Maskineri (Machinery) is the fourth studio album by Norwegian alternative rock band Kaizers Orchestra, released on 18 February 2008. Recorded and mixed during November and December 2007, the album was released on the independent label Petroleum Records in Norway on 18 February 2008 and on Sony BMG in international territories on a later date.
On 17 December 2007 the first single, "Enden av november", was released on radio, their MySpace and iTunes. The same day, the first in a series of videos documenting the making of "Maskineri" was uploaded to YouTube.
Background.
Early on, the band stated that with "Maskineri" they wanted to go in a new direction, not only with the songs, but also with how the album was to be made and whom to make it with. The band had recorded their three previous studio albums at Duper Studios in Bergen with the help of producer Jørgen Træen, whom they stated was the "best producer in the world." However, when they were approached by sound engineer and producer Mark Howard through MySpace, they came to an agreement, and Howard was hired as the producer for the new album. Howard had earlier mixed the audio for R.E.M. and Tom Waits.
Critical reception.
The album was received well by the three biggest newspapers in Norway, "Aftenposten", "VG" and "Dagbladet", which all gave the album a 5/6 score. Most music magazines and websites also followed up with good scores. However, Danish music magazine "Gaffa" gave the album 3/6, saying that the band "has lost their interest and belief in their own abilities".
Commercial performance.
Since it was released on a Monday, "Maskineri" didn't enter the Norwegian Topp 40 Album charts until next week. The album made its debut on the charts in the coveted number-one spot.
On 20 June 2008, the album was confirmed to have reached the platinum mark, 30,000 sales. The band received a commemorative framed platinum disc at the Topp 20 Supershow in Oslo on the very same day.
Track listing.
Lyrics and music by Janove Ottesen, unless otherwise noted.
References.
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