Bergen is known as the “heart of the fjords”, but is becoming even more well-known for its vibrant artistic energy. At first glance, Bergen offers a small town charm alongside its metropolitan aspect, despite being the second-largest city in Norway. But it is also the home of successful acts like Aurora and Röyksopp. In the words of Aurora, “Bergen’s cold, but has a creative energy – and it’s always bubbling with activity”.
The city’s music scene has spawned an array of widely acclaimed artists within genres like rock of all styles, pop, electronica, and folk. Among them there are artists who launched their careers in the narrow streets of Bergen before heading outside its boundaries. And of course, there are new artists on the brink of discovery; some of them are still students, probably making music in their bedrooms, releasing their own stuff, and trying to make their own musical dreams come true. These are the artists who are at the epicenter of Europavox Campus.
Bergen and Europavox Campus
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Bergen is one of the European Universities associated with the newly founded project Europavox Campus. The project allows students to come together around a collective cultural initiative, which is built around two major events: regional springboards, where acts perform live during the finals at each campus, and the European final planned for April 2023. Astroturf (as well as being the title of a 2022 track by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) is a five-member pop-rock act and winner of the Bergen final. They competed against four other acts performing in a range of different styles- rock band Baby Heartless, pop artist Hyerin, indie act Sif, and noise-punk act Eat People. “GLORY, we won at the Europavox local final! Even though there were so many incredibly talented bands that played with us”, they posted on their FB account once their name was announced.
Addressing music as a public good
Important initiatives have emerged in Bergen supporting creativity and the diversity of cultural expression, uniting local societies and forging the road ahead. These artistically responsible organizations are sustained and systematic, with a view to ensuring a robust integration of culture. Brak is a non-profit artist & music business development center which aims to support the music sector at all levels, working with acts, promoters, venues, and other forms of music business on the west coast of Norway. It is considered the place for the city’s diverse music scene to connect and create together, and learn about the whole process of creating and selling music. Both membership and all their seminars, workshops and guidance are free of charge. Supporting local music is more important than ever, and Ms. Inni Mowinckel, Project Manager at Brak, is very clear on this: “After the pandemic we’ve been particularly focused on getting the local scene physically together again,” she explains. “That doesn’t just include live shows, which we’ve all been missing these last couple of years, but also the creatives. The last few months we’ve been hosting informal meet and greets called Lytteklubb, so that songwriters, producers, and artists can get out of their homes and studios, showcasing what they’ve been working on, and getting new inputs. It’s so easy to get stuck in your own head, and this is a really good way to get inspired”.
Brak’s featured projects Vill Vill Vest (Wild Wild West) and Bergen Songs, are additional concrete examples of forward-looking ways of using creativity in Bergen. Vill Vill Vest, now entering its 8th year, is a festival for rising talent, showcasing around 70 artists active in Norway. “We keep the festival intimate, relaxed and fun, and the artists playing are really interesting, and exciting. The young and fresh meet the established and experienced on equal terms, and we see a lot of results from that. Artists get signed, songs get placed in movies, and new partnerships are made!”, she says. The conference is a valuable addition to the calendar offering insightful panels and up-close-and-personal engagements with industry professionals – as well as some pretty interesting outdoor activities, like the delegate cruise and morning swims in the seawater pool at Norden Sjøbad.
Then there’s Bergen Songs, Brak’s annual songwriting camp, officially launched in 2016. It’s an arena where new and established songwriters and producers develop their skill and network for future expansion of their career. Speaking of networking, this is the key ingredient to launch a music career, as Inni says. “Go to concerts, showcase festivals, meet-and-greets, and those seemingly boring seminars about «how to turn in your taxes as a musician» etc., but actually get to know people. If you book a showcase gig, your job isn’t just to play the concert, you also have to network. If you get to know musicians in the same situation as you, you can exchange ideas and grievances, and help lift each other up.”
“If you meet the industry, you have a stronger chance of getting them to see your shows, and maybe even sign you”. As for the future of Brak, the strategy is already on track. “We’re currently working on expanding our very resourceful website musikkontoret.no with our sister organizations – this is where we post free guides, interviews, checklists and have a (substantial) overview of the grants available in Norway. We’re also very excited to have our international songwriting camp Bergen Songs coming up soon, the first one since 2019! Vill Vill Vest will be focused on what makes us unique – Bergen’s extremely creative music scene and the community we’ve all built. I’m also excited to see the continuation of an international exchange program for young industry professionals we started last year with the Norwegian music export office, Music Norway. Most of all, we’re just very happy to have the industry back up and running!”, Inni says.
A ticket to a music career
The term Bergensbølgen meaning “The Bergen Wave” was first used by the media in the 90s. Nowadays it is considered a cliché, but at the time it perfectly illustrated the city’s artistic strength. The local music industry has developed over the years to such level that one doesn’t need to go to Oslo or travel abroad to find a fitting label. There’s an important pool of people here, making and distributing interesting music, and despite the city’s relatively small population (approximately 287,000 people), that pool is considerable in number.
Tellé Records is considered a veteran gateway to international popularity. For example, Röyksopp and Kings of Convenience both started on Tellé’s labels. Karisma Records specializes in rock and progressive acts, while its sister label Dark Essence focuses on black and extreme metal, the country’s big seller for years. Bergen Mafia Records is run by Axel and Pish Vindenes, known through the indie-poppers Kakkmaddafakka, and Maksimal is dedicated to house and techno. Brilliance Management consists of several divisions within management, label and live promotion. Under its umbrella, GEMS began in collaboration with MADE Management, home to superstars Sigrid and Aurora. Since 2021 they have been working closely with Warner Music Norway expanding their artists’ visibility. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Local energy fuels the city’s thriving music scene and inspiring local projects, people, and initiatives are there to support the artists in a form of collaborative actions towards an ever-growing artistic community. Bergen, in short, is a space to keep an eye on.