 |
| (Henrik & Peter) |
release date: Oct. 1, 2007
format: 2 cd (melo 005)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Nikolaj Nørlund; Peter Olesen, Rune Borup, Torsten Larsen
label: Melodika - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: Disc 1): 1. "Drømmen om et liv" - 2. "Jeg har aldrig haft et job" - 5. "Fyraften" - 7. "Søn af en revisor" - 9. "Sen sne" - - Disc 2): 1. "I kulkælderen på 3. sal" - 3. "Jeg har valgt at være ulykkelig" - 6. "Jeg drømte jeg var et godt menneske" - 8. "Til de efterladte" - 10. "Det skønne og det sande"
7th and final studio album by Olesen-Olesen released on Melodika is a 2-disc album, where disc 1 is mainly produced by Nikolaj Nørlund, and all tracks on disc 2 are produced by Peter Olesen, Rune Borup, Torsten Larsen, and with Tore Johansen as co-producer on tracks #1, #8 and #9. Apart from referring to the Biblical brothers, the album title also pays tribute to the Danish poet Morti Vizki (aka Morten Boeslund Poulsen), who had been found dead in Sep. 2004 at the age of 41 - Vizki wrote the text "To monologer: Abel og Kain" ['Two monologues: Cain and Abel'] and he wrote the poem "Drømmen om et liv" for which Henrik composed accompanying music.
The album is basically a "2-in-1" album, as each disc contains songs exclusively written by either of the two brothers, and in a way gives you two solo albums released as a double album. Disc 1 contains songs exclusively composed by guitarist Henrik Olesen [Abel] in collaboration with other songwriters. Three of these have lyrics by Peter, one is written by Jens Unmack, and one is by Morti Vizki. Disc 2 are songs written by songwriter and vocalist Peter H. Olesen [Kain], mostly with other musical composers of which four are composed by Torsten Larsen, four are credited Klaus Mandal Hansen, one is by Michael Lund, one by Henrik Olesen, and one song has music composed by Peter himself. In this way they also point to their future musical split after having worked together in several bands and projects for more than three decades. Their first releases together were with the band Sort-Hvide Landskaber back in the early '80s. After that they released two tapes as Skizo Kids - for this project Peter was credited as Kain and Henrik as Abel. Soon after they continued in the band Greene, with whom they released three full-length studio albums before founding their duo-project, Olesen-Olesen. And now with Kain og Abel this has also come to an end, and a full circle has been drawn.
I don't know anything about the decision to split after all these years, but in the years to follow they have remained parted. Naturally, it's a rather special album with the two brothers having arranged and written the songs for each disc on their own, and with the help of other artists. I can't tell which of the two discs is the better, as they both have obvious forces. Disc 1 generally contains most up-tempo and positive expressions of songs in a style closely related to that of their former band, Greene, and Disc 2 represents the lyrically most interesting compositions - and in a style that bonds more with that of their most recent works together.
"Til de efterladte" is a fine poem accompanied by music which forecasts the upcoming project De efterladte in more than one sense. The title is one thing, as it's also written together with guitarist Michael Lund, who takes part in the project with Peter H. Olesen. The album as such, is not among the best by the brothers and whether or not the title and the Christian allegory with two brothers in conflict has any bearing in the split remains uncertain. Peter continued his artistic work by writing novels, poems, and eventually by initiating the musical duo De efterladte, whereas Henrik continued as additional guitarist for the duo, Er De Sjældne with Solveig Sandnes (ex Lovebites) and Lone Hørslev, and then he was the first of the two brothers to initiate his own musical project, Ukendt Under Andet Navn.
[ Gaffa.dk, Soundvenue 4 / 6 stars ]
