This Sect

With Arms Wide Broken

2008-11-25T20:46:00.004+01:00

You probably haven't heard from This Sect in quite a while. Don't worry, it's not due to your growing paranoia and consequent isolation, but the simple fact that our guitarist Tomak broke his left arm.

The accident actually happened a couple of months back, but as Tomak is a Swede guy he chose to enroll in a very experimental new form of fracture treatment. As you can see in the picture, the medical trial involved plastering everything BUT his fractured limbs. We don't know the scientific theories behind this (the doctor mumbled something about "healing through frustration"), but the fact remains that it took Tomak's arm almost twice as long as normal to heal.

A bit frustrating for the rest of the band, as we had to let him set up his annoying Casio Rapman for band practice. Believe us, there's nothing worse than a man in body cast flopping his broken arm on that "scratch disc".

But all this is in the past now. Tomak is free from the cast and has shaved off his goatee. We have started to practice on a regular basis again and have actually churned out a few secty new tunes. This Sect hopes you're still a sectist by heart and we promise to keep you up to date and musically satisfied in the time to come!

Yesterday's crap is today's art

2008-08-12T15:21:00.007+02:00

"Bored Teenagers" at Galleri Tonne is an exhibition of subcultural images from 1979-83, by punk rock "historian"/legend Tryge Mathiesen. He wrote "Tre grep og sannheten" (Three Chords and the Truth), the only book out there on the birth of punk in Norway.

The out-of-focus and overexposed photos featured at the exhibit reveal crazy party moments from when punk rock was an infant child in remote little Norway.

See the Buzzcocks backstage at Club 7 in '79, lots of drunk local punks, Norwegian punk pioneers Hærverk gigging in Stockholm, Einstürzende Neubauten's live debut in Oslo and plenty of other shady stuff.

In addition, there's also the paintings based on unpublished amateur photos from Sex Pistols' infamous concert at Oslo's Pingvin Club, in the summer of '77.

This Sect is both humbled and excited to play at the opening of the exhibit, on August 23rd, 14:00 o'clock SHARP. The exhibit lasts until until September the 7th.

Also: See the Facebook event for more info, and read this nice article.

Black gold

2008-08-08T15:05:00.004+02:00

At the Adbusters-release, some smart people dug through their archives, and unearthed Norwegian weirdo filmmaker legends Wam & Vennerød's 1975 documentary "Oljeeventyret" (The Oil Adventure). The film, which set out to document the blooming Norwegian oil industry, was funded by Norway's state channel; NRK.

According to the (kind of eccentric) filmmakers, they never intentionally wanted to make crass criticism on what was going on with the wild wild west of the black gold. It just turned out that way. Some of those worker bees they interviewed didn't seem too happy...

When the finished product got screened for the channel's board of directives, they decided on not showing it. Until now, that it is. See it on their archival web-TV, NRK GULL.

Pics from Blå

2008-07-11T21:39:00.003+02:00

Maria Dorothea Basch took some really nice pictures at the Adbusters gig. Check them out on her flickr page.

Rollercoaster of oil

2008-06-27T21:31:00.004+02:00

Dagbladet did a nice article on the Adbusters-release. Sweet!

2008-06-19T09:47:00.003+02:00

Social distortion

2008-06-17T16:09:00.004+02:00

This Sect is bustin' rhymes. This Sect is bustin' caps. And now we're also bustin' ads.

On Saturday June 28th we'll be playing at the release party of Vreng, the magazine of the Norwegian branch of Adbusters. This will be the last issue ever of the magazine. Vreng can be translated as both "turn inside out" and "distort". On this special evening, This Sect will do both.

The party is held at Blå (Oslo), and we'll share the stage with the brilliant electroduo Beneva vs. Clark Nova. They sound like two men being hospitalized when only one had to be. Add 5 sectists, a brand new magazine and an oil flick from 1976 to that equation, and it all adds up to only 50 NOK!

Get up, get up and get Downs!

Illustration by Justin Bartlett [www.wearetherobots.com]

West coast, bitch!

2008-03-31T12:37:00.003+02:00

This Sect is going west again.

On April 26th were playing at Checkpoint Charlie in Stavanger Oil City with local legends Teeny Grownups.

Besides having crushes all the time and generally little control of their limbs, the Teenys play indie guitar pop with sentimental lyrics.

We're really looking forward to this! All west coast teenage sectists are hereby summoned!

Sleeping Hands

2008-02-13T11:17:00.005+01:00

Our unspoiled friends of Hope I Die Virgin are releasing their sophomore EP "Sleeping Hands" today, and this Saturday we have the honor of being their special guests. It's not everyday we get to be "special" amongst virgins, so this is surely gonna be a night to remember.

The release party is held at Garage Oslo on February 16th. CC: 80,- NOK.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T12:18:00.001+01:00

This Sect wishes all sectists and sect members around the world a happy and prosperous new year. For some of you 2008 is probably the year the world's gonna end. Good for you!

This Sect however, will focus on writing new songs in the key of knife. We can not promise you a lot of live performances this year, as we'll concentrate our efforts on the magic of creation and recording. But we can promise you muzak of the highest possible quality when the time is right.

Stay sect!

2007-11-19T14:51:00.001+01:00

Jammin' (hope you like jammin' too!!!)

2007-09-19T14:34:00.000+02:00

Hi! We're still one big, happy family. We just don't get out that much right now. That's not because we're an isolationist sect (honestly). It's just that we have lots of good old, decent, law-abiding jammin' to do.

Are we crazy for wanting some time just playing with ourselves? We think its natural (and legal).

See y'all soon, when we emerge from our damp rehearsal space with lots of new tunes!

Break on thru

2007-08-28T13:49:00.000+02:00

On August 14th, This Sect was played on New York's BreakThru Radio as part of a "Spotlight on Oslo" show.

In addition to This Sect's "Tonite we're gonna party like its 1939", the show featured songs by The White Birch, Nomber 5's, Harry's Gym and Accidents Never Happen, amongst others. Check out the complete playlist.

To listen to the show, go here and click on "08/14/2007 Spotlight on the city: Oslo".

Take care, enjoy and drive safely!

In support of the Monomensch

2007-05-22T10:26:00.001+02:00

On Saturday May 26th, This Sect can be found supporting Monomen at the release party for the their debut album "Monomen LP". The gig goes down at Oslo's John Dee.

All sectists are hereby ordered to attend. And don't forget to get your copy of the "Monomen LP" (from Tiger, of course).

Oh Ballerina Video

2007-05-16T15:16:00.000+02:00

Check out the brand new video for "Oh Ballerina" from the Distress Signals EP. Directed by Kenneth Olaf Hjellum.

New items in webshop

2007-05-16T15:12:00.000+02:00

The excellent EP's from Hope I Die Virgin and The Murder Mystery are now available in our webshop.

It's a Murder Mystery!

2007-05-09T10:52:00.000+02:00

Git downs with the new Murder Mystery EP! Arek spins them records too!

Spleen United

2007-03-20T14:04:00.000+01:00

Thursday March 22nd, This Sect is supporting danish synth rockers Spleen United at Oslo's Club Maiden.

Spleen United 's gig in Norway last autumn was great, so get your internal organs together and dance the night away!

Murder Ballads

2007-02-24T20:24:00.000+01:00

Bass lord of The Murder Mystery, Ole Andreas Hagen talks about "Distress Signals" in the weekly column "Recommended By" in todays issue of Dagsavisen:

In my ears they [This Sect] sound like a friendly fight between Joy Division, Devo and At The Drive-In.

In our ears this sounds nice indeed! Thanks!

"Distress Signals" on sale at Tronsmo & Tiger

2007-02-23T12:52:00.000+01:00

"Distress Signals" EP and t-shirts are now on sale at the Tronsmo bookshop in Oslo. "One of the coolest bookshops in the world," according to Neil Gaiman.

The EP is also available at Oslo's best record store, Tiger.

Support your favorite sect and independent culture dealers at the same time!

Gang of Four (Out of Six)

2007-02-21T20:02:00.000+01:00

Oslo's largest newspaper, Aftenposten, has reviewed "Distress Signals", granting it 4 out of 6 points! This is what they had to say (our translation):

FAST AND HECTIC
The guitars and desperate vocals places this in the post-punk Joy Division/Cure tradition, but there is also a more modern edge to the music. Especially the drums and the bass adds punch to the four songs. With this EP, This Sect prove they have both soul and energy. It remains to be seen if they have good material for a proper album. 4/6.

Opening Of The Store

2007-02-18T23:29:00.000+01:00

The Sectist Shopping Mall is officially open!

Now you can get all available This Sect music and merchandise straight from the source, and pay via PayPal.

We're planning to expand the business later by making other great band's releases and stuff available to you from the very same webshop.

Sell your cassette recorder and shop 'till you drop!

GO TO STORE.

Freemasons are party people

2007-02-17T20:59:00.000+01:00

The release party for the DISTRESS SIGNALS EP last night went really well!

We knew we were headed for a special evening when a drunken Freemason dude showed up. He had been at one of those secret gatherings at The Norwegian Freemason Society next door. The seriously wasted Freemason dude got booted out of the top secret meeting, went past the venue we were at, and got curious when he saw the poster announcing some kind of "sect". Step right in!

The dude was dressed up like a senior citizen lawyer type. His main concern was that he didn´t fit our "dress code". This was a point he put across to randomly selected sectists as he claimed to be dressed up as a "cunt". He didn´t look like one to This Sect. We´ve seen that particular part of the female anatomy, and it didn´t look anything like him. If it did, we would all be gay.

This Sect welcomes all party people. If you´re reading this, Mr. Drunken Freemason Dude: We know you left early, and we hope you got home safe. Enjoy the EP. And know that we bear no ill will to the Freemasons. Those cloaks look pretty cool, and the logo is rad. Where can we get the t-shirts? Stickers? Merchandise possibilities aplenty!

From one sect to another: a sect is a sect is a sect. Our petty differences are mere formalities. We understand. Everyone should join a sect. A common goal makes life worth living.

One million thanks to all the other sectists that showed up! You made us party like it was 1939!

Distress Signals Press Kit

2007-02-15T13:19:00.000+01:00

Press release: Norwegian | English
Distress Signals high-res cover
Promo pics: 1 | 2 | 3

2007-02-09T16:32:00.000+01:00