Salvatore (band)

Salvatore was a Norwegian instrumental rock band influenced by post-rock, electronica and krautrock that was formed in 1998. The group disbanded in 2008.

History
The band was founded in Oslo in 1998 by John Birger Wormdahl together with Ola Fløttum, Bjarne Larsen and Kjell-Olav Jørgensen. A session of listening to German kraut-rock band Neu! provided the impetus for the formation of the band.

The band was among the winners of the Norwegian music contest Zoom in 1998 and as a winner went on a Zoom-tour in Norway, England and Scotland in the spring of 1999.

In 2000 they recorded their debut album Clingfilm. During easter of 2000 the band traveled to Morocco with the Norwegian theater group De Utvalgte (the Chosen Ones). In Morocco they recorded the albums Jugend - A New Hedonism, recorded as the soundtrack to the theater group's production of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The band releases Clingfilm in October and Jugend in November 2000 on the record label Racing Junior.

Jon Platou Selvig joined the band in 2001 and the album Fresh was released in October. In 2002 the percussionist Karim Sayed joined the band.

Their fourth album Tempo was recorded in Chicago by John McEntire and won the Spellemannprisen 2002 award for best record in the electronica genre. In the same year Salvatore also participated in the Earworm compilation A Charabang Trip To The Lights.

Their fifth album Luxus was recorded in Oslo in 2003 by Ingar Hunskaar and was mixed by John McEntire in Chicago in 2004. In 2003, Ola Fløttum left the band and Fresh was licensed and released by the San Diego label Rocketracer.

In 2004 Jørgen Skjulstad joined Salvatore and the band embarks on their first European tour in January. In April Luxus was released and they toured Europe in June as a supporting band to Tortoise. In 2005 the band went on tours to Germany, Austria, Italy and the Balkans; Jon Platou Selvig quit the band and Leon Muraglia joined the band.

In 2007 Salvatore released Days of Rage, their sixth and last album, on New Year's Day. Anthony Barratt joined the band prior to the release. Days of Rage went on to win Spellemansprisen 2007 award, again in the electronica genre.

After ten years, the band chose to dissolve itself in June 2008, due to the logistical problems of co-coordinating an ever changing and increasing band membership and a feeling that they were not progressing creatively anymore.

Three of the four original members, John Birger Wormdahl Bjarne Larsen and Kjell-Olav Jørgensen, went on to form the band Masselys.

Discography

 * Clingfilm (2000)
 * Jugend – A New Hedonism (2000)
 * Fresh (2001)
 * Tempo (2002)
 * Luxus (2004)
 * Days of Rage (2007)

Members

 * Bjarne Larsen: guitar, bass guitar (1998–2008)
 * John Birger Wormdahl: keyboard, guitar, sampling (1998–2008)
 * Kjell-Olav Jørgensen: drums (1998–2008)
 * Karim Sayed: trommer, percussion (2002–2008)
 * Leon Muraglia: electronics (2005–2008)
 * Anthony Barratt: guitar (2006–2008)
 * Ola Fløttum: guitar, bass (1998–2003)
 * Jon Platou Selvig: sampling, keyboard (2001–2005)
 * Jørgen Skjulstad/DJ Sissyfus: misc. instruments (2004–2006)