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(this text is indebted to Chrisph’s website - a biography of the band Smell of Incense) Experimental trio from Arendal, a small town in the south of Norway. Active since 1981, the band features Lumpy Davy and ChrispH, who both play a large variety of instruments, and Brt, who recites his poetry over the music, sometimes adding sound effects.
Famlende Forsøk started in the beginning of 1982 when Lumpy Davy wanted to make "far out" music in the vein of Cabaret Voltaire, The Normal or early Human League. He and Brt started making tape experiments, over which Brt would add his poetry. That same year saw them release their first album-length cassette; "FF viser En Overraskende Måte Hvorpå Man Kan Kaste En Person Overende". A very varied set of tracks, including obvious influences by the english synth scene, alongside progressive, jazz, ambient, The Residents and their own, completely unique sound. The album was well received, and includes several underground favourites – "Vil Du Dø For Meg?", "(Jeg) Tror Nok Jeg Levde (Engang)", "Neon Mørke", "666".... FF soon decided they wanted to "go industrial" – and make music more inspired by Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten. One inspiration for this was Thorbjørn Grønning, a musician from Stavanger that Lumpy Davy had met in the early eighties. The two were discussing a project around the themes of garbage and scrap materials, taking the term "industrial" very literally to mean metal percussion found and recorded in derelict factories... However, Grønning did not join FF for the recordings leading to the second FF cassette "Døve Munker Ut Av Norsk Industri". The rhythm tracks were  finished in 1983, but the band kept adding overdubs, re-arranging and mixing for years, and the cassette was not finished until 1986. While still working on "Døve Munker Ut...", the band assembled a compilation of previously unreleased tracks, and "Scrap Material" was released in 1985. The "Døve Munker Ut" project took a strange turn when Brt decided that the tapes over which he was to record his lyrics and vocals were more like "fake gamelan" or tibetan monks' music. A very accomplished set, "Døve Munker Ut" blends industrial with tribal, and includes choice FF tracks like "Kutt 23", "Zen Bop Bang" and "Søppel". The following year saw the release of a live MC, "Hymner og Hyl" with new versions of old songs on one side, and Brt solo material on the other. By then, FF had already started working on a concept album on the theme of alchemy. This project was released on vinyl LP in 1990, entitled "Ars Transmutatoria". This LP is even darker than the earlier cassettes, with several deep, slow drones underneath Brt's haunting voice. The band made sporadical compilation cassettes for other labels, and held a concert or two during the 90s, but Lumpy Davy's other musical efforts – in Smell Of Incense – seemed to consume most of their time, and it was not until 2003 that a new album was released; "One Night I Had a Frightful Dream", a tribute to legendary horror author H. P. Lovecraft. Released both on CD and LP, the album is arguably more introvert and ambient than earlier works, but still as dark and strange as becoming the subject matter, and with Brt read Lovecraft's texts in their original language – previously he has used Norwegian exclusively.
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Famlende Forsøk
In 2008, Famlende Forsøk started work on new material, which was performed on the Emergency Exit Festival in Bodø in June. The concert was a hit with audience and reviewers, and the band has promised to record and release this music "soon"; from this group a highly relative term.Shopping Cart
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