Motorpsycho

This article is about the Norwegian rock band. For the Russ Meyer film, see Motorpsycho (film).
Motorpsycho

Motorpsycho playing live at Studenten, Steinkjer, 2008-04-18
Background information
Origin Trondheim, Norway
Genres Hard rock, psychedelic rock, indie rock, noise rock, progressive rock
Years active 1989–present
Labels Rune Grammofon (2008–present)
Stickman Records (1994–present)
Sony Norway (1994–2007, Norway only)
Voices of Wonder (1990–1993)
Website Motorpsycho official Website
Motorpsycho unofficial Website
Members Hans Magnus Ryan
Bent Sæther
Past members Håkon Gebhardt
Helge Sten
Lars Lien
Morten Fagervik
Kjell Runar Jenssen
Kenneth Kapstad

Motorpsycho (initiated 1989 at Trøndertun, Melhus, Norway) is a band from Trondheim.[1] Their music can generally be defined as progressive or psychedelic rock, but they also mix in elements from metal, jazz, post-rock, pop, country and many other musical styles. The members of the band are Bent Sæther (born 18 February 1969, bass/vocals), Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan (born 31 December 1969, guitar/vocals) and Kenneth Kapstad (born 20 April 1979, drums). Until March 2005, Håkon Gebhardt (born 21 June 1969, drums) was also an integral part of the band. A press release concerning his departure is published at the Unofficial website. In December 2007 it was announced that former Gåte drummer Kenneth Kapstad was the new drummer in the band as well as an official band member.

Biography

Formed in the late 1980s as an alternative metal band (they picked their name after seeing the Russ Meyer film of the same name as part of a Russ Meyer triple bill - there was already a band named after Mudhoney and a band named after Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! - the other two films on the bill), Motorpsycho soon developed a unique blend of grunge, heavy metal and indierock, as well as incorporating the sonic noise experiments of associated member Deathprod. The hugely ambitious, progressive double album "Demon Box" (1993) followed a series of low-profile EPs and albums, earning the band a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy, and secured a loyal following in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as in Scandinavia.

The 1990s was an extremely productive era for the band, releasing new material almost every year, and enjoying critical acclaim for each album—if not the massive sales the music press kept predicting.

With the 2000 album "Let Them Eat Cake", Motorpsycho suddenly took huge steps away from their noisy hard rock roots, opting instead for a smoother, jazz-tinged approach to the songwriting and recording process. They kept this technique for the subsequent releases, Phanerothyme and It's A Love Cult.

The long-awaited double album Black Hole/Blank Canvas was released 17/20 March 2006 in Europe, but it was leaked on the internet before this date. The album has received great reviews, and it is considered one of their best albums ever, proving the skill of the arguably most innovative Norwegian band during the last decade. Today, their cult status and extremely loyal fans remains unmatched by any Norwegian band.

On 28 March 2008 Motorpsycho released an album entitled "Little Lucid Moments", and on 16 March 2008 a DVD containing music videos, live footage and documentaries entitled "Haircuts".

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the band released a vinyl-only album, "Child of the Future", recorded by Steve Albini at the beginning of August 2009.

In January 2010 Motorpsycho released the album "Heavy Metal Fruit", their first album featuring an external producer, Kåre Vestrheim, and also their third album in under two years.

In October 2011 the Dutch venue Effenaar released a limited edition live album exclusively on vinyl entitled "Strings Of Stroop - Motorpsycho Live At Effenaar". The album features four Motorpsycho tracks recorded during various Motorpsycho shows at Effenaar between 1999 and 2010. Only 500 copies were pressed and sold at the band's 14th show in the venue.

On 10 February 2012 Motorpsycho released the double CD/LP effort "The Death Defying Unicorn" in collaboration with keyboardist Ståle Storløkken from the free improv group Supersilent. The album is a reworking of an instrumental suite commissioned by and performed at Moldejazz 2010. During 2011, Sæther produced lyrics for a sweeping narrative, thus making the album version a concept album. As in its initial performance, the band and Storløkken are augmented by contributions from Trondheimssolistene, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and violinist Ola Kvernberg. The core quartet performed the album in its entirety on every date during a March/April 2012 tour of Europe.

After the release and tour accompanying the "Unicorn", the band felt the need to return to more traditional, guitar-based grounds and with Reine Fiske as second guitarist, recorded two albums, Still Life With Eggplant (released in spring 2013) and Behind the Sun (released in March 2014). To coincide with the release of "Behind the Sun", Motorpsycho launched their first-ever official website, www.motorpsycho.no.

After years of institutionalising the band in Norway, in 2015 Motorpsycho eventually were introduced at Rockheim, Norways rock music hall of fame. [2]

In 2016 the band released the studio album "Here Be Monsters", which completely evolved from a piece of music they wrote for the Oslo Teknisk Museums birthday. The band played that special songs in the museum, with the help of Ståle Storløkken, and then decided to work on it in the studio. [3]

Line up

Current line-up

Previous members

Major collaborators

Timeline

Honors

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]		 GER
[6]		 BEL
[7]		 NLD
[8]
1991 Lobotomizer — — — — Released as LP and CD
1992 Soothe / 8 Soothing Songs for Rut — — — — Mini-LP (then called "Soothe")
and CD (adding two tracks from the "3 Songs for Rut" single)
1993 Demon Box — — — — Double LP and CD (omitting three songs due to space limitations)
1994 Timothy's Monster 7 — — — Triple LP box and double CD, re-released in 2010 as 4CD-box
1996 Blissard 3 — — — Double LP and CD, re-released in 2012 as 4CD-box
1997 Angels and Daemons at Play 2 — — — Double LP, CD (omitting two songs) and three separate CD-EPs ("Babyscooter", "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" and "Lovelight")
1998 Trust Us 7 — — — Double LP and double CD
2000 Let Them Eat Cake 1 83 — — LP and CD
2001 Barracuda
(mini album)		 8 — — — LP and CD
Phanerothyme 1 80 — — LP and CD
2002 It's A Love Cult 2 91 — — LP and CD
2006 Black Hole/Blank Canvas 2 — 85 — Double LP, double CD and double CD with 2 track bonus single
2008 Little Lucid Moments 2 — — — Double LP and CD
2009 Child of the Future 2 — — — Vinyl only LP
2010 Heavy Metal Fruit 2 96 — — Double LP and CD
2013 Still Life With Eggplant 2 93 — 79 LP and CD
2014 Behind the Sun 6 53 — 81 Double LP, CD, digital download
2014 The Motorpnakotic Fragments — — — — Limited edition 4x 7" vinyl and CD
2016 Here Be Monsters 2[9] 55 — — vinyl and CD

As Motorpsycho & Friends

Year Album Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]
1994 The Tussler - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 10 Original CD (1994)
Double 10" (1996)
Remastered CD/double LP (2003)

As Motorpsycho & Ståle Storløkken

Year Album Label Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]		 GER
2012 The Death Defying Unicorn Stickman Records 7 87 Double LP and double CD
2015 En Konsert For Folk Flest Rune Grammofon - - Double LP and double CD

As The International Tussler Society

Year Album Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]
2004 Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society 1 Released as double LP and CD, both came with bonus DVD

Live albums (Roadworks)

Year Album Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]
1999 Roadwork Vol. 1 - Heavy metal iz a poze, hardt rock iz a leifschteil 7 Live in Europe 1998
2001 Roadwork Vol. 2 - The MotorSourceMassacre: Motorpsycho, The Source and Deathprod  – Live at Kongsberg Jazzfestival 1995
2008 Roadwork Vol. 3 - The Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse  – Included in the double DVD release "Haircuts"
2011 Roadwork Vol. 4 – Intrepid Skronk 26
Strings Of Stroop - Motorpsycho Live at Effenaar  – Limited edition vinyl

Collaborations

Year Album Peak positions Notes
NOR
[5]
1993 Into The Sun
(split release with Hedge Hog) 		Split 7"/CD-single with Hedge Hog
2001 Go To California
(split EP release with The Soundtrack of Our Lives) 		Split-EP
2003 In the Fishtank 10
(mini album with Jaga Jazzist Horns) 		7 Split-EP

EPs

Year Album Peak positions
NOR
[5]
1990 Maiden Voyage (Demo)
1993 Mountain
1993 Another Ugly EP
1994 Wearing Yr Smell EP
1996 Nerve Tattoo 8
1996 Manmower
1997 Babyscooter 14
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel 13
Lovelight 13
Starmelt 13
1998 Ozone 6
Hey Jane 8
2000 The Other Fool EP 1
Walkin' with J EP 6
2002 Serpentine EP 2

Singles

Singles and Music Videos

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Motorpsycho.
  1. ↑ "Motorpsycho Biography". Norsk Musikkinformasjon MIC.no.
  2. ↑ Interview with Snah, entertaim.net, received May 16, 2016
  3. ↑ Interview with Snah, entertaim.net, received May 16, 2016
  4. ↑ "Edvardprisen til Motorpsycho". Norsk Musikkinformasjon MIC.no.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Motorpsycho discography". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Motorpsycho / Longplay". musicline.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Discografie Motorpsycho". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Discografie Motorpsycho". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  9. ↑ http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-40-album/2
Awards
Preceded by
Seigmen		 Recipient of the Rock Spellemannprisen
1996 		Succeeded by
Poor Rich Ones
Preceded by
No Hard rock award		 Recipient of the Hard rock Spellemannprisen
1997 		Succeeded by
The Kovenant
Preceded by
Madrugada		 Recipient of the Rock Spellemannprisen
2000 		Succeeded by
Kaizers Orchestra
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