Beranek

Norwegian musician and comedian, born 1960. Beranek is well known in Norway for his longtime contributions to the still running weekly radio satire show Hallo i uken (where he provides most of the music as well as frequent parodies of Norwegian celebrities), and for being a regular fixture on TV show Løvebakken (a version of comedy panel game show If I Ruled the World). In the early 1980's he also hosted a pop-show on NRK radio, called "Happy Hour". However, in his home country his name is also very much attached to his debut single "Dra Te Hælvete", which spent almost 6 months on the national charts in 1981, an achievement which was in no small way aided by the fact that the song was banned by national TV/radio channel NRK (which, ironically, would later become his employer). Beranek's debut LP Sound of Danger, released the same year, was nowhere near as accessible and fared less well commercially, although it would later find favour among collectors of minimal synth music. Beranek released several more albums and singles throughout the 80's and the first half of the 90's, often collaborating with other musicians such as The Stranglers' bass player [a152001], but usually playing most of the instruments himself.