Pay-per-frog is the sound of norwegian snow melting in the spring sun, evenings by the beach, red wine and bad jokes. Very nice for sleeping. We guarantee good dreams. Programming, guitars & sampling by Thomas Wang J. (YTO Solreiser, Rockebandet Ændal) Percussion, vocals and weird instruments by Arne K. Mathisen (Heroes&Zeros, Saave, Skrellet) Additional vocals by Marita Sørli (Bermuda Triangle) and Silje Fossli. Behind the band and the music: Paye-per-frog are 2 guys from the chilled south coast of Norway (Arendal / Lillesand), who teamed up at "Trøndertun Rock & Roll Academy" in Trondheim in 2001. After many sleepless nights we found out that we needed some music to fall asleep to. What we had didn't work, so we used the school studio, and recorded a 40 minute long chillout jam (Paperfrog on acid part 1), that for 3 weeks served as sleeping medicine and painkiller. Later we recorded a 20 minute jam (Paperfrog on acid part 2), then a little more up-tempo with noise-samples and kitchen-ware percussion, but still relaxing. Big changes came when the entire Rock&Roll Academy had our week-long "Study trip" to Paris in the spring of 2001. We quickly found that the french air, exquisit red whine and presence of the late Jim Morrison did us good. We were inspired. Luckily, Thomas brought a MD recorder and used a crappy headset as a microphone, to record some of the sounds and atmospheres of the city. Most of this ended up in the delightfully easy "Paris Air", recorded in 1 night just after our return to the school... The song was instantly a hit (if you can call it a hit..) and it was played all the time over our outside stereo, while all the students were chilling in the spring sun, drinking tea and making out. While on holiday Thomas found an old MW-radio and spent 2 days listening to strange foreign radiochannels, and recording all of it. Some very strange but uplifting words came out of it. listen to "End Of Time". We also returned with our patented kitchen-ware percussion, borrowed from our school kitchen. We're sorry, but Arne smashed all the glasses getting a little too eager.. The song consists of drums, kitchen-ware, KORG MS20, guitars, and radiosamples. Something few people know is that Arne has a genuine taste for poetry, and wrote a few lines of bizarre poetry about cows and frogs which we ran through a vocoder. Thomas arranged a simple droomloop, and chopped up a few guitarbits from our first jam. The result is "Strange Sunny Days" which simply describes our last months at "Trøndertun Rock&Roll Academy".. Later came came the more urban hypnotical "Over Easy" which has been selected for 2 compilation CD's and has been played over and over again on our national radio channel P3. After this Thomas went solo with the project for a while creating more complex electronic songs like "Ruby Red" and "Tambourine" with Marita Sørli (currently in "Bermuda Triangle") Another chapter is the quintrilogy of "Amoulette / Eternal Tornment / Horror Visions" which is an ambient work consisting of 5 different pieces knitted together. 32 minutes long it is often found as the last track of our promo-discs. It starts of with downpitched loop-samples of Paris Air, grasshoppers and gently flows into sounds of a silent beach, then into long drifting guitarloops, rainstorms and other mysterious sounds. It was actually made as a gift for a friend who needed some sleeping medicine. Recent:
Summer 2009 Pay-per-frog did their first ever live concert at the beautiful Hovefestivalen on an island outside Arendal, in an old bunker (Bunker #19) --> As part of the art-project "Mønsterundersøkelse av lyd" - Using only guitars with effects and an old piano with a woven light-screen (made by Elin Igland) hooked up to every key, making a nice light-show in the dark bunker, setting the mood for a relaxing break from the noise and the sun. Our music has been widely used in student films, by NRK in documentaries, and played by radio DJs such as the wonderful DJ Friendly. In 2009 we got funding to record our debut album which will be released in spring/summer 2010. Expect groovy and soothing sounds, specially created for long drives, sunny afternoons and late nights. :-) Arne and Thomas are also active and playing together in the Noise-jazz-metal group YTO Solreiser, who did a spectacular show at the Hovefestival, and has been playing regularly around the country. And not to forget the massive rock-trio Heroes&Zeros, with Arne on drums, keys and vocals and Thomas as live-sound engineer and effectguru. Demos & Promos: Compilations: - Digicoustic Sounds (2008) + ISFIT Compilation CD (2008)