Beranek -

Espen Beranek Holm is a Norwegian new wave musician known professionally as Beranek. He scored a hit with “Dra te Hælvete,” followed by the albums Sound of Danger, X-Ray, and Trigger on the Mind Expanding and Snowflake labels. He returned on Epic with the 1986–88 titles Daylight in the Dark and The Red File.

Background

Espen Beranek Holm was born on March 23, 1960, in Oslo, Norway. Holm spent his childhood and adolescence in the Frogner district. His father, jazz vibraphonist and arranger Eilif Holm, introduced him to Bach and Beethoven. Eilif Holm also showed his son connections between Norwegian folk material and jazz arrangements. Holm first played clarinet in a boys’ band until age twelve, when he shifted to guitar. He bought his first electric guitar the following year with money from a newspaper route.

Holm first rehearsed with local musicians who accompanied a Tensing choir in exchange for practice space. The musicians later moved rehearsals to homes and Hamna Fritidsklubb in Professor Dahls gate. Holm developed his own material at home with synthesizers, a rhythm box, and an old tape recorder. Sigmund Øvrum featured Holm on guitar for the autumn 1980 single “Jeg vi’kke værra med mer.” Steinar Starholm recorded and produced the eight-track session behind the Trubadur record shop in Skippergata.

Holm recorded the self-produced “Dra Te Hælvete” on eight tracks in April 1981 with engineer Steinar Starholm. Beranek issued the single in May 1981 on Mind Expanding Records (b/w “Balls’n Calls”). Holm ordered an initial pressing of 25 copies before he expanded the run to meet demand. Norwegian buyers pushed the single to No. 1 on VG-lista before NRK removed the song from rotation following complaints to the Kringkastingsrådet.

Holm started Sound of Danger before the single peaked and retained an eight-track basement setup because a professional studio exceeded his budget. Martin Joyce Nygaard wrote five of the planned album’s nine lyrics. Monica Moltzau added vocals during the album sessions. Holm and engineer/co-producer Steinar Starholm completed the eight-track basement sessions for Beranek’s first LP, Sound of Danger.

Discography: