Artist: Magne F
Released: September 20, 2004
Related Archive Post: Payne’s Gray Book | | Payne’s Gray Art
Magne’s debut solo album was released in September 2004. According to MIC Norway, Magne described the start of this project:
“It all started out as an ordinary songwriting process in the wake of the last a-ha album, but all the way I’ve had this feeling that it was turning into a solo project.” When he realized that his composing was moving into a solo project, the ensuing acknowledgement hit hard: “It was like an explosion in the back of my head. The tunes took on a whole new character, and when I began to sing them, the compositions appeared to me much cleared for me than before. All of it defined itself as a solo project with an entirely new persona.”
Furuholmen is apparently very proud of his debut solo album: “It feels a bit stupid to say so, but I recorded this album feeling that it is this decade’s most important record. At least, it is the best material that I’ve ever made.”
Click the links below for lyrics and 30 second song samples.
Tracklist:
01. Obsolete (3:47) | | lyrics | | sample
02. All the time (4:22) | | lyrics | | sample
03. Past perfect future tense (3:27) | | lyrics | | sample | | video
04. No one gets me but you (5:03) | | lyrics | | sample
05. Kryptonite (4:26) | | lyrics | | sample | | video
06. Nothing here to hold you (5:12) | | lyrics | | sample
07. A friend like me (2:36) | | lyrics | | sample
08. Little angels (2:52) | | lyrics | | sample
09. 2CU Shine (2:59) | | lyrics | | sample
10. You don’t have to change (3:19) | | lyrics | | sample
11. Envelop me (3:30) | | lyrics | | sample | | discussion
12. Never sweeter (9:33) | | lyrics | | sample
12a. Perfect Circle | | lyrics
Singles:
- Past Perfect Future Tense – Released as a promo single in September 2004 | | more info
- Kryptonite – Released as a single on March 14, 2005 | | more info
- 2CU Shine – Released as a single on May 9, 2005 | | more info
- All The Time – Promo single released in the UK in 2005 | | more info
- Nothing Here To Hold You – Promo single released in Italy in 2005 | | more info
Related Links:
Media:
- 04/01/2005 – Pop News: MAGNE F. – Past Perfect Future Tense
- 03/20/2005 – a-ha.com: Magne F’s solo album released in UK
- 11/17/2004 – F-B.no: Frister Magne F. Fredrikstad?
- 10/26/2004 – Panorama: Taushet ville vært gull
- 10/09/2004 – Puls: Past Perfect Future Tense
- 10/05/2004 – Resonance Online: Past Perfect Future Tense
- 10/01/2004 – Losing Today: Past Perfect Future Tense
- 09/29/2004 – SA.no: Lagde plate for seg selv
- 09/22/2004 – TA.no: Melankoliker på egne bein
- 09/22/2004 – Universitas: Pottitpop
- 09/22/2004 – Varden: Ikke akkurat A-ha
- 09/21/2004 – Adressa: Fint fra Furuholmen
- 09/21/2004 – Glamdalen: Magne F
- 09/21/2004 – TV2: Unødvendig Furuholmen
- 09/21/2004 – VG: Past Perfect Future Tense
- 09/21/2004 – Dagbldet: Nesten-perfeksjonisme
- 09/16/2004 – Dagbladet: «Jeg synger bedre enn Morten»
- 08/24/2004 – Dagbladet: Solo-Magne tar full kontroll
- 07/05/2004 – VG: a-ha-Magne går solo
- 07/05/2004 – MIC Norway: Coldplay contribute to a-ha member’s solo album
- 06/16/2004 – Dagbladet: a-ha-Magne får Coldplay-hjelp
- 06/16/2004 – TV2: Coldplay hjelper Magne Furuholmen
Fan Content:
- West of the Moon
- a-ha.ru (1)
- a-ha.ru (2)
- Mortenharket.ru
- German a-ha Forum (1)
- German a-ha Forum (2)
Individual song discussions:
- Never Sweeter / Perfect Circles: German a-ha Forum
- Past Perfect Future Tense single: German a-ha Forum
- Envelop Me: West of the Moon Forum
More info: a-ha Discography
Andreas from the German a-ha forum had a chance to do a short Q&A with Michael Brauer, who mixed the album. The text is available in English and German here.
Quotes:
“Beautifully subdued, tremulous vocals, a modest drum pattern and subtle guitar all gel to create a small thing of beauty,” wrote Nik Moore in his Play Louder review of ‘2CU Shine.’
“A moving record,” writes Sylvain Courtoux about ‘Past Perfect Future Tense’ in Pop News. “A string of potential hits.”
In an Amazon.com listener review of ‘Kryptonite,’ Donna Wampach wrote, “Kryptonite is a must-listen for those looking for a bold, raw, and intimate music experience.”
Martin Lenon wrote in The Scotsman that ‘Past Perfect Future Tense’ has “intelligent, dynamic and well-written tunes.”
Also in The Scotsman, Andrew Eaton characterized ‘Past Perfect Future Tense’ as “lush, epic, folk-tinged rock, the biggest revelation being his singing voice. He’s no Morten Harket, certainly, but this works in his favour; it’s a rough-edged thing reminiscent of the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne, far from the slick crooning of today’s boy bands. Musically, we’re in the territory of Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and classic U2.”
Videos:
Only two official videos were released to support this album, Past Perfect Future Tense and Kryptonite.
