Hello! It is a new year and a blog post about the year that has passed is in order. In 2024 I wrote 22 blog posts, released 2 album releases and had 31 performances including 1 live stream concert. Too much happened for a full summary, but let’s talk about some of the interesting things that happened, and the plan for 2025.
Let’s start off by talking a little bit about this very website.
3 years ago, after previously having used Tumblr, Wordpress and other services (not to mention Myspace, Soundcloud, Facebook etc.) I decided it was finally time to learn how to make my own website from scratch. And I am so glad I did! While all the mentioned services are getting worse and worse, my website is getting better and better.
I can really sense the shift in my self from (only) posting on other platforms in hope of winning the algorithm lottery, to slowly building up a library of what I am making here on the website. With no ads distracting you from the content itself, navigating and exploring a website like this is very different from social media.
In the work surrounding the #BeYourOwnPlatform movement, one of the (surprising) finds was that one of the most radial and liberating things an artist on the web can do for themself is to learn html and css. So if you are an artist yourself, please make a website! Let me know if you need any help!
Almost exactly two years after the previous album, I released my new solo album Subsupra. On this album I once again tried exploring new ground and break with some of the patterns on the previous release.
I am very happy with how everything came together in the end, and find it very interesting how when taking a step back I can see so clearly how the things I am experiencing and thinking about ends up in the music.
WOW! The last evening as a 34-year-old I opened for Autechre at Sentrum Scene!
If you are reading my blog you probably have heard about Autechre, but just in case you haven’t, they are one of the pioneers within my style of music, having broken a lot of new ground since the early 90’s and still being current.
Pretty funny to think about how I used to work at Sentrum Scene back in 2012-2016, taking people’s jackets, filling up the bars and tidying the stage and backstage areas after the concerts. I still had a few old colleagues working there so for MY backstage they made a special sign so I would be 100% sure which one was mine, haha!
The concert was amazing and I enjoyed every second of it! Rob and Sean from Autechre were super friendly, my set went very well and I talked to lots of excited new people after the concert, when I sold my tape in the merch booth.
I am currently editing the recordings and plan to release the performance as both a live album and a video.
If you are new around here, Øy is my duo with tap dancer Janne Eraker. I have made a big controller system in Max that lets me control most of my setup with Janne’s tap sound, and change what she is playing on the fly as part of the improvisation.
In 2024 we went to Colombia to play at the Bogotap festival! We had 3 concerts, 2 workshops, 2 interviews, 1 tap jam and a bunch of social situations. A very special event indeed, I don’t really think I would ever end up in Colombia if it hadn’t been for this, so I find it very interesting how being a musician brings you to new and different situations you wouldn’t have ended up in otherwise.
It is also very interesting how meeting people in this setting is very different from just as a tourist (which we of course were after the festival ended).
A true adventure!
We also released our first album with Øy! We are STILL waiting for the finished vinyl to show up (bah don’t get me started), but the album is out and we are so proud of it! It features 5 tracks recorded live in 2023 and we are also planning to release the video recordings for the tracks.
We had the release concert in one of the coolest places in Oslo, Black Box teater [sic]. It was intense and sooooo cool! Since we were in a big theater space we put a lot of work into using the room itself and we have different video material, live green screen and other things to make this a truly special evening for people.
Let’s do a quick run through of some other cool things that happened this year.
I started working with the lovely distributor Diger and record shop Tiger. Blog post here.
I composed and performed music for contemporary dance:
I created my streaming site Lislegaard.stream and played a show for the Fediwave August series. Video here.
I helped producing and streaming the talk show Talking with the COU. I was also the guest being interviewed on one episode, where we talked about my new album, listened a bit to all of the tracks etc. Video and audio here.
I had a semi-viral video where I complained about problems with YouTube. The video got 300 long comments and got picked up on multiple podcasts and YouTube channels. You can watch the video here.
2024 was my best year, but also the year where I worried the most about the world. I have been having thoughts like “I am not supposed to be sharing positive things because there are so many negative things going on”.
But I have come to the opposite conclusion. When negative forces are brewing up a storm, we have to go twice as hard.
Like my friend Jenny said: “[…]to spread a tiny glimpse of light and love is better than staying silent in the darkness.”
Call it a job, a hobby, a lifestyle, an obsession, a religion – but one thing we artists can do is contribute positivity, inspiration, wonder and human spirit.
I believe this is very needed and I will try my best in 2025!
See you for more music, concerts, live streams, writing and creativity!
Peace and love ❤️