nice people.
But never really got connected in the areas
that were important for me, even if I was roaming the alleys ,
and met some talented rappers , I was still white and not Eminem,
so it stranded.
Still this gave me a lot of new input , that
I brought home with me.
In April 2002 I decided to move to Lisboa Portugal
to be with my loving woman , and build a new life.
And I have to say , coming here was
something that posetively surprised me , the music and artists
here , in the fields that I like .
There is a lot of good stuff to discover
coming from here , and maybe more will reach out to people when
they look a little further than Nelly Furtado, and into Hip Hop ,
Rap and Electronica coming from this part of Europa.
Influences :
So where did it all start , hmm I think the
first one that put a mark in me was Cat Stevens , because the
strong lyrics and a clear and simple guitar sound , that I
could relate to.
I must have been in the 5th grade
when I met Brian O`Herin from St.Lois and he played and sang Cat
Stevens songs to me , and it sounded better than from my little
tape recorder.
Of course I was now almost a teenager and my
taste was changing and getting a little more demanding.
So then came the Rolling Stones into my mind
, then others like Slade , Deep Purple , Rush , and then also
discovered Bob Dylan and the way he could tell the stories and
play. And also David Bowie was a good artist for me at that time.
Then came the 80`s and I was a big Ac/Dc
listener , and the Swedish Yngwie Malmsteen was a big guitar guru
at the time.
And then came Frank Zappa along the road ,
that was something special , I listened new ways of presenting
lyrics and music , and also showed me it could be a lot of humor
in music.
About Norwegian bands , I think only one
made a little mark on me , Mods from Stavanger , they had songs
about life , that was just as life was for me.
And now Morten Abel is a well known solo
artist , I doubt if he still remember when we where sitting in
the stairs of Dom Church in Stavanger centrum when we were about
17-18 , drinking cola and smoking cigarettes.
Then came some Germans with something that
also showed me new ways , Pyrolator , Einsturzende Neubaten ,
Bahaus .
Also Rap is something I like for the way to
express yourself , Murder Inc , Jay Z , Dr.Octagon and J Majiik
is some I consider as clever ones.
In this area I also have to include some
Portuguese bands like , Da Weasel , Mind The Gap , Yellow W Wan
and Primitive Reason , all of these have also english lyrics , so
there is nothing that should stop anyone from listening to them.
And of course , Photek , the master of drum
& bass , really inspired me in my own making of electronic
music , even if it can not be compared , it ment a lot.
So from England in the 80`s it was Gang Of
Four , Joy Division and The Clash , in recent days Future Sound
Of London is a little special band worth listening to.
Other musicians/bands of importance to me is
Brian Eno , Sonic Youth , Soul Coughfing , Jazzmatazz , Morphine
, Howie B , St.Gemain , Cinematic Orchestra , Rinocerose ,
Underworld , Thievery Corporation , and of course whom I consider
the master of reggae music , Prince Far I .
Experiences :
Yeah what can I say , experienced in life .
Only played with one band that I have to say
had potential to reach someplace in the music arena , but we
comitted a so called rock & roll suicide , with living like
there is no tomorrow.
Effects of this was bass player one
triggered a hidden illness , manic shizofrenia.
Second bass player evolved into psyckedelic
trips into the universe , and has not returned yet as far as I
know.
The drummer becoming an evangelist , after
like 5 study trips to India etc.
The vocalist …so in shock of all this
that just dropped out of it all and got himself a family , and
never been into more music making of any sort.
And me as the writer and guitar player , I
was just continuing with my writings and practicing and rolling
further in life.
So that is the short story of my one and
only band , I will never meet and get such closeness with anyone
like them ..thanks all of you !
But I have to continue with my own
electronic music , that seem like it have some sort of right to
live and be heard , just been informed that OJO Elektronic music
is put in the rotation list for airplay on a radio station in
Hamburg Germany.
Future :
The future is something abstract , that is
hard to define , but it will come.
For me I see some parts very clear and
others are more difuse and hidden beyond the horisont.
My wishes includes , if someone can use my
lyrics and perform them well for others to listen and enjoy!
Myself I will continue to write and to make
electronic music , since it is in my blood to create something .
And the future will come to all of us and it
will bring and show what life can give.
Ove Jan Olsen
E-Mail : oj.olsen@excite.com