About Atlanter

Atlanter play rock inspired by desert blues bands, by German krautrock and by old delta blues. All this is done with a Norwegian twist and point of view, and is perhaps best described as Norwegian viddeblues. The viddeblues ensemble Atlanter consists of guitarists Jens Carelius, Arild Hammerø, drummer Jonas Johnsen and bassist Morten Kvam. Their debut album Vidde consists of 9 powerful, groove-based songs, all written by the band and produced by Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen (Siri Nilsen, Jens Carelius, Hanne Kolstø). Arild Hammerø from the band tells us about the music and the album: Atlanter has an open-minded approach to playing music. The songs change from one concert to another, and we try to avoid a polished and rehearsed sound. I think everyone in the band enjoys this openness, that something new can happen on every song. We captured this feeling on the record too, and what brings it all together is that it is mostly based on very distinct rhythms. Playing with Atlanter is like dancing around a fire, there is an intense energy there. Our goal is for the audience to feel this energy too, so they can join in on the dance. Press on Vidde: 5/6 "Mountain magic! Atlanter makes their debut with a blast, and equal parts of discipline and playfulness. " - NRK P3, Norwegian radio station 5/6 "That's right, groove. It's what Atlanter is all about, world groove. Check them out!" - VG, Norwegian newspaper 5/6 "It's called vidde blues, and it's incredibly well crafted." - Aftenposten, Norwegian newspaper 5/6 "a group of awesomely talented musicians who are able to combine an extensive understanding of music with playfulness and eagerness to perform. They have developed a characteristic sound... The result is vibrating, expressive and airy rock." - Bergens Tidende, Norwegian newspaper 5/6 "Promising band debut" - Haugesund Avis, Norwegian newspaper 5/6 "We can only join in on the praise, Atlanter will be one of the names when it's time to sum up 2013's best releases." - Romsdals Budstikke, Norwegian newspaper "Norwegian desert blues with flavours of delta blues and kraut rock. This may sound like the menu in Oslo restaurants Crossroads or Smalhans, like something that would go well with a few tumblers of natural wine. But no - it is vidde blues" - Dagens Næringsliv, Norwegian newspaper 4,5/6 "Atlanter has produced a debut album that comes across as both lyrical and passionate. Vidde is poetry with a pop punch" - Klassekampen, Norwegian newspaper 8/10 "Atlanter has released an excellent debut album." - Musikknyheter.no 6/7 "a debut album that sounds downright grand and, pardon our French, fucking awesome." - Groove.no 5/6 "a mountain plateau filled with violent rhythms and sudden turns... The album grows with every spin" - Gaffa.com About the band: Jens Carelius has made a name for himself on the Norwegian music scene with the releases The First Songs (2008), The Beat Of The Travel (2009) and The Architect (2011). He has received brilliant reviews for all albums, especially the recent two, with mostly 5 and 6 out of 6 in most Norwegian newspapers. The Beat Of The Travel also made it onto Norwegian daily Dagbladet's top 10 list of 2009's best albums. Jens Carelius has sold a great number of albums, and was also the opening act on the largest stage at the Øya festival in 2011. Arild Hammerø released his debut album Dagen Som Gryr in 2008, which was well received by the Norwegian press. "Arild Hammerø is a folk singer who protects the heart-warming legacy of folk singers Lillebjørn Nilsen and Stein Ove Berg. Sensitive, lyrical and likeable", wrote Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land. The album Flåte by Hammer & Hersk (Arild Hammerø and Daniel Herskedal) was released in 2012 and received good reviews. Hammerø and Carelius have previously been in the band Blues Run The Game together, along with Siri Nilsen. Arild is also a regular on guitar in the electronica duo Ost & Kjex, and participates on the album Cajun Lunch. Jonas Barsten Johnsen is a young percussionist with a Masters degree from the Norwegian Academy of Music. He is/has been collaborating with amongst others: Frøy Aagre, Bendik Hofseth, Bendik Baksaas, Disaster in the Universe, Eivind Aarset, CCTV, Adam Rudolph and Bjørn Charles Dreyer. He is also a part of the improv scene in Oslo with a focus on electronics, percussion and dance. He has played more than 100 gigs each of the last 3 years, including the most central festivals in Norway. Morten Kvam has played the string bass/electric bass and been an active musician in Bergen and Oslo within different genres such as jazz, rock, pop, improvisation and folk music. He has collaborated with musicians such as Siri Nilsen, Terje Isungset, Per Jørgensen, Olav Dahle, Walter Thompson (US), Kevin Dean (CAN), Arild Hammerø, klezmer band Ot Azoi, Bugge Wesseltoft, Borge & Kvam, Polkabjørn and Kleine Heine, Push and Ine Hoem. He has also contributed on all Jens Carelius' records and Arild Hammerø's debut album.