Christopher Porter was kind enough to pass along his full, unedited interview with Norwegian artist Sinikka Langeland for your reading pleasure - check it out!
As you may or may not be aware, one of the things I like best about Scandinavian music is the way that folk traditions are kept alive in modern times. Whether it's acts like Hedningarna or Detektivbyrån playing folk tunes using home-built instruments and electronics, Enslaved exploring their viking roots, Amorphis using the Kalevala for lyrical inspiration or Jan Johansson borrowing folk melodies for jazz (much in the same way that Sinikka does), there's a vast, rich musical heritage that's constantly being reinvigorated in new and interesting ways.

Enslaved, Shining (NOR) and Keep of Kalessin will tour Europe together in October:

10/20 - Ubu, Rennes (FRA)
10/21 - Mean Fiddler, London (UK)
10/22 - Junktion7, Nottingham (UK)
10/23 - Breda, Mezz (NL)
10/24 - Vosselaar, Biebob (BEL)
10/25 - Nijmegen, Doornroosje (NL)
10/26 - Backstage, Munich (GER) w/Secrets of the Moon
10/27 - Roxy, Saarbrücken (GER)

Trinacria, the collaborative project of Norwegian noise act Fe-Mail and black-metal legends Enslaved, will tour Norway later this month. Dates and samples: http://www.myspace.com/trinacriamusic

Dark Essence has signed two new bands, Bourbon Flame and Dead to this World. Both acts feature ex and current members of various illustrious Norwegian metal acts such as Enslaved, Gorgoroth and Immortal and you can find out more here: http://www.darkessencerecords.no/

Enslaved has announced new European tourdats for fall:

10/16 - Locomotive, Paris (FRA)
10/17 - CCO Villeurbanne, Lyon (FRA)
10/18 - Poudrière, Belfort (FRA)
10/19 - Camji, Niort (FRA)
10/20 - Ubu, Rennes (FRA)
10/21 - Mean Fiddler, London (UK)
10/22 - tba (UK)
10/23 - Breda, Mezz (NL)
10/24 - Vosselaar, Biebob (BEL)
10/25 - Nijmegen, Doornroosje (NL)
10/26 - Backstage, Munich (GER)
10/27 - Roxy, Saarbrücken (GER)

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Säkert! - Allt som är ditt
02. TALK 1
03. Madrugada - Shine
04. My Midnight Creeps - Don't let 'em bring you down
05. TALK 2
06. Asha Ali - A promise broken
07. Detektivbyrån - Hemvägen
08. Pelle Carlberg - Clever girls like clever boys much more than clever boys like clever girls
09. TALK 3
10. Enslaved - 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)
11. TALK 4
12. Fare You Well - Take me away
13. The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt
14. Emmon - Wake up time (Thermostatic remix)
15. TALK 5
16. KVLR - Traitors and thieves
17. Magnus Carlsson - Va med mig
18. Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - Bebopalulia
19. TALK 6
20. De Må Være Belgiere - Cirkler
21. Johndoe - Kjøtere
22. Manes - Deeprooted
23. TALK 7
24. Khoma - Stop making speeches
25. The Giant's Dream - Significant dawn
26. Las Puertas - The water
27. TALK 8
28. Lordi - The chainsaw buffet
29. Logh - A sunset knife fight
30. Lack - 5 o'clock in the evening
31. TALK 9
32. The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
33. Jan Johansson - Visa från Utanmyra
34. TALK 10
35. Kashmir - The aftermath

Speaking of avant-metal, Dark Essence has announced the signing of Vulture Industries (ex-Taake, Enslaved) and will be releasing their debut album "The dystopia journals" on September 10.

The Apeshit webzine interviews Grutle Kjellson of Enslaved: http://www.apeshit.org/2007/05/22/enslaved-progressive/

This week's playlist for my show on Sirius:

01. Kristofer Åström - The dark
02. TALK 1
03. Amandine - Better soil
04. Christel Alsos - What you gotta do
05. Tarantula - Two arrows
06. TALK 2
07. Kristin Asbjørnsen - I'm on my way
08. Thomas Denver Jonsson - Dreams at the film club
09. Tenderloud - Texas down
10. TALK 3
11. Hyacinth House - Ghost town
12. Strayfolk - I'll be a-goin'
13. The First Miles - Bottle, don't let me down
14. TALK 4
15. Hello Saferide - I was definitely made for these times
16. Hederos & Hellberg - I can't hold myself in line
17. Two Times the Trauma - I fell in love with an ocean
18. David Sandström Overdrive - The Fatville Treaty
19. HGH - Stupid song
20. TALK 5
21. Gorgoroth - Procreating Satan
22. Enslaved - The voices
23. Invocator - Breed of sin
24. TALK 6
25. Seance - Post mortem
26. Watain - Underneath the cenotaph
27. Dark Tranquility - Icipher
28. TALK 7
29. Eucharist - The Eucharist
30. At the Gates - Slaughter of the soul
31. Wolfbrigade - EU (European Union)
32. TALK 8
33. Katatonia - Had to (leave)
34. Bloodbath - Soul evisceration
35. Cult of Luna - The revelation embodied
36. TALK 9
37. Finntroll - Slaget vid blodsälv

Enslaved will return to the US for a full tour in November: http://www.enslaved.no/index.php?module=events

The much-anticipated "Excess of Evil" European tour featuring Marduk, Enslaved, Keep of Kalessin, Goatwhore, Melechesh and Pantheon I has been cancelled at the last minute by booking agency Metalysee. Read Enslaved's statement on the matter: http://www.enslaved.no/

Enslaved has posted dates for their upcoming European tour with Marduk: http://www.enslaved.no/index.php?module=events

The winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, aka the Norwegian Grammys:

Female artist: Marit Larsen - Under The Surface (EMI Music Norway)
Male artist: Thomas Dybdahl - Science (Universal Music AS)
Pop group: Minor Majority - Reasons To Hang Around (Big Dipper Records)
Electronica: Lindstrøm - It's A Feedelity Affair (Smalltown Supersound)
Rock: 120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Metal: Enslaved - Ruun (Tabu Recordings)
Hip-hop: Darkside Of The Force - El Dia De Los Puercos (C+C Records)
Jazz: Atomic - Happy New Ears! (Jazzland)
Open class: Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykestrasse 68 (Propeller Recordings AS)
Best newcomer: 120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Best song: Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes, Askil Holm - Hallelujah (Playroom/SonyBMG/Universal)
Music video: Marit Larsen - Don't Save Me (EMI)
Spellemann: Vamp
Hederspris: Sissel Kyrkjebø, Bjørn Eidsvåg and Åge Aleksandersen

Read more: http://www.ifpi.no/spellemann/vinner.html

The nominees for the 2006 Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian Grammy, have been annnounced:

Female artist:
Elvira Nikolaisen - Quiet Exit (Sony BMG)
Marit Larsen - Under The Surface (EMI Music Norway)
Mira Craig - Mira Mira (Homemade Records)
Male artist:
Bjørn Eidsvåg - Nåde (Petroleum/Sony BMG)
Odd Nordstoga - Heim Te Mor (Universal Music AS)
Thomas Dybdahl - Science (Universal Music AS)
Pop group:
Delillos'85 - Suser Videre (Universal Music AS)
Jim Stärk - Turn Around And Look (Sweet Recordings)
Minor Majority - Reasons To Hang Around (Big Dipper Records)
Electronica:
Lindstrøm - It's A Feedelity Affair (Smalltown Supersound)
Splaxxter Watts - The Shakeout (Cafe Superstar DA)
The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams (Smalltown Supersound)
Rock:
120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Bonk - Bonk Against Nothing (Racing Junior)
Madrugada - Live At Tralfamadore (EMI Music Norway)
The Low Frequency In Stereo - The Last Temptation Of... (Rec 90)
The School - Espionage (Kong Tiki Records)
Metal:
Benea Reach - Monument Bineothan (Tabu Recordings)
Enslaved - Ruun (Tabu Recordings)
Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Regain Records)
Keep Of Kalessin - Armada (Tabu Recordings)
Hip-hop:
Darkside Of The Force - El Dia De Los Puercos (C+C Records)
Karpe Diem - Rett Fra Hjertet (Bonnier Amigo Music Norge)
Tungtvann - Siste Skanse (C+C Records)
Jazz:
Atomic - Happy New Ears! (Jazzland)
Helge Sunde/Norske Store Orkester - Denada (Act)
Håkon Kornstad/Håvard Wiik - The Bad And The Beautiful (Moserobie)
Ken Vandermark/Paal Nilssen-Love - Seven (Smalltown Superjazzz)
The Thing - Action Jazz (Smalltown Superjazzz)
Open class:
Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykestrasse 68 (Propeller Recordings AS)
Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook (Universal Music AS)
Mari Boine - Idjagiedas - In The Hand Of The Night (Universal Music AS)
Terje Isungset - Igloo (All Ice Records/Grappa)
Wibutee - Sweet Mental (Sonne Disk)
Best newcomer:
120 Days - 120 Days (Smalltown Supersound)
Elvira Nikolaisen - Quiet Exit (Sony BMG)
Marte Wulff - Jacket (It's Definitly Records)
Mira Craig - Mira Mira (Homemade Records)
Rockettothesky - So Sing You Apple Trees (Trust Me Records)
Music video:
Bjørn Eidsvåg M/Elvira Nikolaisen - Floden (Sony BMG)
Christel Alsos - Come On (Sony BMG)
Grand Island - Us Annexed (Racing Junior)
Marit Larsen - Don't Save Me (Emi)
The White Birch - Seer Beliver (Racing Junior)

The rest of the categories are here: http://www.spellemann.no/nomine.html

Lambgoat has some of the dates for the upcoming Enslaved/Dark Funeral US tour: http://www.lambgoat.com/news/view.aspx?id=7666
I've never been much of a Dark Funeral fan, but Enslaved is definitely not to be missed.