8 Tracks: Of Smalltown Supersound with Joakim Haugland

Music

This year marks what can be regarded as a landmark occasion in the lifetime of a record label which has had a sprawling influence upon the world of music for a long time. Smalltown Supersound is 25 years old, no small feat. The label run by Joakim Haugland is as pioneering as they come having helped champion a wave of Scandinavian musicality and offering a creative outlet to a vast array of producers, disc jockeys and artists whom might never have had a chance. Based in Oslo the imprint has been responsible for the release of music by the likes of Lindstrom, Bjorn Torske, Four Tet, Idjut Boys, Neneh Cherry, Todd Terje, Prins Thomas, Biosphere, Kelly Lee Owens, Robyn and many, many others. It has acted at times as a gateway between the world of pop and dance music channeling kindred spirits in unique and creative ways.

There truly are very few labels which can be said to have left as positive mark on the scene as Smalltown Supersound has, we are delighted to welcome founder Joakim Haugland to take us through eight respective tracks.

Buy the 25 year compilation mixed by Prins Thomas HERE.

LISTEN

Lindstrom - The Magnificent

My favourite Lindstrøm track. For some strange reason it was overlooked compared to his bigger songs I Feel Space, Lovesick and Closing Shot. Lindstrom is now the artist that has been longest on the label. I think we have a unique relationship. What I like most about his musical output is that he moves very easy between the commercial and the avantgarde. He never stays still and that is the reason he is as relevant now as he was when we started working together in 2005.

Lindstrom - The Magnificent

My favourite Lindstrøm track. For some strange reason it was overlooked compared to his bigger songs I Feel Space, Lovesick and Closing Shot. Lindstrom is now the artist that has been longest on the label. I think we have a unique relationship. What I like most about his musical output is that he moves very easy between the commercial and the avantgarde. He never stays still and that is the reason he is as relevant now as he was when we started working together in 2005.
Bugge Wesseltoft & Prins Thomas - Sin Tempo

We put out the Bugge Wesseltoft & Prins Thomas duo album this summer. Sin Tempo features Norway’s most legendary drummer Jon Christensen. I just love the feel, the atmosphere and the melancholia of this track. I highly recommend the whole album. But this track has a unique looseness, freedom and a mood. I have a feeling I will carry this track with me for a long long time. Its recorded in Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, a studio where many of the classic ECM albums were recorded.
Bjørn Torske - Gullfjellet

Bjorn Torske is the backbone of the label. There is so many tracks by him I could pick but Gullfjellet has always been on of my favourites from his Kokning album that we released in 2010. This track sounds like nothing else and in many ways it is typically Bjorn, though more beautiful than weird. This track also have a special mood and feel that I like a lot.
Idjut Boys - One For Kenny (Extended Lp Version)

One of my favourite tracks in the Smalltown catalogue. I have always loved this. Disco-legends Idjut Boys’ tribute to the late Kenny Hawkes. The track appeared on the album Cellar Door and in an extended version on their their Versions album. The track features Bugge Wesseltoft on Steinway, and Malcolm Jospeh from Grace Jones’ backing band on bass. This track is to me pure beauty.
Todd Rundgren - Anything (Vocal Outtake From Todd Rundgren/Emil Nikolaisen/Hans-Peter Lindstrøm’S Runddans Album)

I still cannot believe that I have released Todd Rundgren on my label. And on top of that; Todd Rundgren’s wonderful blue-eyed soul vocals. A dream come true!
This track is actually a long Todd vocal outtake called Anything from the Runddans album that we released with the trio of Todd, Emil Nikolaisen and Hans-Peter Lindstrøm. The track is produced by Emil Nikolaisen.
It was only released on a 12” for Record Store Day. When we had recorded these vocals I felt like the label was complete in some way.
Neneh Cherry & The Thing - Dream Baby Dream

This track was the start of my relationship with Neneh, which is the best! Neneh and her producer/husband Cameron have become good friends of mine. They are lovely and very inspiring people. Neneh recorded this album with The Thing who was on my label. They started out as a Don Cherry coverband and ended up doing doing an album with Neneh on vocals, so this was full circle as Don was Neneh’s stepdad. The album contains coverversions of among others MF Doom, Ornette Coleman, Stooges and Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream. Smalltown has since released two Four Tet produced Neneh album.
Bendik Giske - Adjust

Bendik Giske is our latest signing. Bendik’s debut album is coming out early next year and it was recorded in Oslo’s Vigeland Mausoleum, everything recorded in one take with only a saxophone. Breath, steel and muscle.
Bendik is in many ways the ultimate Smalltown Supersound artist the way he is combining the two extreme sides of the label; free-jazz and club-music.
Kelly Lee Owens - Anxi

I heard Kelly’s first single and I loved it and contacted her asking if she wanted to record for Smalltown. I rarely do that, but I was so impressed with the track that I felt that something really special was in the pipeline. And it certainly was. She is probably the artist on the label that lets me most in on the creative process. In my opinion she is one of the most talented producers around today. From her remixes for Bjork, Jenny Hval and St Vincent to her clubby 12”s to the debut album; she has her own very distinct sound, which is quite rare so early in the career.