Industry Talk: 2L’s Morten Lindberg

True to form, the highly respected audiophile record label 2L took home yet another set of Grammy nominations in 2014, their 20th since the label’s first nomination back in 2006.

2L’s three Grammy nominations were given in in the category ‘Best Surround Sound Album’ for the company’s production ‘Beppe – Remote Galaxy’ and celebrated outing ‘Dyrud – Out Of Darkness’ in the ‘Best Choral Performance’ category. Perhaps the most prestigious nomination comes in the ‘Producer of the Year, Classical’ category where 2L’s Morten Lindberg receives a well-deserved nomination.

2L, a small production company and record label in Oslo, is at the very forefront of a musical revolution. The surround sound recordings of Lindberg Lyd do not only transform the entire listening experience, more radically, the recording techniques that the firm has developed and perfected overturn some very basic concepts regarding how music is played and even composed. We’ve talked to Morten Lindberg of 2L on the upcoming Grammy Awards, the company’s approach to business development and release plans for 2015:

How’s the mood in the 2L camp barely a week ahead of the award ceremony, Morten? What are your aspirations for going all the way this year?

– We are in a constant state of development of new products, leaving little time and energy to ponder the outcome of the Grammy, says Morten Lindberg. – The foundation for the company is being laid throughout the year – the award ceremony is little more than a grand party.

No other Norwegian music industry reps can come close to 2L in terms of Grammy nominations. Is it possible to reach some kind of conclusion as to why 2L keeps on being bestowed with these prestigious nominations year after year?

– I think we have managed to combine music and sound into a coherent experience and the market has proven to appreciate such unique products.

The NorwegiannessA unique and, seen from a domestic point of view, pleasing trait with the 2L releases is their Norwegianness; performers, orchestral institutions, recording venues and record label are all Norwegian. Will 2L stick to this line or consider taking on offers from international parties?

– Our natural mode of business is local production in Norway to a global music market. Norwegian culture possesses inherent favourable prerequisites. We have the time and energy to explore alternative solutions and to invest in quality in a wider time-wise perspective than we would if we were based in the hyper-commercial scenes in London, New York and Los Angeles. Ninety percent of our turnover is now derived from exports.

3D sound

Which 2L releases are on top of the label’s priority list these days?

– MAGNIFICAT is carrying good momentum right now; the release features the Nidaros Cathedral Girls’ Choir, the TrondheimSoloists and with music by Kim André Arnesen, Ola Gjeilo and Aaron Jay Kernis. The production from the Nidaros Chatedral is in the new 3D sound format and published on Pure Audio Blu-ray.

What 2L productions and releases can the core customer look forward to in 2015?– We have great faith in Cantus and Frode Fjellheim with their album SPES – particularly for the US market in view of the launch of Disney’s Frozen.

Are there any territories in which the 2L releases fare particularly well? If so, is it possible to pinpoint why these territories are so receptive to the output of 2L?

– United States because it is a coherent and substantial market that is open to new concepts. Germany because it still has a relatively well-functioning traditional physical market. Italy is somewhat more complex, but still is still viable in its own way. Japan is also a good market for Nordic moods. It is a long-term work in the United States that is now bearing fruits. I think we’ve managed to create a consistently high quality in our productions over time which now produces a far greater effect than traditional marketing. With aid from Music Norway and a strong Norwegian cultural policy we have managed to establish a presence in the US market for our music products.

2L have garnered no less than 20 Grammy nominations since 2006.Thirteen of the nominations have come in the categories ‘Best Engineered Album’, ‘Best Surround Sound Album’ and ‘Producer of the Year’.