Erik og Kriss
Encyclopedia
Erik og Kriss is a Norwegian
rap group created by Erik Mortvedt and Kristoffer Tømmerbakke. The duo became popular through the internet
with the song Bærumsgrammatikk in 2004 and later with Putt Diamanter Opp in 2006. In 2007, they finished their first album, Gull og Grønne Skoger, and followed that with their second album Verden Vil Bedras in early 2008. Their popularity grew even further after the release of their second album, first through the single Dra Tilbake which was released nearing the end of 2007, and more so after the release of Det E'kke Meg Det Er Deg in the middle of 2008. Record sales, lots of airplay on many of Norway's radio station
s, and frequent performances pushed them to become one of Norway's most popular artists in rap and hip hop
.
song Legenden in 2002 for their own russ
bus of the same name and made it available on the bus's ad hoc
website. After their bus received media attention and distinguished itself among the russ
through winning the prize Årets Lydbuss at the national russ
meeting in Stavanger
, along with Årets Buss at Eikeli videregående skole, they began to actively produce songs that were made available on their website. In a short period of time, they became known on the internet and among the younger crowd in their home municipality of Bærum
. They were initially creating the songs in their bedrooms, but they took the next step to a more professional location after Kriss started collaborating with the music producer Svein E. Fjellstad and started a studio and production company, Brickwall Studio Productions.
The duo went into business with the ArtistPartner agency in the start of 2006, who would take over all the paper work, and set up the group's concert and travel plans. This increased the number of concert appearances drastically. In the Summer of 2006, the group reached their big goal when they signed a contract with the record company MTG Music. The work on their debut album began immediately after the agreement. In Janugary 2007, the group's website registered over 250,000 downloads, and since the first record release, the group had a long series of concert, often with other popular musicians. In total the duo had over 100 concert performances in 2007.
They debuted with their first album Gull og Grønner Skoger on 12 March 2007. The album received mixed reviews from the press, but sold well in its first week. On the charts
, the record was ranked 29th, and 9th among Norwegian
artists. The release concert was held 15 March 2007 at Parkteatret.
Later, on 14 January 2008, the group released their follow-up album Verden Vil Bedras, less than a year after their first record was released. Similar to their first album, Gull og Grønne Skoger, it also received mixed reviews from the press. Dagbladet
gave it a rating of two out of a possible six, but Stavanger Aftenblad
gave it a rating of five out of six. The release concert was at Rockefeller Music Hall
on 19 January 2008 where they performed for a full house.
, humour
ous, and satirical
interpretation of the situation in Bærum
, they have repeatedly used the theme in their songs. In the song, they try to dispel the myths about their home town
being exaggeratingly majestic, affluent, and conceited. Both in the song Oppblåst På Livstid, and in Putt Diamanter Opp, which is a cover
of Lil' Kim
s Lighters Up, they shape an exaggerated and almost pompous portrait of Bærum
and their own adolescence. On their later record, Verden Vil Bedras, they moved away from focusing on Bærum
and peoples thoughts and feelings about the place.
In recent times, after the group reached an agreement with MTG Music, the lyrics of Erik og Kriss have been characterized as having a more serious undertone. The themes include: drug abuse, bullying, and the media's incessant use of scare tactics.
and his home studio has become a well known producer in the genre. Both albums are produced at Brickwall Studio Productions, while the earlier songs were created at Kriss' home studio.
The music of Erik og Kriss has an amusing tone – a style they have kept since the start – and attempt to spread the good message through their songs. Similarly, they also have many serious songs on their two albums.
At other times, they employ other producers. The most known of these is Alis from Klovner i Kamp
, and Andyboy, who produced the songs Lille Norge and Kvinne. in 2008 dra tilbake
contribute. For concerts, they have Eirik «Lydmann» Gjessing along with them as tour manager, DJ, and factotum
.
s biggest production ever, with the TV program Grease
along with Henriette Lien. It will be a talent show which will be used to find two candidates for the channels own musical
based on the original Grease
. They will work as reporters and follow the program contestants.
In May 2008, they went on a week long surf trip
to La Point Surfcamp in Portugal
with the TV channel The Voice TV
.
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...
rap group created by Erik Mortvedt and Kristoffer Tømmerbakke. The duo became popular through the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
with the song Bærumsgrammatikk in 2004 and later with Putt Diamanter Opp in 2006. In 2007, they finished their first album, Gull og Grønne Skoger, and followed that with their second album Verden Vil Bedras in early 2008. Their popularity grew even further after the release of their second album, first through the single Dra Tilbake which was released nearing the end of 2007, and more so after the release of Det E'kke Meg Det Er Deg in the middle of 2008. Record sales, lots of airplay on many of Norway's radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s, and frequent performances pushed them to become one of Norway's most popular artists in rap and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
.
History
Erik og Kriss began their musical career when they created the russRuss
Russ is a participant in the traditional Norwegian upper secondary high school graduation ceremony known as russefeiring . Russ are easily recognized by their distinctive overalls and caps resembling student caps...
song Legenden in 2002 for their own russ
Russ
Russ is a participant in the traditional Norwegian upper secondary high school graduation ceremony known as russefeiring . Russ are easily recognized by their distinctive overalls and caps resembling student caps...
bus of the same name and made it available on the bus's ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
website. After their bus received media attention and distinguished itself among the russ
Russ
Russ is a participant in the traditional Norwegian upper secondary high school graduation ceremony known as russefeiring . Russ are easily recognized by their distinctive overalls and caps resembling student caps...
through winning the prize Årets Lydbuss at the national russ
Russ
Russ is a participant in the traditional Norwegian upper secondary high school graduation ceremony known as russefeiring . Russ are easily recognized by their distinctive overalls and caps resembling student caps...
meeting in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, along with Årets Buss at Eikeli videregående skole, they began to actively produce songs that were made available on their website. In a short period of time, they became known on the internet and among the younger crowd in their home municipality of Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
. They were initially creating the songs in their bedrooms, but they took the next step to a more professional location after Kriss started collaborating with the music producer Svein E. Fjellstad and started a studio and production company, Brickwall Studio Productions.
The duo went into business with the ArtistPartner agency in the start of 2006, who would take over all the paper work, and set up the group's concert and travel plans. This increased the number of concert appearances drastically. In the Summer of 2006, the group reached their big goal when they signed a contract with the record company MTG Music. The work on their debut album began immediately after the agreement. In Janugary 2007, the group's website registered over 250,000 downloads, and since the first record release, the group had a long series of concert, often with other popular musicians. In total the duo had over 100 concert performances in 2007.
They debuted with their first album Gull og Grønner Skoger on 12 March 2007. The album received mixed reviews from the press, but sold well in its first week. On the charts
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
, the record was ranked 29th, and 9th among Norwegian
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...
artists. The release concert was held 15 March 2007 at Parkteatret.
Later, on 14 January 2008, the group released their follow-up album Verden Vil Bedras, less than a year after their first record was released. Similar to their first album, Gull og Grønne Skoger, it also received mixed reviews from the press. Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
gave it a rating of two out of a possible six, but Stavanger Aftenblad
Stavanger Aftenblad
Stavanger Aftenblad or simply Aftenbladet is a daily newspaper in Stavanger, Norway. It was founded in 1893 by the priest Lars Oftedal, and was for a long period a publication for the Liberal Party. It had a circulation of 68,186 copies in 2005...
gave it a rating of five out of six. The release concert was at Rockefeller Music Hall
Rockefeller Music Hall
Rockefeller Music Hall, ordinarily referred to simply as Rockefeller, is a concert venue in downtown Oslo, Norway. The building, known as "Torggata Bad" earlier used to house a public bath facility. The music hall was established in 1986...
on 19 January 2008 where they performed for a full house.
Lyrics
After the duo created the song Bærumsgramatikk, which is a self-ironicIrony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
, humour
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
ous, and satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
interpretation of the situation in Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
, they have repeatedly used the theme in their songs. In the song, they try to dispel the myths about their home town
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
being exaggeratingly majestic, affluent, and conceited. Both in the song Oppblåst På Livstid, and in Putt Diamanter Opp, which is a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
s Lighters Up, they shape an exaggerated and almost pompous portrait of Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
and their own adolescence. On their later record, Verden Vil Bedras, they moved away from focusing on Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
and peoples thoughts and feelings about the place.
In recent times, after the group reached an agreement with MTG Music, the lyrics of Erik og Kriss have been characterized as having a more serious undertone. The themes include: drug abuse, bullying, and the media's incessant use of scare tactics.
Production
The tracks are produced mainly by Kriss, who with his experience from NoroffNoroff
The Noroff Institute is a privately owned and operated technical college for design, communication, media, animation, film, music, network and CAD. The Noroff Institute’s main administrative offices are in Kristiansand, Norway...
and his home studio has become a well known producer in the genre. Both albums are produced at Brickwall Studio Productions, while the earlier songs were created at Kriss' home studio.
The music of Erik og Kriss has an amusing tone – a style they have kept since the start – and attempt to spread the good message through their songs. Similarly, they also have many serious songs on their two albums.
At other times, they employ other producers. The most known of these is Alis from Klovner i Kamp
Klovner I Kamp
Klovner I Kamp is a Norwegian hip-hop group. Formed in 1994, at the time as a duo with Ali and Dr. S . Shortly after the band got a new member, "Dane" or "Danish" . Klovner I Kamp had this trio for several years, but in 2000, Finger'n or Goldfinger joined as the last and fourth man on the team...
, and Andyboy, who produced the songs Lille Norge and Kvinne. in 2008 dra tilbake
Contributions
During the period before their debut album, the vocalists Thomas Seeberg and Maria Sandsdalen contributed to many songs. Sandsdalen continued to collaborate with her vocals on both of the albums. The media personality Tor Milde contributes in the song Anmeldelsen from Gull og Grønne Skoger. On Verden Vil Bedras, the country singer Finn Wang, rock vocalist Martin Diesen from Inglow, and the world renowned American rapper CoolioCoolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
contribute. For concerts, they have Eirik «Lydmann» Gjessing along with them as tour manager, DJ, and factotum
Factotum
Factotum is the second novel by American author Charles Bukowski. The plot follows Henry Chinaski, Bukowski's alter ego, who has been rejected from the World War II draft and makes his way from one menial job to the next...
.
Other activities
In the Fall of 2008, Erik og Kriss will take part in TVNorgeTVNorge
TVNorge is a Norwegian television channel.TVNorge went on the air December 5, 1988 and was the first advertising-supported Norwegian channel. The channel was started with 50 000 NOK...
s biggest production ever, with the TV program Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
along with Henriette Lien. It will be a talent show which will be used to find two candidates for the channels own musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the original Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
. They will work as reporters and follow the program contestants.
In May 2008, they went on a week long surf trip
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
to La Point Surfcamp in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
with the TV channel The Voice TV
The Voice TV
The Voice TV is a network of music television channels that is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media . In 2004 it started broadcasting from Finland with localized feeds for Denmark, Norway and Sweden . In Finland The Voice TV is broadcast only in digital...
.
Albums
- Gull og grønne skoger (2007)
- Verden vil bedras (2008)
- Tabu (2009)
- Back to Business (2011)
Singles
- "Lille Norge" (2007)
- "Den låta" (2007)
- "Dra tilbake" (2007)
- "Ut mot havet" (2008)
- "Det e'kke meg det er deg" (2008)
- "Porno" (2008)
- "Rundt fingern" (2009)
- "Lighter" (2011)
- "Ølbriller" (2011)
- "Etter regnet" (2011)
- "My City" feat. Nik & JayNik & JayNik & Jay is a Danish R&B / Hip-Hop / pop duo made up of Niclas Genckel Petersen and Jannik Brandt Thomsen ....
(2011)
Prizes and Awards
- Gold RecordMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for Den Låta - Platinum RecordMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for Dra Tilbake - Platinum RecordMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for Det e'kke meg det er deg - «Årets Gruppe» on NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
in 2008 - «Best Norwegian Act» on MTV EMA in 2008