Motorpsycho is a Norwegian rock band from Trondheim. Their music can generally be defined as progressive or psychedelic rock, but they also mix in elements from alternative, jazz, post-rock, pop, country and many other musical styles. The stable members of the band are Bent Sæther (born 18 February 1969, bass/vocals) and Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan (born 31 December 1969, guitar/vocals). From 1992 to March 2005, Håkon Gebhardt (born 21 June 1969) was the band's drummer. From December 2007 to May 2016 Kenneth Kapstad was the drummer of the band, being replaced by Tomas Järmyr, who joined in early 2017. Järmyr left the band in January 2023.
Biography Formed in the late 1980s as an alternative metal band (they picked their name after seeing the Russ Meyer film of the same name as part of a Russ Meyer triple bill – there was already a band named after Mudhoney and a band named after Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! – the other two films on the bill), Motorpsycho soon developed a unique blend of grunge, heavy metal and indie rock, as well as incorporating the sonic noise experiments of associated member Deathprod. The hugely ambitious, progressive double album Demon Box (1993) followed a series of low-profile EPs and albums, earning the band a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy, and secured a loyal following in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as in Scandinavia.
The 1990s was an extremely productive era for the band. They released new material almost every year and enjoyed critical acclaim for each album—though not the massive sales the music press kept predicting.
With the 2000 album Let Them Eat Cake, Motorpsycho suddenly took huge steps away from their noisy hard rock roots, opting instead for a smoother, jazz-tinged approach to the songwriting and recording process. They kept this technique for the subsequent releases, Phanerothyme and It's A Love Cult.
Drummer Hakon Gebhardt left the band in 2003. The double album Black Hole/Blank Canvas was released 17/20 March 2006 in Europe, with Bent Saether playing drums. The album received great reviews. Drums on the following tour were played by Jacco van Rooij.
On 28 March 2008 Motorpsycho released an album entitled Little Lucid Moments, with new drummer Kenneth Kapstad, and on 16 March 2008 a DVD containing music videos, live footage and documentaries entitled Haircuts.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the band released a vinyl-only album, Child of the Future, recorded by Steve Albini at the beginning of August 2009.
In January 2010 Motorpsycho released the album Heavy Metal Fruit, their first album featuring an external producer, Kåre Vestrheim, and also their third album in under two years.
In October 2011 the Dutch venue Effenaar released a limited edition live album exclusively on vinyl entitled Strings Of Stroop – Motorpsycho Live At Effenaar. The album features four Motorpsycho tracks recorded during various Motorpsycho shows at Effenaar between 1999 and 2010. Only 500 copies were pressed and sold at the band's 14th show in the venue.
On 10 February 2012 Motorpsycho released the double CD/LP effort The Death Defying Unicorn in collaboration with keyboardist Ståle Storløkken from the free improv group Supersilent. The album is a reworking of an instrumental suite commissioned by and performed at Moldejazz 2010. During 2011, Sæther produced lyrics for a sweeping narrative, thus making the album version a concept album. As in its initial performance at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet, the band and Storløkken are augmented by contributions from Trondheimssolistene, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, violinist Ola Kvernberg and long time collaborating visual artist Pekka Stokke on stage design. The core quartet performed the album in its entirety on every date during a March/April 2012 tour of Europe.
After the release and tour accompanying the Unicorn, the band felt the need to return to more traditional, guitar-based grounds and with Reine Fiske as second guitarist, recorded two albums, Still Life With Eggplant (released in spring 2013) and Behind the Sun (released in March 2014). To coincide with the release of Behind the Sun, Motorpsycho launched their first-ever official website, www.motorpsycho.no.
After years of institutionalising the band in Norway, Motorpsycho were inducted at Rockheim, Norway's rock music hall of fame, in a TV broadcast ceremony.Interview with Snah, Entertaim.net, received May 16, 2016
In 2016 the band released the studio album Here Be Monsters, which evolved from a piece of music they wrote for the Oslo Teknisk Museums birthday. The band played some songs in the museum, with the help of Ståle Storløkken, and then decided to work on it in the studio.
In May 2016, after completing the European Here Be Monsters Tour, Kenneth Kapstad left Motorpsycho. Core members Sæther and Ryan spent the remainder of the year writing, rehearsing and performing a live score to the Carl Frode Tiller-written play Begynnnelser (eng. Beginnings) in a 38-date autumn run at Trøndelag Teater.
In a January 2, 2017, news update on their official home page, the band announced Swedish drummer Tomas Järmyr to be the third permanent member of Motorpsycho. Together, they have recorded The Tower in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree (at the famous recording studio, Rancho de la Luna), which was released on September 8 the same year.
On January 8, 2023, Järmyr left the band.
In 2024 Motorpsycho contributed their version of the song "Up to Me" from the 1971 album Aqualung by Jethro Tull to the album Aqualung (Redux) released through Magnetic Eye Records on 6 December 2024. The song has been referred to as "the album's strangest song, a mixture of psychedelic blues" and "medieval-sounding acoustic verses highlighted by flute and percussion." They wanted to make a modern version of the song and not sound "too close to the original." The result was a heavier version that "retained the characteristic flute interludes" with a "rumbling bassline that rattles along on its own momentum."
Line up Current line up Bent Sæther – lead vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, drums (1989– ) Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan – lead guitars, vocals, keyboards, mandolin, violin, bass (1989– )
Previous members Kjell Runar "Killer" Jenssen – drums (1989–1991) Håkon Gebhardt – drums, vocals, banjo, guitar (1991–2005) Helge "Deathprod" Sten – theremin, various electronics, audio virus (1992–1994; frequent guest and producer 1994–2002, 2007, 2015, 2019) Lars Lien – keyboards, vocals (1993–1996, 2004; infrequent guest) Morten "Lolly" Fagervik – rhythm guitar, keyboards, drums (1994–1996, 2004) Kenneth Kapstad – drums (2007–2016) Tomas Järmyr – drums (2017–2023)
Major collaborators Matt Burt – voice, poetry (1993, 1996) Kjell Karlsen – steel guitar, vocals (1994, 2004) Øyvind Brandtsegg – Marimba Lumina and ImproSculpt programming (1994; live, 2006) Ole Henrik "Ohm" Moe – violin, saw, piano (1996–2000, 2013) Baard Slagsvold – keyboards, vocals (1999–2003) Jacco van Rooij – drums (live, 2006) Pekka Stokke – visuals (live, 2006—) Ståle Storløkken – keyboards (2010–2012, 2014) Reine Fiske – guitar, keyboards (2012–2014, 2018– ) Ola Kvernberg – violin (2012–2013, 2018–2022) Kristoffer Lo – keyboards, flugabone, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (live, 2017) Lars Horntveth – guitar, flute, keyboards (2001–2002, 2018—2020) Ole Paus – guitar, vocals (2019—2020; died 2023) Olaf Olsen – drums (live/studio, 2023) Ingvald André Vassbø – drums (live/studio, 2023– ) TrondheimSolistene Trondheim Jazzorkester
Timeline
Honors Spellemannsprisen
Spellemannprisen is often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English. It is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians.
As of 2020, Motorpsycho have received 14 nominations, with four wins.
Spellemannprisen 1993 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Demon Box Spellemannprisen 1994 in the class Best album cover, for the album Timothy's Monster created by Kim Hiorthøy Spellemannprisen 1996 in the class Rock, for the album Blissard Spellemannprisen 1997 in the class Hard rock, for the album Angels and Daemons at Play Spellemannprisen 2000 in the class Rock, for the album Let Them Eat Cake Spellemannprisen 2001 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Phanerothyme Spellemannprisen 2003 nominated in the class Åpen klasse, for the album In The Fishtank (With Jaga Jazzist Horns). Spellemannprisen 2008 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Little Lucid Moments Spellemannprisen 2009 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Child of the Future Spellemannprisen 2010 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Heavy Metal Fruit Spellemannprisen 2012 nominated in the class Rock, for the album The Death-Defying Unicorn Spellemannprisen 2013 nominated in the class Rock, for the album Still Life With Eggplant Spellemannprisen 2017 nominated in the class Rock, for the album The Tower Spellemannprisen 2020 nominated in the class Rock, for the album The All Is One
Other 1999: Gammleng Award in the class Pop/Rock 2001: Alarm Award in the class Rock for the album Let Them Eat Cake 2010: Edvard Prize for the album Child of the Future 2012: Trondheim Municipality Cultur Prize 2015: Nord-Trøndelag County Cultur Prize 2017: Rockheim Hall of Fame inductees
Discography Albums YearAlbumPeak positionsNotes NOR GER BEL NLD SWI ITA1991Lobotomizer ——————Released as LP and CD1992Soothe (mini album)——————Mini LP later issued on CD as "8 Soothing Songs for Rut", with two tracks from the "3 Songs for Rut" EP (see Compilations under).1993Demon Box——————Double LP and CD (omitting three songs due to space limitations)1994Timothy's Monster7—————Triple LP box and double CD, re-released in 2010 as 4CD-box1996 Blissard 3—————Double LP and CD, re-released in 2012 as 4CD-box1997 Angels and Daemons at Play 2—————Double LP, CD (omitting two songs) and three separate CD-EPs ("Babyscooter", "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" and "Lovelight"), re-released in 2016 as 6CD-box1998 Trust Us 7—————Double LP and double CD2000 Let Them Eat Cake 183————LP and CD2001 Barracuda (mini album)8—————LP and CD Phanerothyme 180————LP and CD2002 It's A Love Cult291————LP and CD2006 Black Hole/Blank Canvas 2—85———Double LP, double CD and limited edition double CD with 2 track bonus single2008 Little Lucid Moments2—————Double LP and CD2009 Child of the Future 2—————Vinyl-only LP2010 Heavy Metal Fruit296————Double LP and CD2013 Still Life With Eggplant293 —79——LP and CD2014 Behind the Sun653—81—63Double LP, CD, digital download The Motorpnakotic Fragments——————Limited edition 4×7″ and CD2016 Here Be Monsters255————LP and CD Here Be Monsters Vol 2——————Limited edition Mini-LP, CD2017 Begynnelser——————2×10″ with CD, and DVD of the theatrical play "Begynnelser" The Tower356————2LP, 2CD. Part 1 of the Gullvåg Trilogy. 2019 The Crucible443—19688—LP and CD. Part 2 of the Gullvåg Trilogy. 2020The All Is One331——53—2LP and 2CD. Part 3 of the Gullvåg Trilogy. 2021Kingdom of Oblivion319——41—2LP, CD, digital download2022Ancient Astronauts880——96—LP, CD, digital download2023Yay!—77————LP, CD, digital download2024Neigh!!——————LP, digital download2025Motorpsycho22—————2LP, 2CD, digital download2025Ahsol Caravan——————CD, digital download2026The Gaia II Space Corps—76————CD, LP, Cassette, digital download
As Motorpsycho & Friends YearAlbumPeak positionsNotes NOR1994The Tussler – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack10Original CD (1994) 2×10″ (1996)Remastered and extended CD/double LP (2003)
As Motorpsycho & Ståle Storløkken YearAlbumLabelPeak positionsNotes NOR GER2012The Death Defying Unicorn Stickman Records 787Double LP and double CD2015En Konsert For Folk Flest Rune Grammofon--Live double LP and double CD
As The International Tussler Society YearAlbumPeak positionsNotes NOR2004Motorpsycho presents The International Tussler Society1Released as double LP and CD, both came with bonus DVD
2004: "Satans Favourite Son" (Promo-single)