They call it “experimental pop” – but Racing Heart’s second album – What Comes After – is sheer cool.
Synthesized and folksy, What Comes After is energizing and magnetic, a siren’s call that’s worthy of endless listens and leaves you wanting more.
We heard this album – and had to feature it in our Fall Catalogue.
This is a real inspired effort, and a serious contender for one of the top 10 albums of the year.
How’s that for a recommendation?
Really, friends, don’t write this one off.
So what comes after? Hopefully, another album from Racing Heart.
***
Until then, here are Six Crucial Questions for Racing Heart’s Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn.
***
***
NAME: Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn (above)
AGE: 36
BAND: Racing Heart
POSITION: Band leader (it’s usually a one-man band, so that’s a bit less dictatorial than it sounds)
HOMETOWN: Oslo, Norway
***
1. What is your earliest musical memory?
Watching Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video when I was about four years old, alternating between being mesmerized by what I saw and heard from the screen, and running away from the TV-set in sheer terror. But then slowly tiptoeing back for more.
***
2. What has been your most embarrassing musical moment?
Man, there’s been so many of those over the years that I’ve suppressed the worst one. There’s one for future therapy…
***
3. What do you like and dislike about touring?
I’m often extremely pleasantly surprised by how nice and earnestly enthusiastic people can be when coming through smaller towns on tour, it makes the whole thing a lot better. The worst is that if I’ve played a bad show, had really poor turn-out or unexpected hassle with a venue, it colours my whole world-view. Since getting into town, setting up for the show and then playing is the only thing that happens every day, there’s no other yardstick by which to measure yourself, no real way to take a breather from it all.
***
***
4. What is your favorite record store, anywhere in the world?
The Record Grouch in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NYC. It used to be my neighborhood vinyl joint, so I’d stop by all the time. Amazing records and less grouchy than the name implies.
***
5. Other than your own music, what is your favorite song or album of all-time? Why?
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. It’s just achingly beautiful, sad and moving. I still can’t believe it was made by a 23-year old.
***
6. You wake up in a seedy Berlin hotel room with no recollection of the past 96 hours. Who is your first call?
A publisher, that sounds like the beginning of a pretty good yarn.
***
***
***
Photo Credits:
Album cover courtesy of Misra Records; Portraits courtesy of photographer Ketil Blom; and a special thanks to Noisy Ghost PR.
***
Other Six Crucial Questions:
— # —
