Blackbox by Major Parkinson

Blackbox is the fourth studio album by the Norwegian cult prog rock outfit Major Parkinson. Come over to the passenger side, open the lid and embark on an unparalleled journey through cinematic, progressive soundscapes and otherworldly melodies. In the able hands of sound maestro Yngve Leidulv Sætre, this Blackbox has been forged in stainless dark matter and is filled to the brim with musical excess. It is a treasure chest pulled patiently from the ocean floor, through shoals of curious starfish. It’s a night ride through a snowy and moonlit mountain pass, under the pale flicker of oddly shaped constellations.

The seven members of the band have spent the better part of two years creating this album, partly in the legendary Duper Studio, and partly in their own dungeon - Degaton Studio. And the end result is now finally ready to be unleashed on the world. Linn Frøkedal (Misty Coast, Low Frequency in Stereo) contributes on no less than four tracks with her haunting vocals, and a plethora of guest musicians have all added their unique blends to further elevate the Blackbox experience. Frenetic horn sections, angelic strings, rusty hammers, paper planes and rocket ships, this album has it all.

With this release, Major Parkinson gives you an uncompromising work, somewhere in the crossroads between progressive rock, cinematic pop, heavy industry and icy Arctic electronics. Roll out the black carpet!

Tracklist

1.	Lover, Lower Me Down!	4:48

2.	Night Hitcher	5:47

3.	Before the Helmets	1:26

4.	Isabel - A Report to an Academy	9:42

5.	Scenes from Edison's Black Maria	1:47

6.	Madeleine Crumbles	5:07

7.	Baseball	10:21

8.	Strawberry Suicide	2:58

9.	Blackbox	5:49

Credits

released October 27, 2017

Written, arranged and produced by Major Parkinson
Recorded at Duper Studio & Degaton Studios
Mix: Yngve Leidulv Sætre, Eivind Gammersvik (track 5)
Engineering: Iver Sandøy, Eivind Gammersvik
Digital editing: Eivind Gammersvik, Lars Christian Bjørknes
Mastering: Morten Lund
Cover design: Martin Kvamme

Additional engineering: André Lund, Lars Christian Bjørknes, Simen Hallset
Pianos recorded at Bergen offentlige bibliotek, Solslottet, Griegakademiet, UiB

Inside the Blackbox:
Jon Ivar Kollbotn: lead vox, piano (track 3)
Eivind Gammersvik: bass, backing vox
Lars Christian Bjørknes: piano, synth, organs, programming, notation, backing vox
Sondre Sagstad Veland: drums, perc, typewriter, backing vox
Sondre Rafoss Skollevoll: guitars, backing vox, microKORG (track 4)
Øystein Bech-Eriksen: guitars
Claudia Cox: violin, backing vox

Also featuring:
Linn Frøkedal – lead vox
Carmen Boveda – cello
Jonas Flemsæter Hamre – saxophone
Joar Lemme – trombone
Gunleik Gisletveit – tuba
Logan Arndt – french horn
Andreas Hesselberg Hatzikiriakidis – trumpet
Nataniel Hjønnevåg – xylophone
Thomas Rolland aka Lip Shaw – whistling
Megan Kovacs – backing vox

Female choir by Volve Vokal:
Thea Meidell Sjule
Idunn Strøm Myklebust
Frida Ekerhovd
Kaja Linder Henriksen
Ann Christin Jenssen
Kristine Norebø
Signe Wiger
Kine Granum
Malene Moen Sætre
Solveig Foldnes Dybsland

Thanks: Bergen kommune, Mads Eriksen, JS Artist, Olav Bleie, Aslaug Irene & Steinar Skår, Jens Erik Aasmundseth, Bjarte Handeland, Kickstarter, Thea Juliana & Petter André, Trine, Silje, Malene, Vanessa, Ane, Cato, friends & family

The 450 society: Debz Love Lewis, David Sheridon, Elise Kristensen, Jørgen Reitan, Charlie Bird, Stefan Stokmo, Kjell Magnus Bjørk, Remy Skovlie, Ken-Tore Kallevåg, Bård Kaspersen, Stein Veland, Martin Prechtl, Thomas Jørgensen, Bjarte Strandtun, Vidar Oma Færøy, Morten Andreas Viken, Sam Garrick, Brage, Henrik Lillebjerka, Asher Park, Eric Samuelson, Thor Egil Leirtrø, Jay Kerschner, Eldar Andre Aspen, Si Ombrellone, Jon H. Poulsen, Lauri Lempiäinen, Jan Weißig, Даня + Рина, Haakon Fredriksen, Maja Grøtting Espestøyl, Aaron Tyrrell, Lasse Faugstad, Yosuke Sano, Jeno Havelaar, Ari Palo, Miriam Landsnes Heldal, Finn Christian Edvardsen, Joseph Wright, Rosie and Graham Sewell, Izzy Vults, Eveline, Njål Grønnerød, Daniel Nystad, Thomas Litland, Ole Bertheus Sørensen, Kai Akira, Meik Bastians, Øyvind Greve, Patrick Bernard, Tony Hopland, Tengill Gjøse, Christian Svabø, Mostringen, Leopold Lian Røbech, Sascha Disselbrede, Eivind Myrtveit, Marie Moe Myklebust, Einar Bjørknes, Lotte Bukve Kjødnes, Ronny Myrtveit, Leif S., Sindre, Micha Käser, Frederick Fjellheim Ulltang, Tobias Laufer, Jonas Ruud Hansen, Benja Appel, Roman Rubinski, Sascha Baldauf, Ian Proudfoot, Lennaert Roomer, Geir Yven, Daniel Schmidt, Corey Gerein, Richard Mehlhose, Terje Kollbotn, Didrik Graham Henriksen, Kai Jerzoe, Sean Vieira, Ståle Roar Leirtrø, Anja Ziski, Harald Olsen, Min Chan Sohn, Bernimont Mathieu, Emma Solheim, Benjamin Striepke, Audun Småge, Ville Pulkkanen, Joseph Pagliaro, Rodolfo Perez Sandy, Jan Espen Fylling, Milla Flesche, Kenneth Valklev, Anne Groeger, Helga Kleppe, Vemund Lamberg

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