Teitur Lassen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Teitur Lassen
Teitur Lassen 20090502-DSCF1739.jpg
Lassen performing in a concert in Nordatlantens Brygge, Copenhagen
Background information
Birth name Teitur Lassen
Born (1977-02-04) 4 February 1977 (age 36)
Origin Faroe Islands
Genres Pop, folk, rock
Occupations Musician, Composer, Musica Arranger, Film scorer
Instruments Vocals, guitar, Piano
Years active 1997–present
Labels Universal, Equator Records, Tutl, Cheap Lullaby, Arlo & Betty Records
Associated acts Mark No Limits
Website Teitur.com

Teitur (IPA: [ˈtaitʊɹ]; born Teitur Lassen 1977 in Hoyvík) is a Faroese singer-songwriter. On 3 March 2007, he was awarded Best Male Singer at the Danish Music Awards, and two years later his album The Singer was awarded Singer/Songwriter Album of the Year at the Danish Music Awards 2009.[1]

Teitur started out in the Faroese pop/rock band Mark No Limits as its lead singer and songwriter. After quickly gaining a reputation at home, Teitur left the Faroe Islands for Copenhagen at 17, finding both his voice and a succession of helping hands all over Europe and North America. He dedicated himself to playing and writing music in English full-time, and soon caught the attention of former BMI executive Christian Ulf-Hansen at the Danish music festival, SPOT, who quickly signed on as manager.

Contents

Debut release [edit]

After finding both a publishing deal and a record contract with Universal Records, the Faroe Islands awarded him its 2004 "Businessman of the Year" award. His first major album, Poetry & Aeroplanes, released in 2003, was recorded in Los Angeles and Spain and featured a number of prominent studio musicians and the production of Rupert Hine. Within months of its debut, the record found a following among many of popular music's inner circle. Extensive touring in the US and Canada and rave reviews and industry/musician buzz led to opening slots on tours with Suzanne Vega, Glen Phillips, Aimee Mann, and John Mayer. John Mayer later described the album in his Esquire magazine article: "it may be one of the best albums to come around in the last five years...Music like this is jet fuel on the fire of a broken heart. Even if you think the flame has died, there's at least one lyric that'll hit that last hot spot, and then you'll find yourself as fucked as you were the day you lied and said you never wanted to see her again. Enjoy."

Teitur was featured on MTV's You Heard it First program. While not picked up by mainstream radio, several of the songs on Poetry & Aeroplanes found airplay on major television and motion picture soundtracks, most recently in the 2006 films Aquamarine and My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Teitur continued to tour extensively in 20 plus countries, building a firm following and respect amongst media and the musician community, despite the lack of commercial marketing by Universal Records.

Changing gears [edit]

On 20 April 2006, Teitur's management issued a statement that he had dropped Universal as his record label following months of legal problems and creative differences, and from then on his records would be released on Arlo and Betty Recordings, a new label, run by his manager, and named after his two vintage Gibson guitars. His second studio record Stay Under the Stars, produced by Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, Ron Sexsmith, KT Tunstall, Train), was released in May 2006 in Scandinavia on Arlo and Betty, licensed to the indie label Playground Music. After spending several months in the Danish Top-40, the album was released in the U.S. and Canada on 5 September 2006 on the newly formed Equator Records, and on iTunes on 8 September 2006 and Edel Records in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Homecoming record [edit]

According to a 12 October 2006 article in the Faroese newspaper Sosialurin, Teitur's next album would be in the Faroese language, and will be released only in the Faroe Islands and Iceland. It is planned that Teitur will tour each corner of his tiny motherland in its support.[2] The album was licensed to and released on the Faroese label Tutl on 14 May 2007 under the title Káta Hornið

The Singer [edit]

In October 2007 Teitur started recording a new album, "The Singer". The recording studio was set up in the barn of the famous house "Fridhem" on the island of Gotland, former home and dying place of world-renowned director Ingmar Bergman. The album was produced by Teitur and recorded and engineered by his long-time live sound engineer, Jonas Bloch Danielsen. The album was released in Scandinavia on 11 February 2008, and a few months later in the rest of world.[3] In 2009 he was awarded Danish singer/songwriter Album of the Year for The Singer at the Danish Music Awards 2009 and Albums of The Week in The UK's The Guardian and The Independent.

Let the Dog drive home [edit]

Teitur recorded his next album, "Let the Dog drive home" in early 2010 in Copenhagen, with some of his long-time regular musicians, namely Drummer Derek Murphy (from Atlanta, Georgia), Bass Player Mikael Blak (also from The Faroe Islands), and Nikolaj Torp Larsen (Danish, lives in London), and a host of guest musicians, and backing singers. Teitur once again produced the album, which was recorded and engineered by his regular cohort Jonas Bloch Danielsen and mixed by the Norwegian, George Tandero (who also mixed Stay Under The Stars). The song title that spawned the album title, is a metaphor for relaxing and letting things just happen. The artwork for the album, is based on a series of drawings by Teitur of a dog character, reflecting some of the lyrics in the album; the graphic design being handled, as on all his albums, by London based Bob McKie with direction by Christian Ulf-Hansen.

The album was released in October 2010 in Scandinavia, reaching the top 10 in Denmark, preceded by the single "You never leave L.A."and in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Benelux and Italy, also charting in Holland; the single's animated video based on the dog character of the album artwork, directed by Alex Lee, took nearly 6 months to make. The first single in the UK and Ireland was the track "Betty Hedges", and the album was released on the 11th April 2011 there, to great reviews, including Album of the Week in The Independent.

Other works [edit]

In 2005 Teitur sang the track "Syner" on the 2005 "Andersen's Drømme" album, produced and compiled by Danish producer, Nikolaj Norlund. Norlund went on to produce Teitur's version of "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" for the Danish Christmas album, Fra Danske Hjerter (Translated as From Danish Hearts)in 2010.

Teitur produced and arranged the album "Le Cheshire Cat et Moi" in 2009 for French superstar Nolwenn, recording in Sweden, the Faroes and France, also co-writing four of the songs and writing another on his own. Nolwenn credits Teitur for the brave musical direction which allowed her to develop musically, reflected in this album and again in her subsequent follow up, the No.1 album, "Bretonne".

In 2010, the Italian legendary singer, Mina, recorded Teitur's song "You Get Me" as a duet with Seal, which was the first single from her album "Caramella", which went top 3 in Italy. Seal went on to record the song again, with David Foster producing, for Seal's album "Seal-6-Commitment", which charted in 12 countries, also recording it as a duet with Buika (Spain), Tinkabelle (Switzerland) and Anna Eriksson (Finland).

During 2011, Teitur wrote a seven piece song cycle called "Weekdays", for Choir and Orchestra, which was performed in late 2011 by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the DR Girls choir in Copenhagen.

In 2012, Teitur performed live across the Netherlands with the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble, while a film was shown which he commissioned and composed the score to, directed by Thomas Koba, under the title "Everyday Song", with additional music composed for the live show by Trondur Bogason. They also performed in Copenhagen, as part of the CPH:Dox Festival.

During 2012, Teitur composed the music for the yet to be released indie film "The Load" directed by Kristian Sonderby.

Discography [edit]

Studio albums [edit]

EP's [edit]

Compilations [edit]

Soundtrack appearances [edit]

DVD releases [edit]

Collaborations [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Politiken.dk (in Danish)
  2. ^ Teitur makes Faroese CD Portal.fo, 12 October 2006 (in Faroese)
  3. ^ "The Singer" 25 January 2008 ("The Singer")

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Teitur Lassen
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Teitur Lassen
Look up Teitur in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.


Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teitur_Lassen&oldid=550322186"