Babel Fish (band)
Encyclopedia
Babel Fish are a Norwegian
pop rock
band from Oslo
formed in the late 1980s. The band's members are Tarjei van Ravens (vocals, guitar), Halvor Holter (keyboards, vocals), Odd Jensen (drums), and Simon Malm (bass), the first three as co-founders.
Babel Fish were influenced by artists such as The Beatles
, Crowded House
and Kate Bush
, they were a classic four-piece and their songs emphasized melodies, vocal harmonies and catchy guitar riffs, featuring a production which combined a classic sound and some less frequent elements, such as Mellotron
and recorded vocal samples.
During the first years of the band, the group worked as a cover band and as studio musicians. The 1996 single "Light of Day" was released under the name Daily Planet, one year after the band had signed up with Waterfall Productions. As they were informed that a Swedish band had already been using that name, the group decided on the current name, inspired by the incredible Babel fish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
books by Douglas Adams
.
The band pitched "Light of Day" and "Mania" to international labels, and when Atlantic Records
picked them up, their first album Babel Fish was already half finished. The album was released worldwide in 1998
. "Mania" became a big success across Europe and was used in a Marlboro commercial and as part of the soundtrack for Dawson's Creek
. One year later, however, the band felt sidelined as attention from the record company had diminished, and legal battles ensued to get out of the contract with Atlantic. In the meantime the band had toured much of Europe.
Babel Fish returned to Norway in 2002 after three years abroad, now signed to another Warner
subsidiary (Atlantic is also a subsidiary of Warner Music Group), and released the single "Killing Time" and the album Coming Up For Air.
The band won the Spellemannprisen
in 1999 for their video of the song "Light of Day".
In 2011, 10 years after their last record came out, they reunited to enter Melodi Grand Prix 2011
with the song "Depend on Me," winning the second Semi-Final.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
formed in the late 1980s. The band's members are Tarjei van Ravens (vocals, guitar), Halvor Holter (keyboards, vocals), Odd Jensen (drums), and Simon Malm (bass), the first three as co-founders.
Babel Fish were influenced by artists such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
and Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, they were a classic four-piece and their songs emphasized melodies, vocal harmonies and catchy guitar riffs, featuring a production which combined a classic sound and some less frequent elements, such as Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
and recorded vocal samples.
During the first years of the band, the group worked as a cover band and as studio musicians. The 1996 single "Light of Day" was released under the name Daily Planet, one year after the band had signed up with Waterfall Productions. As they were informed that a Swedish band had already been using that name, the group decided on the current name, inspired by the incredible Babel fish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
books by Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
.
The band pitched "Light of Day" and "Mania" to international labels, and when Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
picked them up, their first album Babel Fish was already half finished. The album was released worldwide in 1998
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
. "Mania" became a big success across Europe and was used in a Marlboro commercial and as part of the soundtrack for Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
. One year later, however, the band felt sidelined as attention from the record company had diminished, and legal battles ensued to get out of the contract with Atlantic. In the meantime the band had toured much of Europe.
Babel Fish returned to Norway in 2002 after three years abroad, now signed to another Warner
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
subsidiary (Atlantic is also a subsidiary of Warner Music Group), and released the single "Killing Time" and the album Coming Up For Air.
The band won the Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
in 1999 for their video of the song "Light of Day".
In 2011, 10 years after their last record came out, they reunited to enter Melodi Grand Prix 2011
Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Norway participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, selecting their entry through the national final Melodi Grand Prix 2011, organised by the Norwegian broadcaster, Norsk Rikskringkasting .-Melodi Grand Prix 2011:...
with the song "Depend on Me," winning the second Semi-Final.
Albums
- Babel Fish (1998)
- Coming Up For Air (2002)
- Come Closer - The Best of Babel Fish (2011)
Singles
- "Light Of Day" (1996)
- "Mania" (1998)
- "Out Of The Blue"
- "Killing Time" (2002)
- "Coming Up For Air"
- "Depend on Me" (2011)
- "Come Closer" (2011)