Anmeldelser [reviews in english, other languages]

Dagbladet
Selv om "bygg dem opp, knekk dem ned"-spesialistene i NME ikke likte Erlend �yes solosingel, er Norge fortsatt "flavour of the month" i England. Ikke minst eksemplifisert ved at �lesunds egen DJ-wonderboy Nils Noa skal gjeste BBC Radios "Essential Mix" 12. april, et oppdrag som er ei stor fj�r i hatten for alle DJs med respekt for seg selv. Og da vil han nok diske opp med mye av materialet du finner p� denne m�rke oppf�lgeren til den lysere og lettere "Prima Norsk". Borte er solskinnshousen, og inn kommer st�rre doser norsk prog, en d�sj electroclash og mye skitten house. Det er slett ikke s� anonymt som noen anmeldere skal ha det til. Miksen krever nemlig en del gjennomlyttinger - og at du spiller den h�yt.
(4/6) Thomas Strzelecki

F�drelandsvennen
Noe av det som kan v�re vanskeligst her i verden er ofte det som virker enklest. Som for eksempel � sette sammen en samleplate med norsk housemusikk. Problemet ligger vel egentlig i at det er s� sinnsvakt mye � ta av, s� Beatservice hyret inn Nils Noa for � gj�re utvalget og mikse ruklet sammen etterp�. Resultatet har blitt 12 (for det meste obskure) spor med kvalitetshouse fra folk som Trulz & Robin, Bj�rn Torske og Nils Noa selv. Noa besitter fremdeles n�rmest overnaturlige gaver bak platespillerne, og albumet er sydd perfekt sammen til en helhet. Det eneste man m�tte ha � utsette er at det hele blir en smule pent og pyntelig. Det er f� l�ter som virkelig f�r det til � ta av. Men for all del; leter du etter norsk elektronisk musikk vil du ikke bli skuffet.
(4/6) Walter N. Wehus

Aftenposten/Oslopuls
Samler som pent viser ting som skjer, men som ikke imponerer totalt likevel.
For to og et halvt �r siden kom "Prima Norsk 1", en rett frem ypperlig samling av folk fra en norsk housescene som den gangen hadde et bra rykte. I dag snakker absolutt ingen om house og alle om r�yk-fylt elektronica, og denne andre samlingen spenner da ogs� i et langt bredere, m�rkere og mer rufsete musikalsk landskap enn forgjengeren. Nils Noa har mikset samleren og er med p� et par spor selv, samtidig som etablerte favoritter som Bj�rn Torske, Kahuun og Trulz & Robin ogs� snurrer innom. Tilsammen blir det en samling som s�rger for at foten l�sner, men som nok ikke sender folket ut i endel�s dans. Hadde bare alle v�rt like kreativt langt "Opp I Ura" som nevnte Torske...
(4/6) Robert Hoftun Gjestad

Reviewsin English

DJ Magazine
It's a fjord fiesta! Sorry, but music journalism regulations dictate that everything Norwegian be described in terms of geographical beauty or how 'mad' it is. So 'Prima Norsk 2' is as spacey and colourful as the Aurora Borealis and so oddball it makes Royksopp seem as sane as brain surgeons. But that does the dippy deep house collected by DJ Nils Noa no justice at all. Featuring mainly obscure names - Bjorn Torske is as famous as it gets here - 'Prima Norsk 2' recalls the dub disco of the Idjut Boys in its hallucinogenic funkiness. Unlike Ikea, you'll have to look far and wide for this Scandinavian dancefloor decor, but it's well worth searching for and at leaset it isn't flatpacked.
(3,5/5) Paul Clarke

Internatjonal DJ
Subtitled 'Groovy Norwegian House Music', this is an immaculately-mixed snapshot of one of Scandinavia's healthiest house scenes. DJ Nils Noa is at the helm, segueing 12 deep, funky and often overtly electronic cuts from some of Norway's greatest production talent: the likes of Bjorn Torske, Bermuda Triangle, Mudman and Peep-Hole. Hardly household names, admittedly, but who'd bet against them making serious waves when the music's this good? Some cuts are proggy and glistening with gorgeous melodies, others are funky and deep. Hell, there's even a string of ludicrously trippy tracks tailor made for Fabric. There are a couple of duffers (electro-funk-house anyone?), but by and large this is groove-tastic stuff.
(4/6) Natt Annis

Muzik
What is it all about? More Scandinavians that you've not yet heard of, bringing you 'Groovy Norwegian House Music'.
What's on it? Nordic grooves that resemble a backroom set made up of Loaded Records' dubs and B-sides. But in a really cool way. There's also space for subterranean dub moves from Bermuda Triangle, as well as deep primitive tribalism (Jackmaster Dahle) and electro (Trulz & Robin) before the aformentioned Loaded dub vibe kickes in. Watch out for Syntax Erik't crazyness at the end, too!
Any cop then? Nils Noa's opening and closing sections draws the ears (and possibly dancin' feet) into the mix but the middle chunk lacks zest. Niceness, though, devinitely niceness.
(3/5) THG)

City Lights
Every now and again an album arrives in the office witch everyone wants. Luckily this one was addressed to me! The album features the best Norwegian house scene has to offer minus Royksopp, but their exclusion only opens the door for more Nordic talent to shine through. Starting off on a more chilled and laid-back tip with the likes of Maks Kroll by Jackmaster Dahle the tempo graduately builds through various twisted beats and breaks, eventually unleashing some heavenly chunky basslines to finish. Perfect for those 'getting ready' stabes of a night out. If you are not up for it by the time Echelon by Syntax Erik arrives I suggest youget your pyjamas because there's no point. Sweet dreams.
(9/10) Karl Stylus

Update
A superb collection of house-flavoured sounds from the Arctic Circle - this comes cool rather than chilly. Norwegian DJ/producer Nils Noa mixes up beats and noises with more straight-forward house for a snapshot of what's happening up (far) north, proving that you don't have to come from warmer climes to make heart-warming house. 
(4/6) Jane Fitz-Gerald

Future Music
In recent years we've had plenty of music heading our way from the Arctic Circle, and this collection of Norwegian artists continues that trend. However, just 'cos they're all the same nationality doesn't mean their music can be squashed in the same slot. There's a wide variety of house styles here, from the romping deep house of Jackmaster Dahle to the undulating cut-up beats of Bj�rn Torske and the chaotic disco of Peep-Hole, all mixed together by DJ Nils Noa. This is definetly a set of tracks worth further investigation.
(8/10) Lisa McGee

XLR8R
There is a general perception that the Norwegians make electronic music that's reserved and polite. True as that may be at times, this selection of tasty little nuggets from Beatservice shows that there can be an edgier side to the Scandinavian sound. DJ Nils Noa steers us through cuts by Gork ("Sun Sets In Sector 5"), Bermuda Triangle ("Mooger Fooger"), veteran Bjorn Torske ("Oppi Ura"), Kahuun ("Marinade") and many others, ensuring that for every innocuous, well behaved tune, there are plenty of willfully leftfield vibes and fluid, spacey beat noir.
Paul Sullivan

Hotpress
Mixed by Nils Noa, this compilation of Norwegian house fits effortlessly from deep electro and ambient to dubby, minimal modernist house without missing a beat.
(8/10) RB

What's On Southwest
A selection of sparse, dubby deep Norwegian house mixed by Nils Noa, much of this wouldn't sound out of place on a Caf� Del Mar compilation, it's that mellowed. Far from being intstantly accessible, this minimal, techy-house mix takes a few listens to really get into, and that's if it moves you at all. Fans of The Tyrant sound may well ber impressed, but this will be too obscure for most tastes.
(3/6) JT

R�-R�
Mixed by DJ Nils Noa this is an album for those with the aqquired taste for Norwegian (yes, I said Norwegian) house music. Perhaps it's not so much house music as chill-out music. Certainly I would find it har to envisage this type of music being played in a club in London. Having said that, there are one or two interesting and funky tracks - namely Sun Sets In Sector 5 from Gork which features some haunting 'tinky' synths and Bermuda Triangle's heavier drum and bass beats on Mooger Fooger. Jackmaster Dahle's Maks Kroll continues with the drum and bass rhythms but then it all gets a bit samey until we get to Refraiche & Sol's No Smoking which features some eeire combinations on synths and final track Echelon from Syntax Erik also helps to rescue the album a little. Overall, a little disappointing - bu then maybe Norwegian house music isn't my bag...
(2/6)

Trance.nu
My first experience with Nils Noa was at the Oslo Summerparade 2001, where he delived a blinding house/tech set which blew 20.000 clubbers away and instantly threw Noa into the elite of the Oslo club scene. He has since then evolved further, and is today one of Scandinavias premier house jocks, with his upcoming gig on BBC Radio 1 (April 12th) as his biggest achievment DJ wise, and an apearance on John Digweed's MMII CD as "Bermuda Triangle" (together with Igor & Ariane) with "mooger fooger" paints a bright picture on Noa's future, production wise as well.
Gork - Sun Sets In Sector 5 is a really nice way to open a set/CD, with warm pads and gentle beats and bass. And maybe more importantly, Bermuda Triangle - Mooger Fooger (bermuda triangle remix) fits perfectly into it. This remix is quite possibly stronger than the original with its Twin Peaksism (or Angelo Badalamenti'an for the picky ones amongst you), and creativity in the drum pattern section. Strong words perhaps, but "mooger fooger" in both its versions is a strong contender for best scandinavian house release ever.
"Prima Norsk 2" takes its most important turn as Noa mixes from track 2 to 3: he could have chosen a more progressive housey path, but instead he picked the funkier, dirtier examples of norwegian house music. Jackmaster Dahle - Maks Kr�ll is as dirty they come, with percussion Danny Tenaglia would die for, and basslines that would make James Holden feel ashamed, this track screams "international release".
Noa lashes out a few more peculiar tracks, and one cant stop to think that altough its very distinctive and lounge-friendly, Noa simply underlines an environment norwegians (and europeans for that matter) knew already existed trough trulz & Robin and Bj�rn Torske. Nils Noa could have used the second entry in this series to promote fresher, and a bit harder edged side of progressive house. This is only a questionmark, not criticism.
Noa has mixed an upfront, and highly interesting CD. Not peaktime, but still... sleazy, dirty and somewhat experimental. Im looking more forward to Noas next move, than the next "Prima Norsk cd".
(3/6) Lars Jacobsen

Reviews in other languages

Music.sk
Sk�r do auta ako do klubu
N�rsky DJ Nils Noa miluj�ci a hr�vaj�ci preva�ne progres�vne house/techno sety na tejto kompil�cii prezentuje a mixuje tracky na rozhran� sk�r chilloutu a progres�vneho housu. Či�e �iadne dup�rne s v�razn�m basov�m bubnom v rovnom metre, ale sk�r hĺbavej�ie groovov� skladby so zmenami tempa aj atmosf�ry a s viacej rozko�atenou rytmikou. Ako n�zov napoved� � zavedie n�s do krajiny fjordov a aj podtitul d�va tu�iť z ktorej strany bude f�kať vietor. 
Nezaduj� �iadne urag�ny, tajf�ny ani v�chrice, len v�nok striedaj�ci sa s miernym vetrom, t�to kompil�cia tak bude sk�r určen� na poč�vanie a do auta ako na tanečn� party. Otv�ra ju pr�jemn� chillout Sun Sets In Sector 5 (Gork), v podobnom duchu prich�dza aj nesleduj�ca skladba, v jej polovici sa v�ak udeje zlom, ktor�m Nils Noa na�tartuje progres�vnej�iu časť svojho setu. Pri v�etk�ch zmen�ch tempa a BPM smerom nahor v�ak negraduje tempo do e�te vy���ch obr�tok v ďal�ej skladbe, ale op�ť sa po chv�ľke ako na hojdačke vracia sp�ť a op�ť n�s na chv�ľu posad� do kresla. Takto sa to v podstate deje počas cel�ho albumu, vr�tane najtanečnej�ej skladby celej kompil�cie � mimochodom jedinej, kde Nils Noa figuruje aj ako p�vodn� autor � v tracku s poradov�m č�slom 5 � Lappilapp �tartuj�cej trojblok skladieb s v�raznej��m rytmom s vyu�it�m hypnoticky sa opakuj�cich dominantn�ch samplov. Zrejme v podobnom duchu sa daj� očak�vať aj jeho s�lo sety a autorsk� produkcia. Tentokr�t nem�me do činenia s nad�ezl�mi okrasami v duchu kompil�cie Nordic Lounge smeruj�cej k nu-jazzov�m groovom, ale s progres�vnej��m housom, hoci nie v jeho najtvrd�ej, najr�chlej�ej � ani najprogres�vnej�ej podobe.
V sedemdesiatich troch min�tach kompil�cie Prima Norsk 2 tak s�ce na n�s neč�ha �iaden nečakan� z�zrak ani prelomov� dielo, ale pr�jemn� album pre milovn�kov elektronicko-tanečnej hudby - pr�padne aspoň jej pr�buzn�ch vetiev.
(4,5/5)