HGH (Haugen-Gebhardt-Hagfors)
Pignoise
Stickman/Tuba

Sort of a "super group" this one, a trio counting Lars Håvard Haugen (from Hellbillies - a folk-country-rock combo, singing in a very special Norwegian dialect, which fits their type of music perfectly), Håkon Gebhardt (the Motorpsycho drummer, who also released a solo mini album a few months ago), and Martin Hagfors (who's doing alternative country with his Home Groan). For this side project they stacked up their equipment (guitars, bass, dobro, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, saw, citterharp, and harmonica, plus a tape deck), and spent two days recording in an old log cabin. As a reaction, and as an experiment, to today's situation when everybody's spending a lot of time and studio stash when recording albums. Judging the result it seems like they avoided cabin fever.

Pignoise has come out rather well, if you're into country and folk influenced ballads. All 10 recorded with one mic straight to tape. No overdubs, nor mixing. Hagfors has been involved with most of the songs: Three written by Haugen and Hagfors, two by Gebhardt and Hagfors, and three by Hagfors. There are also two songs by banjo-maestro Gebhardt; being sort of the Ringo of the group he's come up with the funniest piece (Devil in the Floor) lyrically.

Most of the ten songs are solid work, maybe with the exception of a couple of more anonymous, plain sounding songs. However, tracks like the opening Old Banjo, Wet Your Lips, Rosewood Brown, and Dirt Poor (with its John Steinbeck type of realism), are really warming out in the woods.

In the liner notes HGH say they might do another cabin trip. There's no reason not to. Fire place songs for cold nights.

Contact: Stickman, Wentorfer Str. 47C, 21029 Hamburg, Germany. Distribution in Norway: Tuba!

Copyright © 2000 Håvard Oppøyen