Fjordgata Records

{{Short description|Norwegian music label}}

{{Infobox record label

| name = Fjordgata Records

| image = Fjordgata+Records.jpg

| caption = The official logo for Fjordgata Records.

| founded = 2021

| founder = Benjamín Gislí Einarsson, Sara Fjeldvær, Tuva Halse, Audun Rørmark

| status =

| distributor = Bandcamp

| genre = Jazz, pop

| country = Norway

| location = Trondheim, Norway

| website = {{URL|https://www.fjordgatarecords.com}}

}}

Fjordgata Records is an independent music label founded in 2021 by Sara Fjeldvær, Benjamín Gislí Einarsson, Tuva Halse and Audun Rørmark.

Fjordgata Records was founded by four Norwegian musicians while they were students of the Jazzlinja at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The label name comes from the name of a street in Trondheim where the idea of this new label was born. Fjordgata works as a cooperative of artists aiming at maintaining control on their production. The Gaffa music magazine asks: "One often hears about up-and-coming bands and artists. But who are the young promising enthusiasts who want to facilitate and fight for these musicians when no one else does? Who dares to compete in a monopolized music landscape where unpredictability and nepotism reign?" According to Gaffa, "the goal {{bracket|of Fjordgata Records}} was to create a platform to release their own and others' music, ensuring that the musicians themselves do not lose significant royalties or ownership shares of their music."{{Cite web |last=Elgeness |first=Sigurd Hollen |date=2024-01-30 |title=Å være up-and-coming plateselskap i 2024: Hils på Fjordgata Records • gaffa.se |url=https://gaffa.se/no/nyheter/2024/januar/a-vaere-up-and-coming-plateselskap-i-2024-hils-pa-fjordgata-records/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=gaffa.se |language=nb-NO}} According to Fjeldvær, we "see many who are ridiculously talented, hardworking, and completely absorbed in their music. But they can't crack the code with the industry stuff and end up getting lost". Halse explains that "now we have a platform where we not only record and distribute music but also organize release concerts, work on video production for songs, and so on".{{Cite web |last=Løvås |first=Tina |date=2022-05-08 |title=Mye mer enn et plateselskap • underdusken.no |url=https://www.underdusken.no/mye-mer-enn-et-plateselskap/303078 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=underdusken.no |language=nb-NO}} Einarsson claims that the long-term objective of the Fjordgata Records label is to establish it as one of the most exciting record labels in Nordic jazz and alternative music.{{Cite web |last1=Vinger |author-link=:no:Audun_Vinger |first1=Audun |last2=Roshauw |first2=Filip |date=2024-12-03 |title=Mellom slegge og stein • jazzinorge.no |url=https://jazzinorge.no/2023/09/22/ntt-benkeforslag-til-benjamin/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=jazzinorge.no |language=nb-NO}}

As part of its support for young musicians, Fjordgata releases debut albums, but also follow-ups. Fjordgata Records has released albums from the Norwegian and Dutch scenes so far. Boxed, by the Bento Box Trio, was praised by the Norwegian jazz magazine {{interlanguage link|Jazznytt|lt=Jazznytt|no}},Hovland, Torkjell (Fall 2022), Album reviews: Boxed by Bento Box. {{interlanguage link|Jazznytt|lt=Jazznytt|no}} 264, 48―50. featuring an unconventional trio leaving huge space for "free roles and open landscapes".{{Cite web |last=Slaattun |first=Camilla |date=2024-03-22 |title=Ukas jazzprofil: Tuva Halse • jazzinorge.no |url=https://jazzinorge.no/2021/03/22/ukas-jazzprofil-tuva-halse/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=jazzinorge.no Jazz i Norge |language=nb-NO}} The follow-up album, Somehow I Lost My Way, was selected by the [https://www.europejazz.net/ Europe Jazz Network] as an album of the month (November 2024) in the Europe Jazz Media Chart.{{Cite web |last=Jouan |first=Matthieu |date=November 2024 |title=Europe Jazz Media Chart: Somehow How I Lost My Way (Fjordgata Records) • europejazz.net |url=https://www.europejazz.net/europe-jazz-media-chart-november-2024 |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=europejazz.net |language=nb-NO}}

The debut album of the Hogne Kleiberg Trio was hailed by critics for its originality and melodic character, inviting to a soundscape reminiscent of the lyricism of Bill Evans, strength and expressiveness of McCoy Tyner.{{Cite web |last=Hammerø |first=Tor |date=2024-07-05 |title=Det virker heldigvis som den ikke har noen ende denne strømmen med heftige nye jazzstemmer. Pianisten Hogne Kleiberg er nok et flott prov på det • nettavisen.no |url=https://www.nettavisen.no/kjendis/hogne-kleiberg-trio-oransje/r/5-95-1901966 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=nettavisen.no |language=nb-NO}}

As another example, Stars, by Sara Fjeldvær, was found to have musical elements which make it "something unique" by gripping artist,{{Cite web |last=Vinger |first=Audun |author-link=:no:Audun_Vinger |date=2024-02-09 |title=Låtskrivere av første klasse • dn.no |url=https://www.dn.no/magasinet/musikk/anmeldelser/pop/frida-annevik/latskrivere-av-forste-klasse/2-1-1591971 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=dn.no |language=nb-NO}} a "counterweight to the retouched and commercial pop vocal."{{Cite web |last=Lokna |first=Maria |date=2024-02-16 |title=Sara Fjeldvær: Motvekt til den retusjerte og kommersielle popvokalen • morgenbladet.no |url=https://www.morgenbladet.no/kultur/musikk/2024/02/16/sara-fjeldvaer-motvekt-til-den-retusjerte-og-kommersielle-popvokalen/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=morgenbladet.no |language=nb-NO}} Fjeldvær's works for Fjordgata Records led to her being named one of the Artists to Watch 2025 selected by the Independent Music Companies Association.{{Cite web |title=Artists to Watch 2025 |url=https://impalamusic.org/impala-100-artists-to-watch-2025/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Independent Music Companies Association}}

According to {{interlanguage link|Audun_Vinger|lt=Audun Vinger|no}}, after just a few years, the quality of the music released by Fjordgata Records holds up well in comparison to the big players.{{Cite web |last=Vinger |first=Audun |author-link=:no:Audun_Vinger |date=2024-02-09 |title=Låtskrivere av første klasse • dn.no |url=https://www.dn.no/magasinet/musikk/anmeldelser/pop/frida-annevik/latskrivere-av-forste-klasse/2-1-1591971/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=dn.no |language=nb-NO}}