Origo Sound


Origo Sound is a Norwegian independent record label formed in 1990 in Norway by Harald Lervik. The initiative to start the label was taken after Tormod Opedal, an employee in Lervik's software company, in 1989 had decided to close his own label Cicada which had released two albums by the Norwegian composer :no:Erik Wøllo|Erik Wøllo. Wøllo had a new album ready to be released, and Origo Sound was formed the year after, with two albums launched in the autumn 1990, of which one was the new Wøllo album
Origo Sound's major successes were the two albums by Biosphere, Microgravity and Patashnik. Hailed by Norwegian and international press for setting the standard for what was to become known as ambient techno, the albums were followed by two more albums on the label, Substrata and the movie soundtrack Insomnia.
Up until 2007, all but one of the albums released were by Norwegian bands and artists. The one exception was the Finnish duo Dystopia's album The Second Dawn in 1998, but Harald Lervik says this was purely coincidental. In 2010, the label released its first CD of original music since 2004.
Over the years, Origo Sound has released albums in a variety of styles, all founded in various electronic music subgenres. The first few years were dominated by a mix of styles ranging from new-age music to ethnic and techno. The mid 1990s saw some techno influenced albums, while in the recent past the label has moved in the direction of ambient and experimental music. The melodic approach is also covered in the catalogue.
In 2007, Origo Sound was merged into Planet Origo, an Estonian company owned by Norwegian investors, including Harald Lervik. In October that year, the label released its first CD since 2004, the sampler Planet Origo, as a warm-up to future releases. In 2013, Origo Sound was re-established as an independent, Norwegian record label.

Discography

This list is organized by release year. Titles are full length albums unless otherwise mentioned.
YearArtistTitleComment
1990Erik WølloImages of Light
1990Green IsacStrings and pottery
1991Karsten BrustadIntarsia
1991BiosphereMicrogravity
1991BiosphereThe fairy tale12" vinyl single
1991Langsomt Mot NordHildring
1992Green IsacHappy endings
1992Erik WølloSolstice
1994BiospherePatashnik
1994Karsten BrustadCape West
1994Neural NetworkBrain-state-in-a-box
1994Sverre Knut JohansenDistant Shore
1995Eyeman ReelBird Colony
1995Neural NetworkModernité
1995Erik WølloFossegrimenBook + CD, joint release with Cappelen
1995BiosphereNovelty wavesCD single
1995Eyeman ReelCyber DelhiCD single
1997CurrentEnter the Dream
1997CircularNanotopia
1997BiosphereInsomnia
1997BiosphereSubstrata
1997ExileDimension DExile = Erik Wøllo
1997Various artistsFuture ProofLabel sampler/compilation
1998DystopiaThe second dawn
1999Sverre Knut JohansenThe source of energy
2001CurrentMusik
2002Living DreamtimeExploring the Water Element
2003CurrentCommunion
2003CurrentGhost tripCD single
2004CircularGlass Darkly
2007Various artistsPlanet OrigoLabel sampler/compilation
2010NemesisGigaherz-
2012Sverre Knut JohansenPlanets-
2013SynthXNoxiaThe label's first ever 2CD
2013Pertti GrönholmWinterplanet-
2013Super FataStructural Tendency-