 |
 |
|
|
NEW
YORK – April 27, 2006 – A new radio program exclusive
to SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) will spotlight the best music
from Sweden and more.
Nordic Rox will be produced under the creative guidance of Per Gessle,
one of the world’s most successful songwriters, producers and
musicians. As a member of the band Roxette and other performing bands,
Gessle has sold 45 million albums worldwide and written dozens of
songs that have been blockbusters on European and American radio,
including “It Must Have Been Love,” which has been aired
more than 4 million times on US radio, according to BMI, and is one
of Roxette’s four No. 1 US singles.
The program will be hosted and programmed by Radio Stockholm on-air
personality Viktor Petrovski, a prominent figure in the Swedish music
scene. Also contributing to the program will be the lead singer of
The Hives, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, and highly respected ABBA
historian Carl Magnus Palm (on behalf of ABBA’s Benny Andersson
and Björn Ulvaeus).
The first episode of Nordic Rox will be broadcast on SIRIUS channel
18, The Spectrum, this Sunday, April 30 from 8 pm to 11 pm ET.
“The wave of high-quality bands coming out of Sweden today rivals
anything since the big UK music movements,” said Scott Greenstein,
SIRIUS President of Entertainment and Sports. “The launch of
Nordic Rox, together with our recent addition of BBC’s Radio
1 channel, further establishes SIRIUS as the leader in discovery of
new popular music around the world.”
Gessle said, “I’m very honoured to be part of presenting
Swedish and Scandinavian music outside our borders. The music scene
in Sweden is certainly very creative and it will be a pleasure to
present the best of it to the listeners of SIRIUS Satellite Radio.
Pump up the volume!”
Nordic Rox will place a spotlight on the quality and depth of Scandinavian
artists and music, which have never been exposed in this manner in
the US. The show will also be the first place in the US to hear exciting
new music emanating from Sweden and Scandinavian countries.
Historically, Sweden is the third largest exporter of music, after
the US and Great Britain. It is a creative hotbed for musicians, songwriters,
producers and technicians that, since the 1970s, have significantly
contributed to the global pop music community. The success of the
blockbuster musical Mamma Mia! has proven the enduring popularity
of Swedish hitmakers ABBA’s music. Scandinavian music producers
Max Martin (Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson), Anders Bagge
(Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson) and Tore Johansson (The
Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand), among others, are responsible for many
US hits, as well as the worldwide “Crazy Frog” phenomenon.
Nordic Rox will expand upon this success by showcasing established
as well as up-and-coming Swedish and Scandinavian artists, ranging
from ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, and Cardigans to The Hives and other
current artists such as The Ark, Whyte Seeds, The Soundtrack of Our
Lives, The Sounds, Turbonegro, Sahara Hotnights, The Hellacopters,
Madrugada, H.I.M. and many others.
|
|
|
|
|
