Even and I are well on our way recording the album. The last couple of weeks we have been working on laying overdubs on the (percussion-heavy) tracks from the Sono session. We have recorded accordion, banjo, some mandolin, a little guitar here and there, shakers and tambourines (yes, more percussion), autoharp, Moog (yes) and will soon be getting into more exotic things, like balalaika, ukulele, sitar and pedal steel. And then the horns. And then probably violins and it's bigger siblings. And then, finally, vocals.

Yes, we have a lot of work to do, but at least we're having fun doing it.

in other news, C+C records will be releasing a tribute album to Prince (on his 50. birthday). We have contributed a cover of Strollin'. Mind you, this is not your ordinary tribute album. It's a monster release, 80 tracks spanning 5 CDs. According to the C+C site: "This is more than just a Prince-tributealbum. This is actually EVERYTHING the Norwegian musical scene have to offer 2008. All is made with love to the worlds greatest artist ever, Prince." Also, there's a MySpace page.

And finally, we will be playing the Working Class Hero festival in Drammen may 3. Be there or b².

Morten

We had an incredibly efficient day yesterday. After an invigorating breakfast, we started were we left off wednesday night. After not too long, Evens drumming skills started to shine, and we could go from song to song, spending about two hours on each.

All together, we recorded drums on seven songs yesterday.

The way things look now, we're going to finish the drums today, and then move on to the really fin part: Percussion. There's practically a mountain of percussion instruments lying around here, and we're looking forward to jangling those around in this magnificent recording room (the reverb!)

I still haven't found a solution to getting images from my camera to the computer, but I took some pictures with my mobile yesterday, just to give an impression of what it's like down here.

We arrived at Sono Records at around 11.30, after a taxi driver had picked us up at the airport, stopped by a shop at the way for water and beer. We started working right away, setting up drums and microphones and all that. Andreas (the producer) has been here before, and knows the room and the equipment, so the set up an deciding what to do went fairly quick.

The recording room here is huge, about 150 sq. meters, and sounds incredible. In a couple of hours Andreas and our skilled and helpful assistants Michel and Tamasz managed to get a good sound out of the drums. The only problem was that the drum skin on one of the toms that were too old and worn. So while Tamasz (as the nice fellow he is) drove to Prague to get a new one, Andreas, Even and I used the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. After all, we were up at 5 in the morning.

Right now, Andreas is putting on the new skin, while Michel is fixing some obscure electrical problem somewhere. As soon as Andreas is done, we will be starting recording a song. We are excited and a little nervous.

I wish I could post some photos, but it seems that the one thing I forgot (always one thing) was the cable that connects my camera to my computer. Will see what if I can fix that somehow.

until next time
Morten

PS: Did I mention that this is the studio where Bowie recorded "1. Outside"?

First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming to Gamla on Saturday (well, technically Sunday). It was great fun to see you all dancing out there, we had a wonderful time. I know there were some good people taking pictures, I'll try to scare them into sending them to me.

Next, I apologize for my forgetfulness. I sat here trying to write the last piece, and the last gig I could remember we had done was the one with Thomas in April. But how could I really forget the wonderful shows at Passagen in Larvik and in the backyard of Dattera Til Hagen during Øya? If I had half a mind, I simply could have checked the concert history on this very site. I guess I'll blame laziness.

And finally, I'm glad to relay the good news that Even and I have booked a studio for recording our next album, code named "Album 2". Come mid-March, we're leaving for Sono Records outside Prague, and our producer Andreas Eide is coming with us. We will primarily be recording drums and percussion, but we hope to find the time to do other things as well.


Morten, 28 and senile

Saturday february 23., The Captain & Me will play our first show since, uhm, since April, at Oslo club Gamla, during club:Larm. Club:Larm, or almost-by:Larm, is an official side-programme to the annual, ambulating cattle show that is by:Larm.

We will be appearing fittingly late, at 00:30, and only followed by the fantastic youngian live experience El Cuero (who, if my memory serves me well, appeared before us at Fête de la Musique a couple of years ago).

Read more at bylarm.no

Morten

PS: When at by:Larm, be sure not to miss Charlotte & The Co-Stars, featuring TC&M bassist Alex, plus Einar Stenseng, featuring Frode, the TC&M banjo and pedal steel magician.
PPS: Oh, and if you at some point think you have arrived at Gamla, but they are charging a stupendously high cover charge at the door, you have probably tried to enter the strip club next door.

It's been a long time since the last update, and I think it's time to fill this space with something else. We know for a fact that Thomas' family wants as much quiet and calm and time to mourn as possible these days, so let's give them that.

Just a short note:
Sadly, Saint Thomas' next album, which was to be recorded in large part by Even and me, had not come to any stage near completion. We have Thomas' demos, but there is no way we can make something that will be anything like the album was supposed to be. And even if there was, we're not sure it would be right to do so without Thomas, and it would be all up to Thomas' family. In other words, there are no chances of "Mouse In A Crowded House" ever being released.

In other news, Even and I are currently in the process of writing new songs for our next album. We meet thursday evening every week, sit down with guitars, and try to make magic happen. Interestingly, it usually does. Apparently, you can force creativity.

Right now we have simple demos for 8 or 9 songs. And ideas for 4 or 5 more. We're planning to have all the songs written (or half-written, as there isn't much lyrics at this stage) by christmas. Then, sometime in january and february we will start the recording sessions by laying down drums and possibly bass for all the songs in an actual recording studio (yes!). The rest of the album will be recorded, as before, in Even's bedroom.

I have a vague plan of reporting on this page as things progress.

We have received a nice lump of money supporting the recording of th album, so everything is looking good. On the other hand, we don't have a record label anymore, but we like to think that things work out. We're both positive, yes-people.

Have a good one,
Morten

They found him last night. This is a sad, sad day.

Racing Junior has published a press release on behalf of themselves and the family.

Our condolances go out the his family and everybody who knew him and played with him.

Morten

Yes, you guessed it! The Captain & Me in concert have been captured through the wonders of modern technology. A sequence of still images, shot at exact and precise intervals, when shown after each other at the same intervals, create the illusion of real life movement, i.e. The Captain & Me playing a song on stage in Larvik last tuesday. The phenomenon is called "moving pictures", or just "movie". Yes, it has sound too! So life-like, you can almost taste the beer.

See it here (made possible by the hypertext transfer protocol, via a complex system of electronic devices commonly known as "The internet"):
http://tbtv.tb.no/player/kultur/1840-full-troekk-paa-passasjen.html

Oh, and there is also the short article which provides a lead-in to the "movie".

Morten, amazed at the wonders of modern technology