Introducing: Ungdomskulen

The line-up for February’s Ja Ja Ja has been finalized with the curator revealed as Simon Raymonde of Bella Union. A huge fan of Nordic music for many years, Simon has chosen Denmark’s The Good The Bad, Vuk from Finland and Ungdomskulen from Norway, he’ll also be DJing with TLOBF’s Rich Thane. As always, the event will take place at The Lexington, London on the third Thursday of the month (two days after TLOBF’s other affiliated club night ILL FIT) on February 25th. For full details visit the Ja Ja Ja website.

Norwegian trio Ungdomskulen – Frode Kvinge Flatland, Kristian Stockhaus and Øyvind Solheim – wanted to rock on a regular basis and so they did. After writing a bunch of songs in their fish house studio in Bergen, they recorded their debut album Cry Baby which was released in 2007 to widespread acclaim.

Since the release of Cry Baby, Ungdomskulen has toured the globe, including two UK tour with their biggest fans, Young Knives and shows at CMJ and SXSW festivals in the US.

For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should?
1.Because we bring the free-range prog-noise in the most delightful way.
2.Because we answer to no man.
3.Because it´s better sooner rather than later.

Tell us a little about where you’re from. Do your surroundings affect the music that you create?
We are all located in Bergen on the West coast of Norway.

It´s the second biggest city in Norway, but its still a pretty small one, it´s located by the water, and has a lot of mountains around it, its super-attractive and we love living here.

Living here is affecting us in such a way that it´s easy to go practice because its not a super busy town, people are really friendly and relaxed and you don´t have to prove yourself all the time.

If you could have played on or written any song, what would it be?
You know the “bang” on Simon & Garfunkel´s “The Boxer”, la-la-lai ka-boom!!!, i wish that was me doing that sound, did they throw something down an elavator-shaft or something for that sound?

How did the band come in to being? And where did the name come from?
We met and bonded like most young men do, staring at the floor, making some noise and cracking some jokes. We just threw away some of our musical and personal baggage, listened, learned and observed and then the metmorphosis just happended one night, and we started being Ungdomskulen.

The name came naturally, it just popped up in my head one day, and it really made sense, i guess to us it represents something that´s really awesome and ugly/wonderfull at the same time, totally boring while it´s happening but utterly fascinating in retrospect.Our name means middle school, or youth school if you translate the words that are ungdom and skulen.

What is the most memorable gig you have played, and what can we expect of your live set at Ja Ja Ja?
Our most memorable gig must be the time we played a wedding, imagine starting your new life to us…

If you were asked to curate your own Ja Ja Ja night, which three acts would you choose and why?

1. E.L.P
It would be great to see E.L.P in a small club, with your average club-backline, it would be equally awesome and dreadful to see Keith Emerson rock a Nord Lead :).

2.Talking Heads
It would be fun to dance the night away to the real thing with them doing a 3 hour dance-set, how realistic should this night be?

3.Deerhoof
A contemporary band finally, such an amazing band, I’e never seen them live but i was close once, not close enough though, but pretty close, close but no cigarillos.

We’d like you to make us a Nordic themed mix-tape. Which five tracks would you choose?
Povel Ramel – Ta av dig skorna (take off your shoes)
A song about how the world would be a better place if people took off their shoes and just enjoyed life once in a while.

Ai Phoenix – Revolution Gray
Nordic melancholy at its most beautiful and heart-felt, and not at all self indulgent as melancholy music often tends to be.

bob hund – En Pratstund
Classic opening-track from bob hund´s Martin Kann-record, Sweden’s finest rock band of all time.

Junior Senior – Move Your Feet
Shameless classic dance-track from this dynamic Dane-duo, a track that makes you wanna go on a cocktail drinking-binge on TV´s Love Boat.

Neneh Cherry – Manchild
Such a breeze of a song, and it has a wonderful video too. Very Bahamas!