Shining 2003 Sweet Shanghai Devil
Shining 2005 In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster
Shining 2007 Grindstone
Shining 2010 Blackjazz
"First period"
Shining was formed in 1999 by Jørgen Munkeby (guitar, sax and various instruments) when he moved from his hometown of Tønsberg to Oslo to study in the Norwegian State Academy of Music. As he has been playing in bands ever since he was ten years old, he wished to form a new one in Oslo. In this new school there was a good opportunity for him to choose musicians for this project of his and he chose three he thought to be the best. This new band started playing Jørgen's music he wrote for the band and also performed in several shows as a support band, in which Jørgen says the band gave highly energetic shows, playing loud and fast. In 2001 the band released their first album, Where The Ragged People Go on "bp Records", and in 2003 after a tour in China, they released Sweet Shanghai Devil on "Jazzland Records". These two albums are strictly acoustic jazz music, with much improvisation and with a hardcore feeling which is due to the way they were recorded — "Ragged was recorded with only two microphones, S S Devil with three". Jørgen say that they set themselves rules of how they should and should not play. However by the time they released those two albums, they felt those rules are too restricting for them, preventing them to do something else, more varied.
"Second period"
Since the band members were playing and composing in other bands as well (for instance, Jørgen and Morten playing in Jaga Jazzist) they were exposed and experienced in playing other types of music. For their next album they used as many instruments as they could, and took advantage of everything they could in studios to get the mixed genre result that is In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster, which was released through Rune Grammofon in 2005. Shining's lineup was reinforced after that album with a new bassist and keyboards player (Andreas Schei from Jaga Jazzist). 2007 sees the release of Grindstone which continues Kingdom's sound and progresses from it as well.
Music:
In their two albums, In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster and Grindstone, once you get passed the aggressiveness and noisy parts, and give the album a proper listen, you will realize there is a lot that is missed on initial listening. Additional layers of music reveal themselves, more instruments are heard through all the seeming chaos and various styles of music manifest themselves throughout the tracks.
You start to appreciate their ability to create levels inside their music that become apparent as you train your ears with their albums. It can be brutal at times, but it is also melodic (and even Kitschy.). The instrumental music in one track can be this aggressive type mentioned or can be a more amorphic and experimental while in others you hear a minor jazz influence. All in all, they created their own sound. The music is complex, shifting a lot throughout the track, many odd time signatures which alternate, use of a variety of sounds to create their style, and at times gets quite heavy (not in a classic metal kind). It is however a varied album and the tracks, while having a thread connecting between them in terms of their sound and spirit, each has its special place and identity and is different from the others.
When looking at the musicians, composers and bands that they state as their influence, one gets the idea of how they got to their present sound.
It is well worth the time to look over the new for interviews with the band and Jørgen and read about their influences, their early time together and about small anecdotes like the song titles.
The following is taken from the press release of Grindstone and it is one paragraph shortly giving the musical background of the band:
"The press dropped many names when trying to place Shining´s previous album on the musical map, from The Mars Volta and Slayer via King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra to Henry Cow, This Heat, Ornette Coleman, Ligeti and Messiaen. One thing they all agreed on was the striking originality of this young group who had gone through a radical transition from starting out as a postbop jazz quartet. With "In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster" they tried to squeeze in as much as they could, but masterful editing and production from Kåre Chr. Vestrheim made it all stick together in a very convincing way. Vestrheim is also the producer of this album."
Shining 2003 Sweet Shanghai Devil
Label: Jazzland Records, Universal Music (Norway)
Catalog#: 038 266-2, 038 266-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: Norway
Released: 2003
Genre: Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz
Audio: Flac (Tracks+Cue+Log)/MP3 CBR320
Size: 281Mb/104Mb
Tracklist:
1 Firewalker 2:42
2 Where Do You Go Christmas Eve 5:28
3 Jonathan Livingston Seagull 4:53
4 Sink 5:49
5 Shanghai Devil 3:53
6 Miserys Child 5:38
7 Cellofan Eyes 5:56
8 Reanimator-After Rain 9:17
Credits:
Acoustic Bass — Aslak Hartberg
Drums — Torstein Lofthus
Piano — Morten Qvenild
Producer — Bugge Wesseltoft , Sten Nilsen
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute — Jørgen Munkeby
Notes:
Packaged in a Digipak.
(P) 2003 JAZZLAND RECORDINGS. (C) 2003 UNIVERSAL MUSIC, NORWAY.
Recorded 2002 / 2003 in Oslo, Norway.
Shining 2005 In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster
Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog#: RCD 2044
Format: CD, Album, Digipak
Country: Norway
Released: 24 Jan 2005
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Art Rock, Contemporary Jazz
Audio: Flac (Tracks+Cue+Log)/MP3 CBR320
Size: 213Mb/90Mb
Tracklist:
01 Goretex Weather Report 5:00
02 Redrum 1:37
03 Romani 3:19
04 Perdurabo 3:02
Keyboards [Additional Synths] — Andreas Hessen Schei
05 Aleister Explains Everything 3:23
06 31=300=20 (It Is By Will Alone I Set My Mind In Motion) 4:24
07 Where Death Comes To Cry 2:22
08 The Smoking Dog 3:57
09 Magazine RWRK 6:32
French Horn — Kari Knardahl
Percussion [Gran Cassa, Tam-tam, Tubular Bells, Gongs] — Karl Ivar Refseth
Trombone — Michelle Lindboe
Trumpet — Sjur Miljeteig
10 You Can Try The Best You Can 5:21
Credits:
Bass [Acoustic, Electric], Drum Programming, Percussion, Featuring [Handclaps] — Aslak Hartberg
Drums, Percussion — Torstein Lofthus
Engineer — Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim , Michael Hartung
Keyboards [Rhodes, Synths, Clavinet, Celesta, Casio Sampler, Mellotron], Piano, Drum Programming — Morten Qvenild
Producer — Peder Kjellsby , Sjur Miljeteig
Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Flute [Akai Ewi], Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Electric], Bass [Electric], Keyboards [Rhodes, Synths, Mellotron, Harmonium, Celesta], Piano, Accordion, Organ [Church], Vocals, Effects, Drum Programming — Jørgen Munkeby
Shining 2007 Grindstone
Label: Rune Grammofon
Catalog#: RCD 2060
Format: CD, Album
Country: Norway
Released: 29 Jan 2007
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Art Rock, Hard Rock, Jazz-Rock
Audio: Flac (Tracks+Cue+Log+Scans)/MP3 CBR320
Size: 260Mb/104Mb
Tracklist:
01 In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster 5:40
02 Winterreise 3:33
03 Stalemate Longan Runner 4:15
Composed By — Andreas Hessen Schei
04 To Be Proud Of Crystal Colors Is To Live Again 0:49
05 Moonchild Mindgames 3:06
06 The Red Room 2:16
07 Asa Nisi Masa 1:52
08 To Be Proud Of Crystal Colors Is To Live Again 1:09
09 Psalm 7:20
Organ [Church Organ] — Kristoffer Myre Eng
Voice [Soprano] — Åshild Skin Refsdal
10 -... .- -.-. .... 2:07
11 1:4:9 5:03
Voice [Soprano] — Åshild Skin Refsdal
12 Fight Dusk With Dawn 6:53
Credits:
Artwork By [Cover] — Kim Hiorthøy
Gong — Danny Young (tracks: 1, 3, 12)
Mixed By — Kåre Chr. Vestrheim , Mike Hartung
Mixed By [Assistant] — Hasse Rosbach
Performer — Andreas Hessen Schei , Morten Strøm , Torstein Lofthus
Performer, Composed By — Jørgen Munkeby
Producer — Kåre Chr. Vestrheim
Recorded By — Kåre Chr. Vestrheim , Mike Hartung
Recorded By [Additional], Edited By, Performer [All Instruments By] — Shining (2)
Recorded By [Assistant], Edited By [Additional] — Hasse Rosbach
Recorded By [Church Organ Guerilla] — Jonas Howden Sjøvaag
Shining 2010 Blackjazz
Label: Indie Recordings
Format: CD, Album
Country: Norway
Released: 25th January 2010
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Experimental, Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock, Jazz Fusion
Audio: Flac (Tracks+Cue+Log)/MP3 CBR320
Size: 453Mb/136Mb
Tracklist:
01. The Madness and the Damage Done (5:20)
02. Fisheye (5:08)
03. Exit Sun (8:36)
04. Exit Sun (0:57)
05. HEALTER SKELTER (5:35)
06. The Madness and the Damage Done (3:24)
07. Blackjazz Deathtrance (10:52)
08. Omen (8:46)
09. 21st Century Schizoid Man (8:41)
PRESS RELEASE
”A Study in Coordinated Whiplash” wrote The New York Times October 2008, after one of SHINING’s pounding concerts in Manhattan. It was obvious they were not talking about the neat old-school hair spinning, helicopter era of heavy metal bands in the 90’s; rather referring to the ice cold reality of parallel spinal injuries experienced in a sudden and unsuspected impact of a giant trailer car crash from behind. SHINING is the synchronized launch of attacks of a sci-fi drone military army; the devastating effect of all the world’s raindrops saving up their potential energy and in one co-ordinated instant hitting Earth’s surface all at once: An unstoppable force made out of small bits and pieces – just in the right place at the right time – to make an impact so strong you’d think it could jolt the very Earth out of it’s orbit, and spin it on a new doomed path straight on collision course for the Sun
These typical encounters between unsuspecting (and in recent times, more suspecting) audience and the band’s no-mercy attitude, are what has put SHINING in the very forefront of experimental extreme music.
After four previous critically acclaimed cult albums, it’s become obvious to all, that SHINING have created their own unique musical universe, which fans and journalists alike have competed in trying to name, as yet to no avail. Their 5th album is now complete and their unique universe finally has been given the name it deserves. Aptly titled, ”Blackjazz”.
Since their debut on a small Norwegian acoustic jazz label in 2001, SHINING has moved on to become one of the most hard-hitting, genre-pushing bands of our generation. Their determination to create new sounds and cross boundaries has only been further stepped up with their latest ear-crushing achievement, to be set free in early 2010.
In Autumn 2008, after the intense workload of the now legendary Armageddon Concerto in Molde, Norway (with Norway’s Black Metal pioneers Enslaved), SHINING went to work on their what was to become "Blackjazz".
Munkeby himself comments “the compositions were more compact, the arrangements more hard-hitting, and the mood more desperate, sinister, aggressive and violent”.
To match his vision of combined musical aggressiveness and catchiness, Munkeby teamed up with the perfect accomplice for the ominous Blackjazz mission: With his technical prowess and extensive musical knowledge and experience, renowned producer/engineer Sean Beavan (NIN, Marilyn Manson, Slayer) joined forces to further elevate and intensify the new direction of music. During the two weeks of mixing in Hollywood in September 2009, Munkeby gave this statement on the band’s blog:
”In Frank Zappa’s old house, with Marilyn Manson’s old bodyguard dog lying on the floor in the kitchen, the mastermind mixer and producer Sean Beavan is working his dark magic on about an hour of new SHINING music.
Munkeby adds, “…we wanted to further focus the SHINING sound, while making it much
more open to a larger audience. We wanted commercial catchiness mixed with the ultimate in aggressiveness. We wanted a living oxymoron: An extreme experimental jazz-metal album that would not sound out of place on an arena stage or a stadium.”
Sean Beavan comments on his experience working with Munkeby: ”A true Alchemist in a world bereft of magic. SHINING spins Industrial/Punk/Prog/Jazz into a savory golden elixir which leaves you shaken not stirred. 1 Part Foetus, 1 part Crimson, 1 part Ornette Coleman, served chilled by Jørgen’s Viking genius. "Skål"!”
As one last Sin Soldier added to the already impressive list of Blackjazz accomplices, Sean Beavan’s long time co-schemer Tom Baker (NIN, Marilyn Manson, David Lynch, among others) mastered the album at Precision Mastering in Hollywood, and added obliterating and stinging power to the already punishing mixes, thereby putting the final nail in the coffin.
To top it all, Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved) joins in at the end of the album and gives a mind-blowing vocal performance on the devastatingly heavy cover studio version of King Crimson’s classic "21st Century Schizoid Man".
SHINING’s new album Blackjazz goes right in there, along with other classic genre defining albums such as Venom’s ”Black Metal” and Ornette Coleman’s ”The Shape of Jazz To Come”.
With “Blackjazz” now completed, SHINING moves onto the next phase of their already accomplished mission. A new label and another shift in direction means a whole lot more shock and awe.
LINE-UP:
Jørgen Munkeby – Vocals, guitars, saxophone and producer
Torstein Lofthus – Drums
Tor Egil Kreken – Bass
Bernt Moen – Synths and keyboards
Even Helte Hermansen – Guitars
Guest vocals: Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved)
Mixing: Sean Beavan (NIN, Marilyn Manson, Slayer)
Mastering: Tom Baker (NIN, Marilyn Manson, Ministry)
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