Mads Eriksen (born 12 October 1962) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer, known as solo artist and for his collaboration with Chris Thompson among others. (in Norwegian)

Biography

Eriksen was born in

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

and picked up the guitar at twelve, and started the band "Lorraine" in 1976 together with schoolmates (including keyboardist Hans-Petter Isaksen & bassist Roar Nilson) from

Nattland Nattland (also written "Natland") is a neighbourhood in Årstad and Fana boroughs in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located south of Landås and northeast of Paradis, although, like every neighbourhood outside Bergenhus bo ...

primary school. He got the role as "local guitar hero" inspired by

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

and Stones guitarist

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

, playing at school dances. He continued appearing in various local bands, including "Sharks & Whales" (the continuation of "Lorraine" now including Hans-Petter Isaksen & bassist Ole Vaksdal) with the album ''Reaped by Man'' released in 1988. After being labeled "A cross between

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American rock music, rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in hi ...

and

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex V ...

" by the ''

Guitar Player Magazine ''Guitar Player'' was an American magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contained articles, interviews, reviews and lessons covering artists, genres and products. The magazine was last edited by Christopher Scape ...

'' in 1989, (in Norwegian) Eriksen has embarked on a solo recording career together with producer and bassist Frank Hovland. In 1989 he debuted as a solo artist with the album ''Journey'', and has released a total of eight solo albums since then. Among other releases is the album ''Rediscovery'' which was released together with previous

Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...

guitarist and vocalist Chris Thompson. In 1993 Eriksen was invited to contribute to the 150th anniversary of Edvard Grieg's birth. The result was a mini-CD called ''Intermission Troldhaugen'' (1993), where he interpreted six compositions by Grieg on electric guitar. This was also the year Eriksen participated in the band ''Jordal Express'' with

Helge Jordal Helge Jordal (born February 17, 1946) is a Norwegian actor. He was appointed a Knight of the Royal Order of St. Olav in 2006 for his long career as an actor both on screen and on stage, and for his position as a "grand old man" among Norwegian ac ...

, Gisle Johnsen, Eirik "Pytten" Hundvin and Magne Lunde. The following year he was appointed musical ambassador of Norway in the U.S. Eriksen has also performed with

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ( Norwegian: Bergen filharmoniske orkester) is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The M ...

among other symphony orchestras. In the spring of 2009 he toured with

Ronni Le Tekrø Ronni Le Tekrø (born Rolf Ågrim Tekrø, 5 October 1963) is a Norwegian musician best known as the guitarist and one of the founders of hard rock band TNT, as a solo artist and for his work with Vagabond and Terje Rypdal. He has been describe ...

(

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

) og

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypd ...

under the name N3 (short for Norwegian Three). Eriksen has been working full-time as a guitarist and guitar teacher since 1988. In addition to many private students, he has taught in the municipal musical schools in

and

Sund Sund may refer to: Places In northern Europe, there are more than a hundred straits named ''Sund'', see: Sound (geography). *Sund, Åland, a municipality in Finland * Sund, Norway, a former municipality in Vestland county, Norway * Sund, Flakstad, ...

. From 1989 he held a permanent position as part-time teacher of electric guitar at

Voss Folk High School Voss Folk High School () is a private folk school in Voss, Norway. The school is located at the village of Seim, Hordaland, Seim west of Vossevangen in Hordaland. It was established in 1895 by educators Olaus Alvestad (1866–1903) and Lars E ...

until 2001. Since 1994 he has been frequently used as teacher at the Bergen College of Education, Åsane Folk High School, Voss high school and Kongshaug music college. Mads Eriksen is the father of Major Parkinson guitarist Øystein Bech-Eriksen.

Honors

* ''Guitar Player Magazine'', January 1989, acclaimed as guitarist * ''Guitar for the Practising Musician'' (''Guitar Magazine''), June 1992, selected ''Journey'' (1990) as Album of the Month * Appointed musical ambassador of Norway in the U.S. in 1994 by Grete Knudsen, Norwegian Minister of Trade * ''Guitar Techniques Magazine'', January 2012, selected ''Just What the World Needs'' (2010) as Album of the Month

Discography

Solo albums

*1990: ''Journey'' (Storyteller Records) (in Norwegian) (in Norwegian) *1991: ''Storyteller'' – (Storyteller Records) *1993: ''Intermission Troldhaugen'' (Lightbringer) *1994: ''M.E.'' (Storyteller Records) *1997: ''The Plough Boy'' (Storyteller Records, ) *1998: ''Suburban Cowboy'' (MTG Music) *2001: ''Redhanded'' (

Grappa Music Grappa Musikkforlag (established 1983 in Norway) is a Norwegian music company initiated and directed by Helge Westbye. It is one of the oldest and biggest independent record companies in Norway today. The company represents prominent Norwegian a ...

) *2010: ''Just What the World Needs'' (MTG Music) ;Within Mad & Hungry, with Hungry John *2007: ''Travelin (Hungry Records) *2010: ''Just What The World Needs'' (Hungry Records)

Collaborations

*1988: ''Reaped By Man'' (Big Hand Records), with ''Sharks & Whales'' *1993: ''Jordal Express'' (Response), with

and Gisle Johnsen *2001: ''Verden Venter'' (Orchard), with ''Tintin & The Hairdryers'' *2004: ''Rediscovery'' (VME), with Chris Thompson *2008: ''Live'' (Voiceprint) *2008: ''Off the Records ...'', with ''Sharks & Whales'' (limited edition) *2009: ''Timeline'' (Voiceprint) *2011: ''Acoustic'' (Gonzo Multimedia), with Chris Thompson live & unplugged performance recorded at the WDR2 radio station 2006 in Cologne, Germany *2012: ''Berlin Live & The Aschffenburg Remains Live at the Colos-Saal'', with Chris Thompson

References

External links

*
Mads Eriksen Destroyer, Album of the month Guitar Techniques Magazine Jan 2012
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Eriksen, Mads 1962 births Living people 20th-century Norwegian guitarists 21st-century Norwegian guitarists 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians Norwegian male composers Norwegian male guitarists Norwegian rock guitarists Musicians from Bergen