Matias Tellez
Encyclopedia
Matias Tellez is a Norwegian
singer songwriter, composer
and producer
. Matias is one of the many young artists that the press have called the New Bergen Wave. His music contains elements of pop
, rock
and tropicalia.
moved to Norway as political refugees
, and his style is heavily influenced by South America
n sounds, bossa nova
, tropicalia and artists such as Os Mutantes
, Los Gatos, Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso
.
Matias started playing violin
at the of six, piano
aged seven, but found what would become his preferred instrument when he picked up his fathers guitar
at twelve. At the age of thirteen Matias entered the Eggstock battle of the bands with his band Frustration To Creation, where he came second, winning the opportunity to record a demo at Tinitus Studios in Bergen. The demo was heard by HP Gundersen and Kato Ådland, who has discovered Bergen bands such as Sondre Lerche
, Nathalie Nordnes
and Real Ones
, who worked with Matias over the following years.
2004, which led to shows all over Norway including the Øya Festival in Oslo
. From the age of thirteen to sixteen Matias wrote and recorded 3 albums which were never released, but resulted in the EP
'Matias Tellez' on New Records.
In 2007 Matias released his first full album Tamias Mellez on Gjøa Recordings/Sonet and through Flake Records in Japan. The album received modest reviews but featured the single Brand New Kicks which was entered into the national radio station NRK P3's annual new music competition Urørt. Matias won the 2008 competition, which had been won the previous year by Ida Maria
, and brought Matias much national media attention and radio play.
In 2008 Matias signed to Sony Music and on the 16th Feb 2009 released the album 'Clouds', which reached number thirty on the VG Topp30 Album list. The singles from that album, 'Convited' and 'Hello' both received heavy airtime on national radio
Tellez has played at festivals including Iceland Airwaves
, By:larm
, Hove
and Bergen Fest and toured Japan
in 2007 and 2009.
Matias has also worked as a producer for fellow New Bergen Wave bands The New Wine Razika Young Dreams and Kakkmaddafakka
.
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...
singer songwriter, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Matias is one of the many young artists that the press have called the New Bergen Wave. His music contains elements of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and tropicalia.
Background
Matias's parents, both from ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
moved to Norway as political refugees
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
, and his style is heavily influenced by South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n sounds, bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
, tropicalia and artists such as Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes ) are an influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement of the late 1960s. It was formed by two brothers and a vocalist, but has gone through numerous personnel changes throughout its existence...
, Los Gatos, Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
.
Matias started playing violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at the of six, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
aged seven, but found what would become his preferred instrument when he picked up his fathers guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at twelve. At the age of thirteen Matias entered the Eggstock battle of the bands with his band Frustration To Creation, where he came second, winning the opportunity to record a demo at Tinitus Studios in Bergen. The demo was heard by HP Gundersen and Kato Ådland, who has discovered Bergen bands such as Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche
-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
, Nathalie Nordnes
Nathalie Nordnes
Nathalie Nordnes is a Norwegian singer. She released her first album on Virgin Records in 2003, and her fourth album is being released in November 2011. Most of her recorded output is sung in English....
and Real Ones
Real Ones
Real Ones is a pop/rock band from Bergen, Norway, which was formed in 1994, when the members were 14 and 15 years of age. Band members include Ivar Vogt, Jørgen Sandvik, Kåre Opheim, Øystein Skjælaaen, and David Vogt....
, who worked with Matias over the following years.
Career
Aged fourteen Matias released his first single 'Singing La la la la la' produced by HP Gundersen and Kato Ådland, on their label New Records. Tellez then played many concerts around Bergen including at By:larmBy:Larm
by:Larm is a music festival and conference held annually at different locations in Norway since 1998. Since 2008 the festival has been held in Oslo....
2004, which led to shows all over Norway including the Øya Festival in 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...
. From the age of thirteen to sixteen Matias wrote and recorded 3 albums which were never released, but resulted in the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
'Matias Tellez' on New Records.
In 2007 Matias released his first full album Tamias Mellez on Gjøa Recordings/Sonet and through Flake Records in Japan. The album received modest reviews but featured the single Brand New Kicks which was entered into the national radio station NRK P3's annual new music competition Urørt. Matias won the 2008 competition, which had been won the previous year by Ida Maria
Ida Maria
Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is a Norwegian rock musician known primarily by the stage name Ida Maria. Her first album; Fortress Round My Heart was released in 2008...
, and brought Matias much national media attention and radio play.
In 2008 Matias signed to Sony Music and on the 16th Feb 2009 released the album 'Clouds', which reached number thirty on the VG Topp30 Album list. The singles from that album, 'Convited' and 'Hello' both received heavy airtime on national radio
Tellez has played at festivals including Iceland Airwaves
Iceland Airwaves
Iceland Airwaves is an annual music festival held in Reykjavík, Iceland on the third weekend of October. The festival spans five days and its main focus is showcasing new music, both Icelandic and international.-Festival:...
, By:larm
By:Larm
by:Larm is a music festival and conference held annually at different locations in Norway since 1998. Since 2008 the festival has been held in Oslo....
, Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
and Bergen Fest and toured Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2007 and 2009.
Matias has also worked as a producer for fellow New Bergen Wave bands The New Wine Razika Young Dreams and Kakkmaddafakka
Kakkmaddafakka
Kakkmaddafakka is a Norwegian rock band formed and based in Bergen. Their music is influenced by a wide range of genres, including elements of rap, funk, disco, jazz, rock and pop...
.
Produced
- Kakkmaddafakka - Down To Earth (Bergen Mafia 2007)
- Razika - Program 91 (Smalltown Supersound 2011)
- Young Dreams - Flight 376 (Tellé 2011)
- Young Dreams - Dream Alone, Wake Together (Tellé 2011)
Singles
- Singing La la la la la (New Records 2003)
- Yes Indeed (Gjøa Recordings/Sonet 2007)
- Brand New Kicks (Flake 2007 Japan only)
- Convicted (Sony 2008)