100. Urbanburg by night.

Let's start the celebration of Travelogue #100 with some fireworks.

Okay, I've cheated a bit here. This photo's from New Year's Eve here in my hometown. But I did go on a photo-shoot yesterday, for the next picture in the Funky Muzak-series. We'll get to that - first, a new tune for the same soundtrack. This one, or the first version of it, was made for Pia Zawa Cafè in Oslo (2003) by LineUp, and is a remix of The Beat Tornados' number Theme From Pia Zawa - which was made for the show Pia Zawa Live (1996).

Me and LineUp, alias Ketil Christensen, at Pia Zawa Cafè.

Photo: Kristin Ellefsen. 

Here it is, Urbanburg By Night by LineUp. Play and read...

To be continued...

And now, back to Funky Muzak, and yesterday's shoot with Rikke Norby.

Just like the playlist at Pia Zawa Cafè, there will be a lot of cool cover versions in the collection. And, since I don't really feel like trying to get the rights from The Artist And Symbol Formerly And Currently Known As Prince, this rather funky Chaka Khan version of Sign O' The Times will do nicely, thank you.

She walks away, not looking back. What images flashes behind those green eyes? There is a back-story to this image, and probably a violent one. Whatever it is, it's a mystery to everyone but the girl. In the first sketches for this piece, I had placed obvious clues to what had happened. I won't show you these, as it would ruin the mystery. But I will plant a few ideas in your head.

So, what could have happened?

Maybe she's just a believer in an old Apache tradition? When somebody died, to avoid the low feelings of greed and envy over heritage, all of the deceased's belongings were burned. Many in-family feuds could be avoided if we took up this practice...

Or--

I start to think about an axe-murder which happened in my neighborhood when I was a pup. Story was, what us kids heard, anyway, that a guy had killed his wife because she wouldn't come down to watch the news with him. This is supposedly the motive he gave the police. When you're a kid, and your neighborhood isn't exactly Beirut, a story like this one is exciting. We discussed the lunatic axe-murderer often, after riding our bikes past the crime scene. Later, I've thought about what terrible abuse, what hell his wife must have gone through before the axe came out.

Maybe that's her in the above image, in a different reality, having acted before it was too late. Perhaps she put sleeping pills in his dinner, tied him to the bed, and lit the house on fire. Or she took a self-defense class behind the husband's back, so when his murderous attack happened, she simply took the axe away from him... And placed it in his skull. Before she lit the fire. Norwegian wood burns nicely, just ask The Beatles. Or it's something entirely different. In fact, forget my theories - then look at the image again and make up your own story. 

Sorry I spoke.