A contrasting mix of blues and rap that constantly flits between rhythmic club tracks and tripped/blissed out downtempo musings.
‘Hoohahs & Cat Calls’ is a beguiling collaboration between the successful Norwegian musicians Odin and Bjørn Berge. It sees the duo explore both their musicality and masculinity on a record that deals with universal themes such as sex, solitude and climate change.
Both state that the record came about because of their love of ‘pop’ in all its forms, while the juxtaposition of its myriad musical styles created a friction that became the driving force of the album from the very first minute they set foot in the studio. It’s a bit like Tom Waits and Kendrick Lamar trying to make new records at the same time.
The song ‘Bullet Dance’ – think Arcade Fire meets 10cc for a ‘murder’ on the dancefloor….no, really – has just been released as a single, the video for which Odin choreographed a series of dance moves for various scenarios. These develop after his hand is seen shaped into a pistol shooting downwards towards somebody’s feet while being filmed on TikTok. However, he explains that “my hand shoots bullets that actually compel all the protagonists to dance. I liked the duality of using a potentially problematic image to portray something positive, but that also leaves an open space for viewers to have their own thoughts and associations. Ultimately, I just want them up on their feet, dancing and thinking!”
Odin Steveland is a composer, producer, musician and lyricist who is best known for his ongoing tenure in the folk rock band Vamp (SITE), who are hugely successful in Norway and have several no 1 albums to their name. He has been a winner of the prestigious Spellemann Prize (Norwegian Grammy) as composer of the year and has worked on numerous film, TV and theatre productions as both a musician and producer. He has also released two acclaimed solo albums. OFFICIAL SITE
Bjørn Berge is a well established blues guitarist and vocalist. He has released fourteen solo albums since debuting in 1997 and won the Spellemann Prize (Norwegian Grammy) for Blues Album of the Year in 2001, the inaugural year of that category. Just for good measure, he won it in 2002 too. He has toured widely in Scandinavia, Benelux, UK and especially France, where he has always enjoyed acclaim. He was also a member of Vamp for five years from 2014. OFFICIAL SITE
HOOHAHS AND CAT CALLS
TRACKLISTING
1 Cockfight: The Beginning
2 Lovesick
3 Drink Up Honey I’ve Got Money
4 Bullet Dance
5 Hey Byooty!! I’m So Mizzerbul Without Ye
6 The Activist Bar
7 Get Up
8 I Guess I Should Get Going
9 Yu’re A Sight Fer Sore Eyes
Odin – vocals, synthesizer, drums
Bjørn Berge – guitars, dobro
Kjetil Dalland – bass
Produced, arranged & recorded by Odin
Mixed by Kjetil Ulland
Mastered by Bjørn Engelmann