Datarock

by Kenyon Hopkin
Dressed in matching red tracksuits, Norwegian tongue-in-cheek electronic-dance band Datarock were one of several groups labeled by the U.K. press as "new rave." Easily combining inspiration from Devo, Talking Heads, and Happy Mondays, the band's unpredictable performances include any number of people dancing or playing instruments. Originating from the same Bergen scene as Röyksopp and the Kings of Convenience, Datarock formed in 2000 and included Fredrik Saroea (vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards), Ketil Mosnes (bass, programming, keyboards, backing vocals), Tom Mæland (keyboards through 2003), and Kevin O'Brien (vocals through 2000). The first Datarock release arrived as a split EP with Stockhaus in 2001 on the label Tellé, the original outlet for Röyksopp, the Kings of Convenience, and Annie. In 2002 they issued a limited-edition EP titled Demo/Greatest Hits on Kaptein Kaliber Records. This was followed in 2003 by the Computer Camp Love EP. For the first full album, Saroea and Mosnes formed their own label, Young Aspiring Professionals, and in 2005 released Datarock Datarock. The following year the album was reissued in the U.K., France, and Australia. In early 2007, Datarock inked a deal with Nettwerk.