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Prog in Norway: What's in the water?
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Points: 2983 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote projeKct Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 18:43
I think you're right. There is something about Norway.

I listen to many great bands from there: Caligonaut, Circles End, Dobbeltgjenger, Gazpacho, Giant Sky, Jaga Jazzist, Jordsjø, Krokofant, Leprous, Magic Pie, Major Parkinson, Nils Petter Molvær, Motorpsycho, The Opium Cartel, Retroheads, Todd Terje, Tirill, Tusmørke, White Willow, Wobbler.

If you're looking for an explanation, maybe you can look where there is NOT many prog bands?

For example, take a country with similar population figures: Togo.
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Points: 8546 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 17:21
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Not the case for me, 3% of my collection from 2000 onwards have been Norwegian dominated by elephant9, Jaga Jazzist, Hedvig Mollestad & Panzerpappa. 

If I ignore UK & USA then the top countries for me are France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Sweden & Italy before I get to Norway.

If I rank them in albums per 1MM population they are a much more respectable 2nd behind the UK

UK - 9.5 albums per 1MM population
Norway - 9
Belgium - 6
Sweden - 5.6
France - 3.3
USA - 1.9
Canada - 1.8
Germany - 1.1
Italy - 0.8

Man, I've got albums from the four bands/artists you listed but also Wobbler, Motorpsycho, Shamblemaths, Funin, Stillehavet, Weserbergland, White Willow, Tirill, Caligonaut, Soup, Leprous, Green Carnation, Gazpacho, Seven Impale, Arcturus, Enslaved, Jordsjø, Ulver, In the Woods, Ihsahn, Airbag, Bjørn Riis, Major Parkinson, Kvazar, The Windmill, Needlepoint, Arabs in Aspic, Magic Pie, The Samuel Jackson Five, Circus Maximus, Kaukasus, Giant Sky, The Opium Cartel, Moleskin, Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik, Himmellegeme, and they all have at least one album in my Year End Top Albums lists!
  
 
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Points: 7482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 13:07
My guess is that, thanks to their generous health care system and high quality of life, musicians aren't constantly scrambling for life's necessities as we are in the States.  

I'd love to visit sometime!  
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Points: 21478 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 11:36
Not the case for me, 3% of my collection from 2000 onwards have been Norwegian dominated by elephant9, Jaga Jazzist, Hedvig Mollestad & Panzerpappa. 

If I ignore UK & USA then the top countries for me are France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Sweden & Italy before I get to Norway.

If I rank them in albums per 1MM population they are a much more respectable 2nd behind the UK

UK - 9.5 albums per 1MM population
Norway - 9
Belgium - 6
Sweden - 5.6
France - 3.3
USA - 1.9
Canada - 1.8
Germany - 1.1
Italy - 0.8
Ian

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https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
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Points: 6855 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 11:07
Last week, I checked PA's top albums from the last five years. 2017 till Now.   I planned on backfilling albums I missed. The top five albums gave me pause, because four out of the five were Norwegian. The fifth was Swedish.
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 11:03
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Originally posted by nick_h_nz nick_h_nz wrote:

I think it is more that people outside Norway are simply just taking note of it.

I’m willing to bet there are many countries around the world making as much great music as Norway, but it is simply not being shouted about.

I don’t want to be the negative nelly here, and I don’t want to take away from all the great music from Norway, but I don’t think it is as unusual as people are making out.

Even on the Fennoscandian peninsula alone, Finland and Sweden have as much great music as Norway. Sweden has been recognised previously, and now Norway is getting its turn to shine. But all three have great musical history and heritage, and all three have a booming modern prog scene.

That said, I love so much Norwegian prog (from the classic through to today). 🇳🇴 


I'm not so sure, Nick:  The number of high quality albums from Norwegian bands that I've been collecting over the past 15 years seems disproportionate to those coming out of other countries--especially when I look at my End of Year Top Albums lists. I'll have to do some more thinking and spelunking about this, … 



The key word is “seems”. And obviously it is subjective. But there is a difference between what is getting (media) attention, and what is out there. I honestly don’t believe that there are any more high quality albums from Norwegian bands than from other countries. Bands from that country are simply getting more attention at the moment.

But I am happy to agree to disagree. I have definitely noticed more attention being given to Norwegian bands and albums lately. But when you say the past 15 years, I suspect I have more albums I think are great from (eg) Finland, than from Norway.
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Points: 8546 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 10:54
Originally posted by nick_h_nz nick_h_nz wrote:

I think it is more that people outside Norway are simply just taking note of it.

I’m willing to bet there are many countries around the world making as much great music as Norway, but it is simply not being shouted about.

I don’t want to be the negative nelly here, and I don’t want to take away from all the great music from Norway, but I don’t think it is as unusual as people are making out.

Even on the Fennoscandian peninsula alone, Finland and Sweden have as much great music as Norway. Sweden has been recognised previously, and now Norway is getting its turn to shine. But all three have great musical history and heritage, and all three have a booming modern prog scene.

That said, I love so much Norwegian prog (from the classic through to today). 🇳🇴 


I'm not so sure, Nick:  The number of high quality albums from Norwegian bands that I've been collecting over the past 15 years seems disproportionate to those coming out of other countries--especially when I look at my End of Year Top Albums lists. I'll have to do some more thinking and spelunking about this, … 
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Points: 8546 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 10:51
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Vikings have always loved prog. It goes back to the days of those great Nordic sagas.

LOLClap Brilliant, Steve! Absolutely brilliant!
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Points: 20617 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote SteveG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 08:14
Vikings have always loved prog. It goes back to the days of those great Nordic sagas.
This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 05:52
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Their jazz scene is damn fine too.

Absolutely. They have a fantastic jazz scene!
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Points: 21478 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 05:44
Their jazz scene is damn fine too.
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Points: 6737 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2022 at 01:10
I think it is more that people outside Norway are simply just taking note of it.

I’m willing to bet there are many countries around the world making as much great music as Norway, but it is simply not being shouted about.

I don’t want to be the negative nelly here, and I don’t want to take away from all the great music from Norway, but I don’t think it is as unusual as people are making out.

Even on the Fennoscandian peninsula alone, Finland and Sweden have as much great music as Norway. Sweden has been recognised previously, and now Norway is getting its turn to shine. But all three have great musical history and heritage, and all three have a booming modern prog scene.

That said, I love so much Norwegian prog (from the classic through to today). 🇳🇴 
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Points: 2188 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jaketejas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 19:19
I think the productivity happens when the sun is just doing circles in the sky. I was there one time. Woke up at 3 am. Looked out the window. Bright and sunny outside and one guy was busy painting his fence. Another was working on his car. I closed the thick black curtains and went back to sleep.
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Points: 8546 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 18:38
How is it that a country with a population of 5.379 million (with a population density of 15 people per square kilometer) have such a thriving, high quality, proggy music scene? What's in the water? Will somebody please explain?
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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