Anders Aarum

Norwegian Fakirs & Mental Battles
The idea for the album came to Aarum after reading “Oslo originals” – a book about the fascinating residents from the Norwegian capital’s history. Each track on the album, he decided, would paint a portrait of one of these personalities. Take “El Jucan”, a tribute to Einar Olsen, who walked the streets as a fakir, swallowed swords, flames and glass and lay on a bed of nails.
In an inspiring twist of serendipity, the recording studio happened to be in the immediate vicinity of a mental hospital. This set the mood perfectly, as many of the personalities captured on the album battled with alcoholism and deteriorating psychological health.
The entire album, the first one by the current line-up of the trio after 15 years, was recorded in a single 1,5 hour short session. Thanks to this impressive achievement, the Anders Aarum trio are now originals as well. They, too, have now become part of the Oslo puzzle.