Unique Oslo festival
This weekend will see the third consecutive Music under Oslo Festival (MUO) which takes place at the city’s subway stations. The unique festival concept is about to cross borders and be exported to the rest of Europe.
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| Listen to a 30 second clip of Thomas Dybdahl’s From Grace |
![]("/nmi.nsf/Files/cart/$file/cart.gif") | Listen to more tracks or buy Thomas Dybdahl’s That Great October Sound album |
A trip by Martin Revheim (former head of acclaimed Oslo club Blå now Managing Director of Kongsberg Jazz Festival) to New York spawned the idea of an underground festival at Oslo’s subway stations. 2000 saw the first MUO festival held at the central subway stations underneath the Oslo asphalt. The mini-festival, to which the attendants only need to pay a regular subway/tram/bus day-pass, proved to be a success with the audience, media, bands, organisers and the operator of the Oslo subway system; Oslo Sporveier.
Saturday is busy with more than 60 000 travellers passing through the central Oslo subway stations. Willingly or not, the travellers are exposed to some of Norway’s finest up-and-coming hip-hop, jazz, electronica, rock, pop and contemporary acts. More than twenty bands will perform at the five MUO stages
Says booking co-ordinator Andreas Gilhuus from dBut Records to Ballade.no: The MUO 2003 roster is very strong and varied as well as socially conscious.
What makes MUO interesting in an international context is the fact that the whole concept is about to be exported to other countries. Says Gilhuus: We’ve had talks with interested parties from Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Newcastle. During this year we’ll file an EU application for funding for future underground festivals around Europe.
The MUO 2003 roster contains such names as Thomas Dybdahl (Grammy winner), X-Lover (by:Larm favourite), Number Seven Deli (pop-veterans), Trulz & Robin (techno pioneers), Håkon Kornstad/Hild Sofie Tafjord, Equicez, Thulsa Doom and Sissy Wish.
If you happen to be in Oslo this weekend then check out the complete programme here.
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