Finn Harald Røed - blog archive 2008


December 23, 2008
We've sold our house in Sweden and moved back home to Norway. Moving everything you own from one country to another doesn't leave much time for song writing and recording. Thus, no new Christmas duet this year...

December 9, 2008
The effect of the financial crisis is getting more and more obvious in Sweden these days. Thousands of people loosing their jobs, especially within the car industry (Volvo and Saab). In the local community where I'm residing, hundreds of people have lost their jobs, and are forced to move out of their home town to find new work. Pretty sad, and all because of a wide spread social and spiritual decease defined by the concept of "economic growth". It's like a spider's web with space and air all around it, but nevertheless with no escape. It's so hard to break free...

December 4, 2008
Christmas is getting closer. I'm hoping to find the time to record a Christmas song with my wife (duet) within the next couple of weeks.

November 29, 2008
Let me share with you a tiny piece of a secret. I've always felt my life has a higher purpose, that I don't live up to my potential. I'm not all that sure anymore, but God knows I've tried to fulfill that role from time to time, but every time I climb that ladder, someone or something makes sure that I don't reach the top. It's such a painful fall. I know that by experience. While searching for the truth (yes, "the truth is out there" :-)...), it all seems so foggy and unclear. Purpose. Destiny. Sin. Forgiveness. Ignorance. Pride. Love. Salvation. God. All combined it's almost like looking through dirty glass, or like I can't concentrate because of some spiritual radio wave blocking device. Like I'm half asleep even though I'm fully awake. I still haven't found the answer to what is waiting inside me to come out, but I know myself good enough to doubt that I will continue looking. I don't think I'm meant to give up just yet.

November 22, 2008
Thanks a lot to all those who have shared their thoughts and impressions after having downloaded and listened to my latest album. Your comments and feedback are highly appreciated! It turns out that people's taste and favorite tracks varies a great deal. My next plan is to release a "Best of" album. From the feedback I've received, it looks like it's going to be quite a challenge to figure out which are my "most appreciated songs among the public". Then again, maybe I'd rather focus on which songs I personally like and relate to the most? Or... as my brother recently suggested - maybe a double album, one with "teknopop" and one with "pop-rock"? If choosing from songs back to about 1985, I sure do have enough "best of material" to fill two CDs...!

November 8, 2008
It is with great pleasure, relief and joy that I hereby announce my long time scheduled new album as READY AND RELEASED! The title of the CD is "Magical Graphic Color Scheme", named after one of the album tracks. The song is about our time's endless focus on success, fame, good looks, miracle cures and materialism.

This album has been "under construction" for what seems like a really, really long time. The songs were written evenly spread out over a period of 5+ years (2003-2008), but were never recorded properly until I moved to Sweden last year and up until now. Many of the songs mean a lot to me personally. They are honest results of the music and moods coming from within me, rather than attempts to write commercial tracks that will please the music industry in order to make money.

During the last few years, I've repeatedly talked about an upcoming follow-up album for the 1996-release "Transformation". Well, this album is it! I've asked myself whether "Magical" really turned out as planned. My conclusion is that even though a lot of things in my life (and music) have changed during the last 12 years, I still believe most people that are somehow familiar with my previous work will recognize my voice and style right away.

You may now download the full album in MP3-format (including printable CD-cover), or each song individually. It's all 100% FREE. Please go to the new album's download page for more info. And by the way: Constructive feedback and comments are always welcome!

November 6, 2008
The new CD/album will be released during the upcoming weekend, and may be downloaded in MP3-format FOR FREE at this website. More info to come very, very soon! :-)

November 5, 2008
Barack Obama - the next American president! I won't waste time on commenting the alternative. This was such a historic election in so many ways, and definitely the only way to fix the damaged American reputation abroad after eight years of narrow minded, arrogant right wing republican policy. Thank God it's over. I don't think America suddenly will become a perfect country, or that all it's problems will disappear over night. Nevertheless, I am grateful for this day. Grateful that I once again may like, enjoy and admire the USA for all it's qualities, and know that it's people learned by it's mistakes. It's been a while since the faith in America was lost for hundreds of millions of people.

What a great day for America and it's people! What a great day for those all over the world who long for peace and wise, righteous politicians. Thank you, all good Americans who followed your hearts and that inner voice - and voted for Obama and Biden to bring honest change and a better future.

Oct 30, 2008
I've decided to release my latest song "American Moses" seperate from the upcoming album. Please feel free to listen to or download the song from the MP3-page. :-)

September 9, 2008
I am somewhat surprised but grateful that Pearl has taught me about the dangers of playing drums during earthquakes. When buying one of their drum thrones, the leaflet "Using Your Product Safely" says:

"Earthquake precautions: A strong vibration such as an earthquake can cause your drums and hardware to shift and tip over. Stay well clear of falling objects to avoid injury."

I appreciate that precaution. However, I felt they may should consider adding info about what to do in case of tsunamis or terrorist attacks. I am considering e-mailing them to get some useful advice on that as well. I can't stress how important it is to keep these things in mind while playing drums. You never know - it might be a matter of life or death...

September 8, 2008
My page on MySpace is now being updated regularly. Please feel free to check it out:
www.myspace.com/FinnRoed

September 03, 2008
I'm writing a new song which is in the running for my never ending upcoming album. It's called "American Moses", and will hopefully be recorded and mixed within the month.

August 26, 2008
A couple of new pages on the Internet: You will now find a few songs listed on
Reverbnation.com and Bebo.com.

August 25, 2008
It's amazing how the perspective on life may change when a given circumstance somehow makes you face death. Things that always seemed so important turn out to be nothing but insignificant falsery, to such a great extent that it makes you feel embarrased. I guess the more we fill our hearts with this world's things, the less room there is for immortal or spiritual things - the things that money can't buy.

Ok then. I know instruments and recording gear cost a lot of money. Still, I didn't get all that stuff to show off or make money. I simply bought it so I could to be able to create and record music. I don't consider that to be materialistic. In addition to the excitement and joy that goes with creating something, my music will make sure that I leave something behind. My sons, grand children, friends and other relatives now and in the future. Something to listen to so that they may know me and remember me. Something that connects us together even though I'm no longer there.

Lately I've had these thoughts quite often. I find them to be both comforting and sad at the same time.

August 5, 2008
My good Norwegian friend Thor Ivar Skaue visited me in Sweden a few weeks ago. It's been many years since we actually made any music together, but this time we spent a few hours recording guitar tracks on one of my latest songs for the new album release. He did a great job - thanks! :-)

June 21, 2008
I recently bought and installed the Spectrasonics Trilogy VST bass module. Definitely feel this was a great improvement to my bass sound collection - making it so much easier to quickly find a good sounding el-bass when composing and mixing my music. I'll most likely use these bass sounds for a long time, and will also replace some of the old bass sounds with Trilogy-sounds in the final mix of my upcoming album.

June 15, 2008
Barack Obama... I truly hope this is "Change we can believe in"! I think he has the potential to fix the country's last years of domestic and international damage, and again make America become admired and looked up to throughout the world for the enthusiastic and honest freedom it once represented.

May 4, 2008
The master DAT tape of the 1994 MC-release "Moment in time" is found! For several years it was considered lost, but while digging through some older studio equipment, the master tape showed up. The MP3-files available as of today, are digital copies from one of the MCs, which includes noise not existing on the mastertape. The album will thus soon be re-released in MP3-format on my website - with better quality than in any release ever before. April 17, 2008
A short artist presentation with four songs (mp3) is now available on MySpace: Visit Finn Röed on MySpace

March 01, 2008
My private studio in Sweden is now ready. Time to finally mix, master and release all those songs that have waited so long to be heard in their final state - on the "Promises of tomorrow" album. It's been "under construction" for such a long time now. Who would have thought it would be labeled "made in Sweden". ;-)

February 09, 2008
Updated the list of instruments on this website.

January 21, 2008
I'm thinking of making a long term plan for the next 10 years or so of my life, including goals for music I would like to write (or finish writing) and release either on the Internet or on some physical medium. Of course, the plans and goals will probably change as time goes by, but doing this may help me focus on the major thoughts and ideas that I originally felt good about - or at least to further build on and develop those ideas. Just wanted to make a quick note about that.

For the next couple of years, the music about to be released is the long, long time scheduled album "Promises of tomorrow". After that I will release a song collection ("Best of") - and then, well, I really feel like going back to my roots and release an album much closer to "rock" rather than "pop". Also, I have a few reasons for making a ballad album in the future. Don't think I'm ready for that just yet, though, but I guess it will happen when the time is right.

After having learned how hopeless it is to make too many promises, or even assumptions, about release dates, all I dare to say is that I hope some new music will be ready for the public during 2008 and 2009. But then again, who knows? Time will show.

Very roughly, and with no obligations, I hope to release "Promises of tomorrow" during the first half of 2008, and then "Best of" as soon as possible after that. During 2009 I would love to finish writing, recording and releasing a brand new collection of songs - mainly in the rock genre with a certain focus on distorted el-guitars, maybe blended with some rough synthetics. We'll see. ;-)

January 06, 2008
The studio is technically up and running, and has been extended with a Fender bass guitar and bass amplifier, a Peavey Bandit 112 guitar amplifier, a new laptop, a few extra software synths and a CME UF5 midi keyboard with integrated audio interface UF 400e (firewire, 24bit/192kHz).