Keep movin' and keep dreamin' with Norwegian Egil Olsen

• Source: Global Times
• [16:14 May 13 2011]
• Comments

By James Tiscione

Instead of waiting for an SUV commercial to introduce you to the next Scandinavian thing this year, (such as Jónsi's "Go Do" for Ford Explorer or Sound of Arrows' "M.A.G.I.C." for Mitsubishi Outlander), get hip first tonight by catching the dreamy bedroom pop of Norwegian singer-songwriter Egil Olsen at The 718 Art Zone's One Space at 8:30pm (100 yuan at door).

Olsen will kick off a monster 18-date China tour to promote his latest release Keep Movin' - Keep Dreamin' (which features an appearance by Butch Norton of The Eels, in Beijing June 5), promising about 20 melodies in a high-pitched falsetto that has found itself in unexpected places, like hip-hop covers on Norwegian radio and even a porn movie. "My favorite that I often play live is "Bombastic" by Shaggy," Olsen told the Global Times. "I also got one of my hip-hop covers ("Pussy" by Jackie-O) in a porn movie. That's bad ass."

Finding inspiration in everything from the trials of being a singer-songwriter to tensions of stable relationships to getting his car broken into, Olsen explains it is his background in film (which although has led him to "make music videos for bands I really don't like") that sets apart his songwriting.

"I don't think like a musician, but more like a director or painter," he explained, "To me music production is so similar to visual composition and lyrics are storytelling."

Working on farms and in a steel factory to support his music career, Olsen's seemingly simple songs are backed up with the diehard grit of the traveling minstrel. 

It's hard to make a living as a musician these days, since many people listen to music for free. Thankfully I tour a lot and can manage. The singer-songwriter lifestyle is also to me a soul searching and emotional thing," said Olsen.

"It takes time and it's a lot of work. It's not a job, but a lifestyle. You need to do it 100 percent."