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Som vanligt er det jo folk herinne, som ikke tror på noe som helst, med minndre de får det trykket hardtSo, how about that Michael Jackson connection?
It was all about acquaintances. A Norwegian audio and tech journalist, Trond Braaten, happened to be friendly with Bruce Swedien (1934-2020) , the recording engineer and Michael Jackson/Quincy Jones right hand man whose cv also includes work for Patti Austin, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Mick Jagger, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Rufus, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Lena Horne, Donna Summer and Sarah Vaughan, as well as two of Quincy Jones' solo albums. A second Norwegian music producer involved with Electrocompaniet, Nils Bjarne Kvam (1948–2022), had the idea of using use the Braaten/Swedien connection to let the Swede hear one of the company's amps. Braaten was game, and dragged the 86 lbs. 250 watt AW250 stereo amp to the USA for Swedien to audition in 1991.
Swedien liked what he heard, so much that three more AW250s were delivered during the recording of Jackson's HIStory in 1994. It was the beginning of a long-term collaboration. The Electrocompaniet sound, warmer than the most analytical and etchy transistor amps, but with impressive transient speed and bass control, was what the Swede needed when Michael Jackson or Quincy Jones were to be presented with a new mix. Swedien fell hard for the AW180 monoblocks, which remained his go-to playback amps for a long time.
According to Braaten, who visited Swedien at his home and studio several times, Swedien powered his monitor speakers with four AW180s. His home theatre was powered by a number of AW250s. He also had an AW100, custom built for him by Abrahamsen, for his office listening room.
That the cooperation led to such highly profiled (and highly unusual) crediting on Michael Jacksons’s records of a supplier of playback electronics, separate from all other technical information on the covers, is a testament to Swedien’s loyalty to his fellow Scandinavian friends and collaborators, and to how much he valued the sound of his playback chain. According to Braaten, the crediting happened purely on Swedien’s initiative. It must also be testament to Jackson’s and Jones’ respect for Swedien that the crediting was allowed, although Braaten tells me Jackson had been «very impressed» by the Electrocompaniet sound.
With friends like that, and invaluable profiling on some of the best-selling albums in pop and r&b history, it couldn't possibly go wrong, could it? Well, yes. Electrocompaniet went bankrupt in 2004. Abrahamsen started the company Abrahamsen Audio, which later also went bankrupt.
The Electrocompaniet brand is still in business after another bankruptcy, operated by new owners at Tau in Rogaland on the southwestern coast of Norway. If you ask the people involved in the early days, much of the company's soul disappeared out the door with Abrahamsen. But Electrocompaniet is still making some serious high end gear. The company recently released its new flagship amplifier, the AW800 mono block, under the oversight of the company's technical director, Volker Hunger, who joined Electrocompaniet in the 1990s, and was trained by Abrahamsen.
Thanks for the great sound, Abe.
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How a Small Norwegian Hi-fi Brand Ended Up With Credits on Michael Jackson's Album Covers
Per Abrahamsen (1944-2022) was the soul of Electrocompaniet.trackingangle.com
Eller her:
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Bruce Swedien og den norske lenken
Forsida av eboka Jeg tar en liten tur langs en litt annen rute denne dagen. Dette er historien om hvordan Electrocompaniet havnet på platene til Michael Jackson, og en hel del andre artister også, …sessionnotater.com
opp et visst sted.
Side 42 i den medfølgende bilde-boken fra 3-LP-boksen "History" med MJ........
Først en hilsen til dansken (selvfølgelig)
Og da kommer neste......


