Little seems to be known in the English-speaking world of the rather unorthodox-in-every-way sextet from Norway, Kaizers Orchestra. They have quite a dedicated fanbase in mainland Europe, and a huge following in their native land. They were formed in Bergen, Norway, in 1998 and set out with the intent mission of becoming Norway's greatest ever live act. Three hit albums, a Norwegian grammy, and numerous other accolades later, there are few who would dare challenge them for the crown. The band puts on an energetic live show, playing 150+ shows a year primarily in Norway, Denmark, but also at various festivals and key locations in Europe.
Ompa Til Du Dor was their first album, released in 2002, and they have since released two further LPs,
Evig Pint in 2003 and
Maestro in 2005.
There's no conventional way to describe how the band sounds. The band's name gives one insight, they're definitely an orchestra of some kind, albeit a completely unheard of kind. Their sound is typified by a mix of alley-pan drums, raucous horns and dirty jazz guitar. The band's website takes a wild stab (a sound probably found on the album) at classifying the sex-piece, announcing: "Their style of music is rock, with a major Eastern European flavour, la Tom Waits." If nothing else, they're cultured. The website spiel goes on to declare: "The line-up features drums and electric guitar, which goes without saying, plus double bass, a pump organ and oil barrels plus whatever junk they find along the way." If nothing else, they're slightly insane.
Attempts to classify the band within traditional framework or otherwise are really in vain. Perhaps the most helpful way to describe the band would be "neo-Tom Waits" in Norwegian. The band proudly sing in their native tongue. This may hamper any dreams they have of mass worldwide success, but Norwegian or not, its a very endearing aspect to their music. Frontman Janove may throw in the odd English phrase here and there (hear the bewildering "Made In Hong Kong" refrain in
Resistansen), but this album is all Norwegian, all the time. Or something. Like every other aspect of the band's sound, the vocals defy convention on their own merits, but the alien tongue only adds to their mystery (for the foreign listener, of course).
The album, at least to this reviewer, is thematically continuous. Each track seems a continuation of sorts of the previous song, as opposed to a simple collection of songs, though that's a rather crude way to describe a standard album. Without knowledge of the language, it's difficult to verify this theory, but it's certainly the way I choose to view the album. I'm reliably informed the album is a collection of stories of characters: sailors; soldiers; Mr. Kaizer and the gang, of course. There's high and low moments, and some tracks are certainly highlights, but there does seem to be something about the tracks which lends to the idea of a larger concept, a continuous piece.
The title track, which literally translates as "Oompa 'Til You Die", is one of the aforementioned highlights. Opening with an electrifying pump organ melody and subdued horns, it's quite a melancholy track, characterized by an unceasing vocal and an atmospheric arrangement which recalls, bizarrely, U2, at times. The opening track,
Kontroll P' Kontinentet, is a more upbeat track and another highlight, driven again by a strong vocal courtesy of the wonderful Janove. There's far too much to be said for the rest that there's simply no space to go into detail.
Resistansen is my favourite track on the album, featuring a brilliant group chorus before culminating in the euphoric chant of the album title.
Bak Et Halleluja is one of the more accessible tracks, if only because most of the words are in no language at all.
Mr. Kaizer Hans Constanze and Meg closes the album on a solemn note. The lyrics may be as upbeat as Billy Joel, I don't know, but the militaristic slow horns and group vocals create an air of melancholy, with a tinge of hope, which can only be described as breath-taking. I could go on, but I've already said too much. I fear to over-analyse.
The music resembles at one moment a sped-up Decembrists and the next Tom Waits at his most morose. It's fascinating to listen to the album unveil. Each listen brings new joys, new focus, new insight. It does for me, at least. Music is, in perspective, highly subjective, and Eastern European jazz-rock is certainly not to everyone's taste, but I believe there is something contained here for everybody. For those who, like me, have fallen in love with the album I have only one, startlingly unoriginal thing to say: Ompa Til Du Dor!
