What's up with me?

Aslag Haugen & Martin Hagfors 

                                                   New music on the way!

 

https://kulturplot.no/musikk/2021/om-det-kommer-et-par-engelske-later-far-ikke-folk-ta-det-ille-opp

New album out October 23 - Sjeldne skjell! 

Norway's Meg og kammeraten min, aka their English alterego Mr. E & Me and New Orchestral Hits 4 Kids (Naxos), is the act to follow for catchy, eloquent, contemporary pop music for children. MOKM have toured extensively over the years and are a favorite act at festivals, concert halls, libraries and schools. They have had their own one hour special on the national TV station NRK, backed by The Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Their music has been tagged as “The Pet Sounds”  of children’s music with the complexity to please the most discerning ear while retaining the pure joy of great pop music. The american born Martin Hagfors (Meg), is an artist, composer and lyricist in his own right and a celebrated collaborator for the likes of The National Bank, Ellen Andrea Wang, Big Bang, Bobby Bare and Ida Jenshus.  Erik Johannessen (Kammeraten) is a Norwegian composer, arranger and trombone playing member of Jaga Jazzist. He is also known for his studio work with Susanne Sundfør and The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. 

  

Meg og kammeraten min will release their sixth album “Sjeldne skjell” in October 2020, a concept album about aquatic life with magical and enchanting songs recorded once again with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (NRK KORK), conducted by Nick Davies and augmented by high-profile musicians such as Mathias Eick (ECM-solo artist), Nikolai Hængsle (Big Bang/ Elephant 9) and Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist/AHA/Sundfør/Thomas Dybdal). 

The title track will be released as a single July 3, 2020 and is your next favorite super catchy summer hit! Sjeldne shell (rare shells) is a classic tongue twister in the vain of “I see seashells on the seashore…”  the song contemplates the visual differences of male and female seashells, night and day shells, red shells, blue shells and why most shells we find, are broken. The lyrics are a homage to Dr. Suess’ absurd “One Fish, Two Fish”, while the exquisitely arranged and performed music is as refreshing as a salty swim on a hot summer day. 

All the singles and the album will be marketed with professional music videos on YouTube and social media platforms. 

New Orchestral Hits 4 Kids 

 

 

On Sept 13th, yepp Friday the 13th! I will be releasing a new album on the NAXOS label.

The album is called New Orchestral Hits 4 Kids and the band name is Mr. E & Me. 

Mr. E. & Me is a spin off from Meg og kammeraten min

We challenged ourselves to arrange and record an orchestral album consisting of melodic pop songs but without involving a contemporary pop/rock rhythm section, and it worked! The unique timing of the orchestra is not constrained, and the arrangements give the individual musicians both playful dynamics and meaningful purpose. It’s so much fun writing and performing for a young audience and at the same time, keeping the older audience preoccupied with musical complexity and lyrical twists. 

Check out our first single with the one and only Mari Boine !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellen Andrea Wang 

I was lucky enough to get a call from Ellen this spring asking me to collaborate on lyrics for her new album.

The process and evolving friendship was one of this years highlights, and now the album Blank Out, is,...OUT!

 

Go Ellen go!

 

Pictures are from our vocal recording session.

 

Check out Ellen here!

Oslo concert hall 



 

I'm involved in a new live recording session in Oslo' beautiful 40 year old concert hall along with my muse Kari Slaatsveen. Once a month we choose the bands that we feel will best suit the room, draw a crowd and are interested in a live recording via the adjacent studio's new Audient Heritige 8048.

First band out was Band of Gold, check out their brilliant first album. The band is centered around the duo Nina Mortvedt and Nikolai  Hængsle Eilertsen. I've collaborated with both of them up through the years most recently with Nikolai as one of my producers on my Producers, Politics, Passion album where he did a brilliant job producing Easily Distracted by Love along with David Wallumrød who incidentally was a hired gun at our Lille Sal Sessions concert.

There was a little buzz created in the press Aftenposten



 

playing for the bambino's! 

                                                     This fall I've been around Norway promoting the new children's album and playing for some great kids!

                                                                              Here's a photo from Oslo Concert Hall with The Norwegian Girls Choir

Time flies! 

The Children's album went very well here in Norway, we had a killer release concert, toured through the summer and recieved some rave reviews.

Looking at my lack of updates I quess things are going pretty good....

From our release concert at Rockefeller in Oslo with band and girls choir 

Easily Distracted By Love

C&C Maxigross - Amici !

What Martin says on Twitter

Quotes by Martin

 


Ok my mind is made up, now I'll do my face

I'm so well off I don't want to be on anymore

It's now or never all over again

Keep biking, you ride and can't drive yourself crazy. Just a thought.

I've got the bucket in my line of sight but not quite dead yet

I have made up my mind and the my answer is maybe

Half the time I don't know what's going on, the rest is behind me

If you keep on looking back you'll lose sight of what's ahead

I can't remember signing up for today

The deeper the dirt the thicker the skin

Being five minutes late doesn't buy you time

I wish that was funny, I wish everything was funny

I had no idea I was using my brain

Being negative gives me great pleasure and makes me laugh

Before there were bridges, water still ran under them

CLICK FOR MORE QUOTES