Illumination
Between 1994 and 2004, Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen performed as, and produced a number of electronic music releases under the artist name Illumination. All of these releases were produced via their own independent labels “+47” & “Love OD”, and to this day both artists and labels continue to control the master recordings.
During this period, all of Illumination’s musical output was released and licensed to a number of different major labels, or independent distributors, depending on the contracts and territories in which their music would found a home outside Norway.
Some of their timeless electronica has found its way back in the digital realm— either uploaded illegally or without proper care — and both +47 and Love OD are now working towards restoring their catalogue online, properly digitised for future generations.
Biography:
“The London-Tromsø constellation — you’ve just been f***ed by Illumination”.
The somewhat unlikely partnership of Nicholas Sillitoe, a hippy-go-lucky musician from affluent south west London, and Per Martinsen, a north Norwegian industrial-strength rave artist, who together tripped the light fantastic in Oslo's mid-1990s acid house scene.
Over the next decade, the two companions continued to create their multi-coloured music adventures, with a number of epic underground productions that took their unique blend of electronica far and wide across the North Sea.
Illumination, and their “Chilluminati” remix guise, created some seminal moments in Norwegian club culture. Their tracks defined the era — soundtracks to underground clubs such as Skansen and Jazid, and the burgeoning rave scene — with support from Oslo’s house and techno elite, including kindred spirits DJ Abstract and DJ Strangefruit (among others).
Despite being an active project for over ten years, Illumination’s total release output may appear relatively sparse. However, Nicholas and Per were known for taking a painstakingly long time sculpting each and every track, often locked away in the studio for days on end.
Electronic music at that time was not a simple “drag and drop”, colour-by-numbers affair. Illumination productions were a complex lo-fi/hi-fi hybrid of raw analogue synths, vocal soundbytes, mysterious samples, and bubbly beats — often with tracks lasting well over 10 minutes. The pair created adrenaline-fuelled live sequences and mixes in an improvised, technologically demanding process. Music to both “punish the dancefloor”, as Per would often put it, and — in Nicholas’s words — to propel the listener to “rare altitudes”.
Illumination releases were thankfully licensed and promoted beyond the sometimes chilly confines of Norway. Their uncompromising tracks lived on in shrink-wrapped vinyl imports, glowing DJ reaction sheets, distorted club sound systems, and increasingly prominent DJ charts in pre-internet underground magazines. Their DAT tape masters eventually landed on the desks of numerous indie and major labels around the world, eager to discover more of this unique Nordic electronica and the mysterious duo behind it.
Illumination tracks slowly but surely appeared on a vast number of mix compilations, eventually reaching the mainstream worldwide club scene. DJ tours, better promotion, and international releases on Café del Mar helped their music gain wider recognition.
Their two albums This Is Illumination and The Poppy Rocks essentially compiled and collected their most treasured recordings. From the deep house journeys of “Sometimes Almost Heaven”, the arctic ambience of “Black Sun”, the chill-out classic “Cookie Raver”, the heartfelt and euphoric cover of “Cry Me A River”, the introverted folktronica of “Kool Karma”, to the desolate “Palestine, Texas”.
Fast forward to today, and it is easy to see (and hear) the influence of Illumination on Norwegian electronic music. The duo helped pave the way for the next generation of artists as diverse as Røyksopp, Todd Terje, Lindstrøm, and many others.
The pair stopped recording together in 2004, after a fine innings, leaving behind a catalogue of unique Illumination releases and superb Chilluminati remixes. Per Martinsen continues to record under his original solo moniker, Mental Overdrive, while Nicholas produces his own variants of post-classical electronica for film scores and newer projects such as Neon Streams and Nicholas & Sebastian.
A fine parting shot to the Norwegian music industry came at a rather tedious award ceremony around 2005, when Nicholas and Per were spotted swigging champagne while wearing self-made T-shirts bearing the slogan “We’re Only In It For The Prophet”. Illumination in a nutshell.
Thankfully, some of their music is still out there, and available on streaming services. Illumination's "Cookie Raver" remains an Ibiza chill-out anthem to this day, transmitting timeless love and warmth from its cold, crisp Norwegian origins.
Photo: Albert Boullet.
Listen to Illumination
Illumination - Discography / Credits / Info
Artist Releases
(in chronological order)
Illumination - Satellite
Format: 12” Vinyl
Cat#: i+47 94001
© 1994
A1: Satellite (αΙΙωΙ)
A2: Satellite (Activity)
B1: Satellite (M↱O Driven)
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Recorded at Disc Lab, Oslo. Engineer: Ken Theodorsen.
Additional recordings at CIC, London. Engineer/programmer: Cisco Ferreira.
Artwork: Anne Engebretsen.
Design: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release contained three separate mixes of “Satellite”, with the “M↱O Driven” mix referring to Per Martinsen’s (Mental Overdrive) own live pass.
The vocal samples/loops were performed by Nicholas Sillitoe.
This release is currently not available for digital streaming.
Illumination - Satellite
Format: 12” Vinyl
Cat#: MM011
© 1995
A1: Satellite (M↱O Driven)
B1: Satellite (αΠΩΠ Mix)
B2: Satellite
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Recorded at Disc Lab, Oslo. Engineer: Ken Theodorsen.
Additional recordings at CIC studios, London. Engineer/programmer: Cisco Ferreira. Additional edits: Hans Olav Grøttheim.
Note: This release was a repackaged reissue of “Satellite” on the Belgian label, Music Man - in conjunction with Internal/London Records (UK).
The A-side was a new vinyl cut of the “M↱O Driven” mix, with two other alternative mixes/passes Nicholas & Per had compiled from different mix sessions in both Oslo & London.
This release is currently not available for digital streaming.
Illumination - Hope To God
Format: : 12” Vinyl
Cat#: i+47 95002
© 1995
A1: Hope To God ( M↱O Driven)
B1: Hope To God (Istigkeit)
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Recorded at Disc Lab, Oslo. Engineer: Ken Theodorsen.
Mixed at 4m2 studios, Oslo.
Artwork: Anne Engebretsen.
Design: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release contained two separate mixes/versions of “Hope To God”.
Per Martinsen was responsible for the “M↱O Driven” live pass, with the “Istigkeit” mix by both Nicholas & Per, with the vocal sample/loops performed by Nicholas Sillitoe.
This release is currently not available for digital streaming.
Illumination - Hope To God
Format: 2x12” Vinyl/CD single/EP
Cat#: LIARX 24 / LIECD 24
© 1995
A1: Hope To God (Istigkeit)
B1: Hope To God (M↱O Driven)
C1: Hope To God (Biosphere)
D1: Hope To God (Concept #1)
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Recorded at Disc Lab, Oslo. Engineer: Ken Theodorsen.
Mixed at 4m2 studios, Oslo.
Artwork:
Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release was a repackaged reissue of “Hope To God” on Internal/London Records (UK), with two new versions of “Hope To God. The original “Concept #1”mix, as well as an exclusive remix from Biosphere (aka Geir Jenssen).
The running order on the CD single/EP was altered from the vinyl version, as follows.
1. Hope To God (Concept #1)
2. Hope To God (Istigkeit)
3. Hope To God (M↱O Driven)
4. Hope To God (Biosphere)
This release is currently not available for digital streaming (apart from the "Biosphere" remix).
Illumination - Sometimes Almost Heaven
Format: : 10” Vinyl
Cat#: MM045
© 1998
A1: Sometimes Almost Heaven
B1: The Way Out Is The Way
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Additional ideas & input: Dj Strangefruit.
Artwork: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to Music Man (Belgium).
"The Way Out Is The Way" is currently not available for digital streaming.
Illumination - Perfect Sky
Format: : 10” Vinyl
Cat#: MM052
© 1999
A1: Perfect Sky
B1: 4AM
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Keyboard solo: Kjetil Husebø (Perfect Sky).
Additional ideas & input: Dj Strangefruit (Perfect Sky).
Artwork: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to Music Man (Belgium).
Illumination - She Got Soul
Format: 10” Vinyl
Cat#: 74321 70338 1
© 2000
A1: She Got Soul
B1: Black Sun
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Artwork: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to the BMG/RCA (Norway).
A “promo only” CD single was also manufactured, though not for commercial release. This included a radio edit of “She Got Soul”, the eventual album version, as well as the track “Somewhere Out There" (as a teaser for the forthcoming album This Is Illumination).
Illumination - This Is Illumination
Format: CD/Cassette/Digital album
Cat#: 74321 703372
© 2000
1. Perfect Sky
2. She Got Soul
3. Somewhere Out There (feat. Anne Marie Almedal)
4. 4 AM
5. Black Sun
6. Cry Me A River*
7. Cookie Raver
8. Sometimes Almost Heaven
9. Alpha Omega
10. Sweet Delirium
Credits:
All tracks written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Except * “Cry Me A River” (written by Arthur Hamilton).
Additional Info:
Featured guest vocalist: Anne Marie Almedal (Somewhere Out There).
Keyboard solo: Kjetil Husebø (Perfect Sky).
Additional ideas & input: Dj Strangefruit (Perfect Sky & Sometimes Almost Heaven).
Additional engineering: Ken Theodorsen (Sweet Delirium).
Mixed at 4m2 studios, Oslo.
Mastered by Audun Strype/Strype Audio.
Artwork: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: This album release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to BMG/RCA (Norway), and available via BMG/RCA worldwide affiliates.
The CD was also released in the USA via Logic Records), Russia via BMG (incl. Cassette) and in the Far-East via ToCo (incl. Cassette).
On the CD version there is also a secret audio snippet as the final track “Sweet Delirium” fades into silence.
A short looped vocal sample from Illumination’s “Hope To God” fading into a vinyl scratch/sample of Nicholas Sillitoe (as a boy soprano) singing the words “Shall I See God”- taken from a recording of him singing Handel’s “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”.
Illumination - Cry Me A River
Format: 12” Vinyl
Cat#: 74321 86432 1
© 2001
A1: Cry Me A River
B1: Cry Me A River (Illumination remix)
Credits:
Produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Written by Arthur Hamilton.
Note: This release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to BMG/RCA (Norway). A “Promo only” CD single was also manufactured, though not for commercial release.
The B-side remix would eventually reappear on the Illumination remix compilation The Chilluminati Remixes. This particular mix has often been credited/tagged as a “Chilluminati Remix”, or “Club Mix” on several other compilations, but is actually the same version.
Illumination - Kool Karma
Format: 7” Vinyl/CD/Digital single
Cat#: 7 LOD 0401/ 82876641852
© 2004
A1: Kool Karma
B1: Palestine, Texas
Credits:
Written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Additional Info:
Featured guest vocalist: Anneli Drecker (Kool Karma)
Recorded & Mixed at 4m2 studios, Oslo.
Note: This release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to BMG/RCA (Norway).
A CD single version was also released, including the video of “Kool Karma” (directed by David Reiss-Andersen).
The B-side/Track 2 “Palestine, Texas” would also appear on the album The Poppy Rocks.
Per Martinsen later released his own remix of “Kool Karma” in 2010, on the back of his transmedia project Earthbound – Surfing the Apocalypse (Love OD).
Illumination - The Poppy Rocks
Format: CD album
Cat#: 82876 641 592
© 2004
1. Summertime’s Gone By
2. Here Come The Stars
3. Kool Karma (feat. Anneli Drecker)
4. Watercolours
5. You Lift Me Up
6. Palestine, Texas
7. The Innocents
8. Where Do The Children Play*
9. Phase
10. I Can Feel It
Credits:
All tracks written, produced and performed by Nicholas Sillitoe & Per Martinsen.
Except * “Where Do The Children Play” (written by Yusuf Islam/aka Cat Stevens).
Additional Info:
Guest vocalist: Anneli Drecker (Kool Karma).
Cello: Paulin Skoglund Voss (Phase).
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at 4m2 studios, Oslo.
Artwork: Rune Mortensen.
Note: This album release was an exclusive license from +47/Love OD to BMG/RCA (Norway), and available worldwide via BMG affiliates.
There also appears to be a rare BMG/RCA “promo only” CD single version of “Watercolours”, that was used in radio/press promotion around the time of album release.
This release is currently unavailable for digital streaming.
Other Releases
Various Artists - FBU: Recollections In Rare Altitude
Format: CD album
Cat#: HSR001
© 1998
1. Illumination – Sometimes Almost Heaven
2. Mental Overdrive – You Gotta Believe
3. Those Norwegians – Da Kingue D´Mazda
4. Erot - Haribo
5. Bjørn Torske – Limb Fu
6. Mental Overdrive – About Jazz (Idjut Boys Remix)
7. Ultraviolet – Union (Stacey Pullen Remix)
8. Krisp - Fleet
Artwork: Designwerke (aka Claus Torp).
Note: In late 1998 Nicholas Sillitoe and Per Martinsen curated and compiled the compilation FBU: Recollections In Rare Altitude : a joint venture release between their two respective labels +47 & Love OD, distributed by HS Records, Oslo.
This CD compiled not only some of their own productions as “Illumination”, “Mental Overdrive” and “Ultraviolet”, but also a fine collection of electronica from friends and colleagues in the Norwegian electronic music scene, scattered around Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø.
The “FBU” title was a nod to the now defunct "Fornebu" airport, a familiar meeting place for all the artists and DJ’s on this compilation, whenever they had the opportunity to fly in and out of Norway.
Additional Remixes & Curiosities
Velvet Belly - Drowning Sun
Format: CD single/EP
Cat#: 74321 41609 2
© 1996
3. Drowning Sun (Illumination Remix)
Note: Prior to signing a license deal with BMG/RCA (Norway), Illumination did a rare remix for Norwegian dream-pop band “Velvet Belly”, who were, at the time, a priority artist on the local Norwegian major label.
Illumination delivered several remixes to the label, with one of their live remix passes released here.
Nicholas Sillitoe, bewitched by Anne Marie Almedal’s vocals, soon found himself enticed by the siren, and the pair ended up creative partners on her own solo productions (as well as husband and wife).
This release is currently not available for digital streaming, but can be heard here.
Mental Overdrive - Cheese Royale
Format: Vinyl/CD single
Cat#: 7243 8 95866 2 6
© 1999
3. Cheese Royale (Dr. Sennep & The Hot Dog's Remix)
Note: Nicholas Sillitoe, Per Martinsen and Bjørn Torske collaborated on the rare “Dr. Sennep & The Hot Dog's” remix of Per Martinsen's very own “Mental Overdrive” release on Virgin Records (Norway).
No one is quite sure how the remix name came about, let alone completed: in a coffee and cigar-fueled haze of acoustic guitars, bongos, synths and deep house beats.
The "Dr. Sennep" remix title translates as “Dr. Mustard” (a vital condiment with Norwegian “pølser” = hot dogs).
A video of the original Mental Overdrive "Cheese Royale" track should hopefully shed some light on the proceedings.
Live
Select Dj/Live Performances
From 1994 to 2004 Illumination often performed as a DJ double act, at many club events in and around Norway.
These included one-off gigs, raves, warehouse parties and residencies at Oslo clubs like “Skansen", “Jazid”, “Blå, “Head On”, among others.
Outside of Norway, they also DJ-ed at numerous events under their "Chilluminati" guise, as brand ambassadors for Universal Music's worldwide "Café Del Mar" promotions.
Illumination also performed live at a number of essential Norwegian music festivals: Øya (Oslo), Oslo Rock Festival (Oslo), Fløien (Bergen), Vossa Jazz (Voss), Quart (Kristiansand), Numusic (Stavanger), as well as select international events when doing various promotional dates for different Illumination releases: Le Batofar (Paris), Midem (Cannes), among others.
Awards/Prizes
“Alarmprisen”
Best Electronica Album
for the album This Is Illumination.
(2001)
“Natt og Dag”
Record Of The Year (Nominee)
for the album This Is Illumination.
(2001)
“Spellemannspris” (Norwegian Grammy)
Best Pop Video (Nominee)
for the video “Kool Karma”.
(2005)
“Alarmprisen”
Best Electronica Album (Nominee)
for the album The Poppy Rocks.
(2005)
