(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange)

The Norwegian synthwave artist Glenn Main, also known from his band Argh, semifinalist at Norway’s Got Talent and several other projects, just released his 9th solo album ‘Back 2 Basics’, initially only as a vinyl and digital release only. We had a chat with him in Tønsberg about this album and other upcoming events.

Side-Line: How did you end up with a vinyl release this time around?

Glenn Main: It started a couple of years ago in Thailand, where I have an apartment with a studio. I’m an 80’s “dude”, and thought it was about time to do something close to my roots, where it all started, and used a lot of analogue synth in the recording to make it as authentic as possible. It’s what I grew up with, and I also feel it’s an 80’s revival these days – or has been for a while actually, music reminding us about Harold Faltermeyer, Jan Hammer and others. It just feels real to me when I going into my “music place” within myself when making this music!

S-L: Why vinyl first?

GM: It’s a further connection to the concept; the 80’s was vinyl for me and most others, and I also even considered releasing it on cassette! It’s digitally released on Spotify and the other platforms, and due to demand – especially from Germany – there’ll also be a CD version around July 1st, before I’m going there to play live. The album cover is also very handy for crediting people, both those who pre-ordered the album and those who’s been backing me through the years.

S-L: Plans or events in the near future?

GM: This summer I’m playing in Germany, then at a Jean Michel Jarre tribute concert in France. It’s arranged by Jarre’s own radio station, Radio Equinoxe. When I met him at a the synth event Superbooth in Berlin a month ago, he gave me the ultimate feedback on my Jarre tribute album: if he were to make that music with the equipment and possibilities we have today, it would probably sound a lot like my album! 🙂

Buy the vinyl here – listen to ‘Back 2 basics’ here:

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

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(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange)
Synthpop band ARGH from Tønsberg, Norway, just released a tribute music video to the Black song “Wonderful Life”, written by Colin Vearncombe in 1985. ARGH wanted to recreate the video as close to the original as possible, all in their neighbourhood of Tønsberg and Nøtterøy, and it’s become quite an evocative piece of film of the three ARGH members Andreas N. Rønbeck, Glenn Main Henriksen and Glenns daughter, Iselin Main Grønvold.

Side-Line: How did you end up doing a cover version of this particular song?

Andreas: I suggested it to Glenn as a cover song, because it is one of my all time favourite tunes, and it also, felt at the time like a forgotten one-hit wonder that I didn’t want people to forget, but rediscover through ARGH. The song also suited ARGHs way of making music. Glenn liked the idea, and soon came up with a nice version. At the time, we were in a “vacuum” after publishing our first album, and we released the single after Glenn was able to get it approved by Colin Vearncombe himself through his Facebook page. He even posted it to his followers, describing it as an interesting version with a Scandinavian touch!
We first published it as a single shortly after Glenns dialogue with Colin, just before Christmas in 2015.

S-L: And why make a video of it several years later?

A: That’s simply because the song made it to our new album, and together with the title track Get It Right is one of the most played songs on radio stations from this album. Small indie radio stations with a synth approach in Canada, UK, France, Poland, Norway and other countries has played it, and also been asking us about it in interviews, so it felt natural to make a video now. Iselin, our new band member, really wanted to record and edit it herself, which is important since ARGH still is a no budget group when it comes to recording expenses (we use our own studio) and video expenses (we record our own videos). We’ve only spent some money for the promo for the record, boosting Facebook posts, etc., but even that was low budget compared to many or most other groups’ budget in general.

The song was already part of our live set when Colin died, and we played “Wonderful life” live in Poland the day he died. That felt very strange, partly because of the content of the lyrics, but also because we felt that we had to play it for Colin. We didn’t want the audience to applaud after the song, but asked for a moments silence and the crowd respected that. It was a moment that was strange, but also nice in a sad way, to honour his memory this way.

S-L: Other plans in the near future?

A: We have a gig coming up in Sweden, on Saturday October 28th. ARGH have never played in Sweden before, so we’re really looking forward to it. We’re invited to play in Ulricehamn, a small town with a competent electronica society called Ulricehamns Elektroniska Societet, who’s setting it all up for us. We’ll assume that’ll be a kick!

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Genre/Influences: Electro-ambient, space-electronics, synthesizer music.

Background/Info: Norwegian artist Glenn Main has been inspired by the greatest and most legendary synthesizer musicians in history. It for sure is an element you directly will hear in his composition. Member of Argh, he also released several solo-albums. This particular album is a tribute to Jean Michel Jarre and more specifically to the late 70s ‘debut’ period from “Oxygène”, “Equinoxe” and “Les Chants Magnétiques”.

Content: Covering a living icon like Jean Michel Jarre always is something tricky. Glenn Main did it as an ode to one of his ‘idols’. He reworked and arranged some of the biggest early hits of Jarre his own way. The songs are pretty recognizable and fully entertaining.

You for sure will recognize the typical space-electro spirit from the French composer while Glenn Main added a ‘modern’ touch on top.

+ + + : I was a bit skeptical when inserting this disc in my CD player. I’m still convinced there are a few artists you should never cover. It’s not about blasphemy, but just the absolute recognition from some artists’ –like Jean Michel Jarre, genius. But quite progressively I realized that Glenn Main is not taking himself for Jean Michel Jarre, but just wanted to bring an ode to a musician he simply ‘loves’. Of course it’s an emulation, but I think it’s a good one and one with some delicacy, respecting the original work and adding a very own touch on top. I think it will be also a way for young music lovers to maybe discover the work of the one and only Jean Michel Jarre, which is also in my portable CD player.

– – – : Despite of the credible and cool interpretation, there only is one Jean Michel Jarre and this album is missing details and the truly vintage spirit of the late 70s.

Conclusion: This album makes me think to an interpretation of a classical work from Beethoven, Mozart ao by a classically trained musician. Some get pretty close to the real spirit of the work, others not. Glenn Main did a real acceptable and honest job!

Best songs: “Magnetic Fields, Part 2”, “Oxygene, Part 4”, “Equinoxe, Part 4”, “Equinoxe, Part 7”.

Rate: (7).

Band: glennmain.wordpress.com / www.facebook.com/glenntronics

Label: www.admusicshop.com / www.facebook.com/ADmusiconline

PS! Check out Glenn Main live in Oslo, this Friday August 18th. The monthly held The Altern80s Club will include a live set, Pet Shop Boys release party and more – join here!

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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