Salvatore (band)

Salvatore

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1998 in Oslo, Norway
Founder	John Birger Wormdahl, Ola Fløttum, Bjarne Larsen, Kjell-Olav Jørgensen
Defunct	2008
Headquarters	Oslo , Norway
Products	Instrumental rock music integrating post-rock, electronic music, and krautrock
Website	salvatore.no

Salvatore was an instrumental rock ensemble from Norway known for integrating elements of post-rock, electronic music, and krautrock. Established in Oslo in 1998 by John Birger Wormdahl, Ola Fløttum, Bjarne Larsen, and Kjell-Olav Jørgensen, the group ceased activity in 2008.

History

The inception of Salvatore was influenced by the German krautrock pioneers Neu!. After forming in 1998, the band secured victory in Norway's "Zoom" music competition and proceeded to perform across Norway, England, and Scotland throughout 1999.

Their first album, Clingfilm, debuted in October 2000. This was quickly followed by Jugend – A New Hedonism in November of the same year, which functioned as the soundtrack for De Utvalgte’s theatrical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both records were issued under the Racing Junior label.

In 2001, Jon Platou Selvig became a member, coinciding with the release of their third album, Fresh. The addition of percussionist Karim Sayed occurred in 2002. That year, their fourth album, Tempo, was produced in Chicago and mixed by John McEntire; it earned them the Spellemannprisen award for Best Electronica Album. Salvatore also took part in the Earworm compilation during this period.

The band recorded their fifth album, Luxus, in Oslo in 2003 with Ingar Hunskaar as producer. Following this, Ola Fløttum departed from the group. The album Fresh was licensed and reissued by Rocketracer, a San Diego-based label. In 2004, Jørgen Skjulstad joined the lineup as Salvatore embarked on their initial European tour. During this tour, they released Luxus, which had been mixed by McEntire. Later that year, Salvatore supported Tortoise on a European tour.

In 2005, their touring extended to Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Balkans. That year saw Jon Platou Selvig leave and Leon Muraglia join the band. After a break from performing, Anthony Barratt became part of the group prior to the launch of their sixth album, Days of Rage, released on January 1, 2007. This album also received a Spellemannprisen award in the electronica category.

Due to difficulties managing an evolving membership and creative challenges, Salvatore disbanded in June 2008. Subsequently, original members Wormdahl, Larsen, and Jørgensen formed MASSELYS later that year and continue to produce music and perform.

Discography

• Clingfilm (2000)
• Jugend – A New Hedonism (2000)
• Fresh (2001)
• Tempo (2002)
• Luxus (2004)
• Days of Rage (2007)

Members

• Bjarne Larsen: guitar, bass guitar (1998–2008)
• John Birger Wormdahl: keyboard, guitar, sampling (1998–2008)
• Kjell-Olav Jørgensen: drums (1998–2008)
• Karim Sayed: drums, percussion (2002–2008)
• Leon Muraglia: electronics (2005–2008)
• Anthony Barratt: guitar (2006–2008)
• Ola Fløttum: guitar, bass (1998–2003)
• Jon Platou Selvig: sampling, keyboard (2001–2005)
• Jørgen Skjulstad/DJ Sissyfus: various instruments (2004–2006)

External links

• Salvatore.no – Official website
• Racingjunior.com – Record label