Photo by Marcus Nand
MIKE TRAMP is probably the only person ever to sing about Jolly Cola, THE BEATLES, sauerkraut (a traditional German food) and karate on the same album. It happened on For forste gang, which was released in 2022 and was Mike Tramp's first-ever album in Danish.
With Mand af en tid he does it again. This time the songs are about everything from Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes of Fame to Ingrid & Lillebror, Muhammad Ali, Ole Olsen and roast duck. Again, it all happens in Danish.
Thus, Mike Tramp shows that it was not for fun when, to the surprise of most, he released a record in his mother tongue after more than 45 years of singing in English. The Danish songs are a way of telling some of the stories and sharing the experiences that have been gathered together throughout his life.
"Many of those I meet at my concerts have always followed me, and we have almost grown up together. I can feel that it means something very special to them that I suddenly sing in Danish. They can recognize themselves in the stories and songs because I sing about something that means something to me. I'm a grown man who's tried a little bit of everything, but I'm still here and don't need to chase the latest trend. I know who I am and stand by it. Therefore, the record could not be called anything other than "Man of a time"".
Mand af en tid will be released on LP (black vinyl, limited to 500), digipack CD and digital formats via Target Records on March 15th, 2024. All pre-orders made in Targetshop.dk are signed by Mike Tramp.
The digital single "Ham vi vil vaere", taken from the album, is out now and can be streamed BELOW.
Mike Tramp's career is longer and more colorful than most. He has been the country's biggest teenage idol, made records in Germany and was an MTV star in the USA. With Mand af en tid he makes up for it, and as he states in one of the album's tracks: "I have chosen my path and the path gave me answers / I came as I was". Or as he describes himself in another song: "Stiff-necked, stubborn and retro, but really okay".
"In the past, I have always written songs that should suit a band. Therefore, there have been many things that I just couldn't do because I had to live up to a certain image or a particular sound. With the Danish songs, I go where the songs demand it. If it's a big mess, well then it's with strings. If it's a song about the old nightclubs on Vesterbro, then of course it should also sound like that. I grew up with albums where songs could sound different. Mand af en tid is such an album."
On Mand af en tid this means that there is room for the pure rock numbers such as the album's title song and "Storm og stille", the great break-up song "Indeni", the rock hymn "Altid farvel" and not least the glimpses of memory in "Ham vi vil vaere" and in "Nat pa Libelle", which is a song about Mike Tramp's late mother.
As with For forste gang", all the songs on Mand af en tid were written together with Lars Daneskov, and the record was produced by Mike Tramp himself together with Soren Andersen. The record also features Soren Skov, Claus Langeskov, Kenni Andy, Emily Garriock Langeskov and Jorgen Thorup.
Recording lineup:
Mike Tramp - vocals, guitar
Claus Langeskov - bass
Soren Andersen - guitar
Kenni Andy - drums
Soren Skov - piano, B-3, keyboards
Emily Garriock Langeskov - harmonies
Jorgen Thorup - harmonies
