Engebretsen: Art of noise (Unpublished)

Dette er gøy. Theater of the absurd. Musikken er min selvfølgelig. Til denne videoen har jeg tatt i bruk mange virkemidler. Starter med noen opplastede selvportretter som jeg AI generer til stillsbilder. Og det er her morroa begynner. Det er en kamp om ord og beskrivelser. Fra starten av så var det ingen tvil om at jeg ønsket med en David Lynch inspirert video. Og da må man inn i interiør og rom. Taklamper, vegger med bilder og speil. Følelsen av ekslusivitet. etc etc. Sort hvitt er en selvfølge for min del. På veggene beskrev jeg et ønske om bilder av bl. a. Tizian, Micehelangelo og t.o.m. Munch. Generatoren jeg brukte for dette heter gencraft. Lagde vel bortimot 100 AI genererte stillsbilder. Så må man få liv i disse bildene og da har jeg brukt Neural Flames. Et ganske kostbart abonnement, men jeg er med en stund til. Fordi det kommer mere! Det som da skjer med bildene er helt absurd. Alt i prossessen handler om ord og beskrivelser. Hvordan jeg ønsker at folk skal danse og hoppe osv. Får vel kalle det en bonus at veggbildene blir levende i enkelte sekvenser. Anatomien på mange av kroppene er ikke helt som de skal. Likheten med mine i utgangspunktet selfier som artist, er noen ganger treffende, og andre ikke. Sekvensene som er generert er ikke helt tilpasset musikkverket, så det blir en manuell klippejobb til slutt. Så bare å følge nøye med. Her skjer det mye!

Photoshoot session of Elrox by Ingar Aarvik

 

Ingar Aarvik is a photographer I have known for years! He is located in Vestby. So I was happy when he needed models for a photo project he was working on. (Autumn -24) So he arranged a photoshoot session where I, aka Elrox, could get some good pictures. 

Shooting in black and white on film! No digital. Love it.

Fun time doing this for sure! Thx!

FAWM 2025 February Album Writing Month

 

Great FAWM this year again! Had to do some other stuff also this year. So I only got 7 new songs.

Using time on BERGSVEIN new EP. Doing what a producer should do: Making really good mixes. TBA later. 

I also did research into making AI video`s. You find some of them here on my blog. This also takes time of course. I really have worked intense this year. I always try to keep focus on the music this month of february. And I sure did! So thankful for this community on web. www.fawm.org . Lots of friends, after all this years. But I am so sorry that it is impossible to listen and give constructive critics to all the lovely people there. Working in my own bubble, and the community is absolutely something I love. Next year... 

So here is the titles of my 7 new songs:

Year Of The Snake by @engebretsen  #tribal #indierock #electronic

Lost Signals by @engebretsen  #cinematic #orchestral #instrumental

Peaceful Wave by @engebretsen  #triphop #chill #ambient

Fragment by @engebretsen  #oraclechallenge #drone #ambient

Chili by @engebretsen  #chill #instrumental

Art Of Noise by @engebretsen  #ebm #idm #noise

Life Goes On by @engebretsen  #poprock #dreampop #synthpop

And I must reply this comments on "Life Goes On" from @cts 

The 4 on the floor beat is acting like a heartbeat. Last week was not-so-great. Not a tragedy, but not uplifting, either. However, this chorus is serving as a bit of a reminder to me. What's also a bit of a teaching lesson is "learn the heartbeat of the tragedy" and be able to deal with it. Life goes on. Your arrangement here is gorgeous and your light n' airy vocal performance kinda reminds me of Green from Scritti Politti. Very cool track, my friend.

THX a lot @cts !!! 

Spiritwalker 2 Video

Ok. Last post was about my video commitment and the use of black and white. And now... Something completely different. And with this video I introduce a brand new world. It is made using AI. But it is more to it than that. First of all I wanted to have control about the landscape this visuals move into. Using already AI generated pictures, that I have been working on for a long time. I do create my own world here.

And it is named: OLVENION. An earth like planet, and from my fantasy. This is going to be a music album in the future. I have used the named Olvenion on an earlier release. You find it here: Olvenion. But that time it was an experiment, and the artist name is all wrong today. But I like the Olvenion concept about this planet, so there will be more. (But another artist name on the release.) And of course it has developed a lot. I have been working on the music of course. But there is an era in the pictures too. They will be presented on a later stage. Maybe as an exhibition and book. Using some of these photos (AI) to make this more alive in a music video. It is my first attempt on doing video using AI. To get better quality I have to pay too much. I sure hate when you have to sign for subscription. I paid the cheapest one for now. But so it is. In this video I also use some Olvenion portraits of me. They who know me, probably recognizes me. 

Anyway: This is way to early to announce this project. But I was really inspired when I made this video. AI is funny. But it sure is a challenge to get it within the design profile I wan`t. But the cost are all together low, and to make this video would have been impossible otherwise. So there is something good about it too. 

Elrox: Selveste Direktøren (Official Music Video)

New EP and music video. Out now. There are 5 different versions of this song available on streaming services like Spotify and Youtube. But here is the Radiomix version as video! Filmed on location in Røros, Norway. I did the selfies myself, and Helene Fjell filmed the scenes at Kvitsanden. Selveste Direktæren is all my work, and the final mastering was done brilliantly by Jørgen Kirksæther. The spoken words used in this song is probably from the early 50`s. "Parents and friend" of a friend of mine. Before there even was a tape recorder! This is done on a steel wire actually. Using Webster Chicago machine. And the hole idea about Selveste direktøren - The director himself - is that it is mentioned in this spoken words. And it also says at Røros verksted. So this video had to be made here. Maybe the "Trainmix" is the better one for dancing. Just saying. Anyway. Here are the visuals. For ear and eye: You`re welcome!

"Short Story"

Summertime and music! 

Credits: 

Music by Tom S Engebretsen

Video by Helene Fjell and Tom S Engebretsen

Styling by  Terese Fjell

Elrox: "Somewhere" (Official music video)

Ready for action? My brand new singel "Somewhere" is out now. This turned out really well, thanks to all the musicians in Oslo Bandlaug and producer Peter Michelsen in The Norwegian Sound. Studio in Mjøndalen Norway.

Oslo Bandlaug is: Andreas Voie Juliebø, Andreas Lund Molde, Eirik Hansen, Øystein Myrvoll

Thx to all the participants making this video.

VIDEO: Camera: Helene Fjell Regi, director, black&white correction: Tom Ståle Engebretesn MODELS: Chess player: Christer Nexmark Fairy of luck: Jon Bergsvein Telneset

"Heaven"

This is where my musical roots are. Inspired by Vangelis I made this instrumental song dedicated to him. Who will bring his beautiful music further when he is in heaven?  Well. I could try. RIP #vangelis

Det Gjør Ikke Det

Nok et resultat av årets februar komponist måned. Begynner å bli endel norsk skrevne tekster på mange låter nå, så jeg vurderer en egen norsk vokal plate. Vi får se. En smakebit ihvertfall hvor video innspillingen skjedde på Nesodden Vertshus og Lysaker ferja. 

Hvem skulle det vært?

Det ble noen skisselåter på norsk under årets fawm. February album writing month. Denne har gått seg til over flere runder med fiksing og ordning. Begynner å nærme seg en ferdig produksjon, men litt igjen. Videoen ble laget litt i all hast, så litt ute av sync enkelte steder. Men ideen er der. Brukte faktisk mobilen til å filme. Og location er på Nesodden. 

@heliosonorous 2w

I like the edge in here, good fuzz on the guitar and your voice sounds great with it!

 

@kristian 2w

nice! Cool to hear norwegian lyrics too; far too few :) I don't think this song is that aggressive to be honest; it's more like defiance and standing your ground if that makes sense? 

FAWM 2024 February Album Writing Month

February Album Writing Month. 11.th time this year. This community is really inspirering for doing new songs. And I always challenge myself to do thing that is outside my comfort zone. This year it was really a bad environment for me to work under. Except the beginning where I was at my cottage in Rendalen for 10 days. After that I had to be on Nesodden due to moving to a new apartment that was not ready. So I had the minimum of equipment to work with, in a really small space. Really small! But I worked it out somehow. 13 new songs. Or demo songs is maybe a better word. This is composer month and the real production coming up later. But as I did 2 years ago, I made videos of some of them this year also. (Only excerpts from the full songs)

fawm.org is really a friendly community. 2600 people are into this. Of course I can`t get to know them all. But over the years there are some good fellow musicians that I get to know. This year I will mention @heliosonorous that follow me and comments all songs. Thank you! I feel that I didn`t respond to all my friends this year as I should. That is because of the challenge I had to work under. The more you give the more you get. But this year I had to focus on time and space to actually get something done at all. All time low actually. But that is to change next year I hope. 

I also did more songs with norwegian lyrics this year. To write lyrics is quite a challenge for me. I am an instrumental guy after all. But I think a challenge to struggle with, is good for the creativity. 

So here are the title of the songs I did this year:

Home again by @engebretsen  #techno #fawmtronica #synthpop 

Gone Too Far by @engebretsen  #fawmtronica #cinematic #soundscape

Hvem skulle det vært? by @engebretsen  #rock #postpunk

Vinter by @engebretsen  #fawmtronica #electronic #instrumental

There Was A Time by @engebretsen  #disco #synthpop #80s

Tell me by @engebretsen  #poprock

Det Gjør Ikke Det by @engebretsen  #rock #singer_songwriter #dark

Heaven by @engebretsen  #fawmtronica #instrumental #soundscape

Go Go Go by @engebretsen  #electro_prog #prog #cinematic

Spiritwalker by @engebretsen  #fawmtronica #cinematic #instrumental

Come Closer by @engebretsen  #electronic #rock #pop_rock

Livet er kort by @engebretsen  #folk #singer_songwriter #indie_folk

Don`t Care by @engebretsen  #singer_songwriter #dark #softrock

 

"Don`t Care" 

Excerpts from the first song this year. 

Comments on Fawm: 

@arcane

So moody! Love the drums and the bass work, so catchy.
Dark as a moonlit landscape. Well done!

 

@headfirstonlyMod

Dark? Yes please. That sinister bass is like butter. When it drops out for the verses, it really leaves a hole, doesn't it? Nice one!

 

@heliosonorous

Dark and powerful, the melody hits hard and grabs the attention!

 

@gammafied

I really like the percussion here. The emotion comes across in the lyrics, the arrangement and the music. It is hard when someone hurts you and tries to come back to normal without a process.

 

@nagavaeoe

This reminds me a bit of early Pink Floyd.
And a little bit of The Church.
Cool little tune.

What happened during Fawm 2022?

Fawn is a community on www and it always in february. (February album writing month FAWM)This is a time when I compose new songs and also participate with comments and also some collaboration with other artists. Well. I got this crazy idea to make a short video of all the songs I did this year.

You can see more of my video`s at my instagram profile.

This song is named: "The man I used to be" Music and lyrics, written, performed and produced by me. I also did the camera and edit this short film. (Location: Torhovparken, Oslo)

Everything I do at Fawm is of course to make a final version later, and release the material later on albums. That is work NOT to be done at once. Collection the best songs and someday to finished up the songs. This year I didn`t make so much songs that I usually do. Of course it take time to film and edit all the videos too. So I was actually working 24/7 in february. It came out with 8 new songs this year. I think most of them are good enough for later release. 

The interesting part is also the collaborations I do here. Elrox songs in the pipeline for sure. But also some new age/ambient coming up. 

I would like to thank people that participate and helping me this year:

Nils-Petter Aaland and Helene Fjell for some camera/video shots.

Arthur Rossi and Babs Bärlauch in special. Musical collabs that sure will be something more. 

Elrox: Era (album)

ERA ALBUM IS OUT NOW!




5 years in the making. This is probably the album I always wanted to do. Inspired by TD and Krautrock. And now it is here! Era of Berlin School music. But in my own style and sound.This is an album that require listening from beginning to end. A journey into arp. seq. and old keyboard sounds. With some melodic and epic suggestions. I must admit that I am proud of this album. Long time in the making, but it had to be that way. I really hope you can enjoy the listening.

It is perfect on repeat.
... and repeat.
....and repeat.

Elrox aka Tom S. Engebretsen 2020

credits

released May 15, 2020

Composed, arranged, performed, produced,
mix, mastering, art photo and design:
Tom Ståle Engebretsen

Track 2: Ole Frøslie on guitars

Recorded in Flatdal Studio, Telemark, Norway between 2015-2020.
Mix and mastering done at Klangfabrikken, Nesodden, Norway

Thx to Helene Fjell, and all Berlin school composers.

CD DESIGN:

Pictures are from Nordstrand and Husum in Northern Germany. Taken with pinhole boxes as camera, and loaded with Ilford paper. Edited with colors. Only 50 copies made so be quick if you want one. This is really a beauty!

Fawm 2019

Every year I have this thing going on with FAWM: February album writing month . (A community were to write 14 songs during february. Collaboration are possible!) This year I had to be more laidback due to other work. But I was dropping by, now and then, and I actually managed to make some melodies to!
But I must admit that this year I was not so concentrated as I should be. Didn`t have time to comment others stuff either. Sorry for this all FAWM friends.
Here are the results that I could do this year.
And as always they are available pxm one year from now.
Enjoy listening.
TS

https://fawm.org/fawmers/engebretsen/

Songs (8)

#1		Presence  fawmtronica electronica electropop chill	6 5 weeks
#2		Sleeping Beauty Dreams  fawmtronica electronica electropop	3 4 weeks
#3		Waiting for Someone  fawmtronica electronica electropop cinematic	5 4 weeks
#4		Stratosfear  @tiller2   ambient fawmtronica chill berlinschool	7  4 weeks
#5		Wardenclyffe Tower  experimental darkambient noise fawmtronica	5 4 weeks
#6		Arizona  spiritual fawmtronica chill ambient	2 2 weeks
#7		New Mexico  spiritual fawmtronica chill ambient	3 2 weeks
#8		Turn of the Century  fawmtronica artofnoise electronica edm	3 2 weeks

SUMMARY FAWM 2017

Little late but here is the summary of FAWM 2017! (February album writing month)

First  of all, I didn´t got the time I wanted and needed. Lot of moneywork in february, so a bit amputated this year. But I don´t cry about that. Much more time to comment others work, and be a part of the community. This year was all time high. Lot´s of old friends and several new ones.

After all I did 8 great songs this year! I even write some of them with norwegian lyrics. And yes: I did sing a lot this time. My voice is getting somewhere now I think....

I am not sure if I should put out a story about all the songs...
Trying to do a summary instead. There were so many comments and feedback this year. To much for a blog.

#1		Blue Waters  @arthurrossi  rock pop-rock pop electropop	10 8 weeks
#2		Dream Catcher  @jezbel  minimalistic dark ambient teckno fawmtronica	19 8 weeks
#3		Hvem skulle det vært?  neo-psychedelia post-punk alternative-rock rock	9 7 weeks
#4		Jimmy´s back in town  @arthurrossi  folk folkrock rock ballad	9 7 weeks
#5		Reflections  instrumental pop skirmish superskirmish ss11f skirmish11f	12 7 weeks
#6		I don´t believe you  rock pop-rock electropop ballad fawtronica	4 6 weeks
#7		Theresesgate  rock norwegian	6 6 weeks
#8		Who Will  @negasi   ballad electropop synthpop fawmtronica	14

Here are the songs! And also some collabs this year! I think some of them would be something for the future to release. 

"Theresesgate"is allready something I know will be used.... Probably at a new ELROX album next year. Probably an album in norwegian....

"Who Will" should definitely be a single this year....

Thanks for all the comments I got this year! Allready looking forward to next year. February is really the month to compose new songs.