Major Parkinson – Valesa – Chapter 1: Velvet Prison
Apollon Records
8,5/10,0
Brief:
Major Parkinson is a particle collider of huge, cinematic melodies, catchy pop hooks, impossible rhythms and psychedelic lyrics. A distinctly different band, with an unconventional, associative and almost irrational approach to the art of writing music.
Major Parkinson announces their long-awaited return with the new album Valesa – Chapter I: Velvet Prison, releasing on CD, vinyl, cassette and all streaming platforms. The ever-evolving seven-piece has emerged from the primordial darkness of 2017’s Blackbox, into a neon haze of progressive synthpop/rock. Having chased the ever-elusive Ghost of Pop music from the early days of their eponymous debut album to the present, the band has always thrived within a melodic core – often clad under a shroud of progressive experimentation. On Valesa – Chapter I, the shackles are off, the curtain pulled back, as their compositions extrapolate with new focus and invention. Not necessarily less intricate, but definitely more pop.
The album features 17 meticulously crafted songs that explore new sonic territories, set to the political backdrop of the 1980s as they tap into the Zeitgeist of a period in human history that proved tantamount in shaping our world. From the halls of an abandoned American high school to the wine-stained head of Gorbachev — the album evokes an all-encompassing feeling of uneasy nostalgia, like humanity collectively looking back in time with a pair of cracked, rose-tinted glasses.
Major Parkinson is a Norwegian avant-garde pop group with four critically acclaimed full-length albums to their name: Major Parkinson (2008), Songs from a Solitary Home (2010), Twilight Cinema (2014) and Blackbox (2017).
Splashing about in their very own, near-overflowing bubble of progressive rock, avant-garde pop, dark humor and theatre, some claim Major Parkinson to be Norwegian music’s best kept secret. Yet, to their loyal and growing fanbase, they certainly are no secret.
Tracklist:
- Goodbye Blue Monday
- Behind the Next Door
- Saturday Night
- Ride in the Whirlwind
- Live Forever
- Sadlands
- Intermezzo
- Jonah
- Velvet Moon
- Irina Margareta
- The House
- The Room
- Posh-Apocalypse
- MOMA
- Lemon Symphony
- Fantasia Me Now!
- Heroes
Main Focus Tracks:
- Behind the Next Door
- Saturday Night
- Jonah
Other Recommended Tracks:
- Live Forever
- Intermezzo
- The Room
Line-Up:
Jon Ivar Kollbotn – vocals
Øystein Bech-Eriksen – guitar
Eivind Gammersvik – bass
Sondre Veland – drums
Lars Christian Bjørknes – keys
Sondre Skollevoll – guitar, backing vocals
Claudia Cox – violin, vocals
Comments:
The Bergen band’s latest stimulating installment will surely satisfy old fans and capture new ones. While some songs stand out more than others, the record’s huge sound leaves a forceful and lasting impression.
Contact:
Major Parkinson
Videos:
Selected Discography:
Major Parkinson – 2008
Songs from a Solitary Home – 2010
Twilight Cinema – 2014
Blackbox – 2017
A Night at the Library – 2022
Chapter 1: Velvet Prison – 2022