'The Peak of Pop Evolution': Datarock

Put simply – Datarock ****ing rock. Formed in Bergen, Norway shortly after the turn of the millennium, duo Fredrik Saroea and Ketil Mosnes have been busy crafting their unique melodic, funk tinged indie-dance musical cocktail through a series of fervently received low-key outputs, after being originally picked up by the esteemed Tellé Records. Released to more acclaim in their home country last year, their debut album ‘Datarock Datarock’ (so ****ing good they had to name it twice) hits the shelves in the UK this summer and it’s an absolute gem. Gigwise duly caught up with the lads before they unleash the album on the unsuspecting public, to discuss all…

Humorous and very off-kilter, Fredrik (singer, guitarist, drummer, and keyboardist) and Ketil (bassist, background singer, programming, and keyboard tinkler) first met in the fairly unassuming surrounding of a local electronic festival and immediately had high aspirations for the group. Fredrick elucidates: “We decided to form the band that turned out to be the peak of pop evolution on a drunken evening, at an outdoor festival of electronic music situated on top of one of the mountains surrounding Bergen. Meeting through mutual friends in the club scene, it seemed the perfect idea. ‘Datarock’, we thought, ‘that’s what we’re gonna make: the perfect blend of digital software, Casio-keyboards, electro acoustic instruments, timeless melodies and the lyrics our generation has been craving without even knowing it’. Then we boarded our ship and banged the drums.” And what a voyage.

With their tongues firmly wedged in their cheeks, somewhat modestly the pair repeatedly describing their music as “The Peak of Pop Evolution” and they may well be on to something. Pushed to tell us what genre it fits into, Fredrik explains: “At the time Datarock is probably more indie oriented, but as Datarock is Dirty Dancing, we’d have to say that we’re indie-dance. There we go. Spelling out the good stuff. Don’t even know were that came from.”

Citing their musical influences as “the de-evolved Devo, the talkative Talking Heads, the garage flowers Stone Roses and the still peachy Happy Mondays and.. Olivia Newton-John’, it’s difficult to completely place their sound. ‘Datarock Datarock’ shifts from camped-up funk (‘Computer Camp Love’), electro-fuelled carnage (‘Sex Me Up’), gorgeous melodies (‘Nightflight to Uranus’) and even brooding moments (‘Ugly Primadonna’) and makes for a heady brew.

Somewhat surprisingly, despite its musical dexterity, the album process was relatively painless, explains Fredrik: “The only thing difficult was choosing the right tracks! The rest pretty much felt like a walk in the park. We didn’t hire session musicians or anything like that, and as we played all instruments ourselves there were only so many ways to go about it…  It was made on and of, but most of it during a few weeks early 2005 back home in Bergen, Norway. In days that’s approximately two weeks all together, including all recordings, mixing and mastering.” Ketil interjects: “We had fun and ate loads of junk food.” Lovely.

Some of the album’s many peaks include the wonderfully repetitive ‘Fa-Fa-Fa’ and ‘Maybelline’. Speaking about the former, Fredrik reminds us that simplicity can be the key to making flawless pop music: “First of all, the title is part of the lyrics. Are the lyrics written the way they are because I didn’t think of a more decent way of writing them? Yes. Second, Fa Fa Fa is an incredibly easy title to remember, instantly becoming the international hands-in-air, sing-along anthem of our live-show. Third, if you’ve ever heard the Talking Heads classis Psycho Killer you’ll pick up the tribute instantly. Fa-Fantastic!” Indeed.