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Tusmørke
Tusmørke is a Norwegian psychedelic folk-rock group based in Oslo. In 2012 the band consists of Benediktator on bass and vocals (Momrakattakk, Lydia Laska), Krizla on flute and vocals (Momrakattakk),HlewagastiR on drums (Wobbler, Angst Skvadron) and Deadly Nightshade on keyboards (Årabrot, This is Music Inc.).

Tusmørke started out as an accoustic trio in Skien, Telemark in 1994 with Benediktator (accoustic guitar), Krizla (recorder) and Håkvind (bongos). They were initially a side-project of psychedelic space-rockers Captain Cumulonimbus and his Wondrous Cloudship. Tusmørke performed several concerts as a trio, most notably in the independent youth house "Kongehuset" and in various local shopping malls around Christmas time.

Andreas Strømman Wettergren Prestmo joined for nocturnal weekend jam-sessions at "Kongehuset" and this became the second version of the band, called Elektrisk Tusmørke. They performed a concert at Kick in Skien in 1997 before moving to Haslum, Bærum. The Tusmørke trio formed a commune and continued playing with Andreas under the name Les Fleurs du Mal.

Les Fleurs du Mal rehearsed at Rykkin youth club every morning before Andreas started work. Their first concert was at KI-senteret with a set including cover versions of Parasite by Kiss, Motherly Love by Frank Zappa and Part 1 by Lyd. They later developed their own brand of lengthy, intricate, progressive songs and played concerts in Skien, Porsgrunn, Sandvika and Asker (alongside White Willow) before calling it quits in 1999. By this time Håkvind had lost intereset in popular music and was replaced by Henrik Harmer. Trond Egil Aasen provided the organs. This version of the bands recorded a one-song, 17 minute demo called "Ode on Dawn" at Skiltverkstedet in Sandvika with Ola Aanje as engineer.

Benediktator and Krizla formed the Few, which went through several line-up changes and played a couple of concerts before finally folding. Benediktator formed accoustic duo The Mornings with Arve Berntzen. They played several concerts in Sandvika and Oslo, sometimes joined by Krizla on flute. A demo was recorded before the band folded. Some of the material from these bands was reused in the resurrected version of Tusmørke that surfaced in 2009.

Tusmørke reappeared as a trio in 2009 with Benediktator on electric bass and vocals, Krizla on flute and vocals and Svenno on percussion. Concerts were performed at Amatøren in Oslo and on air at Radio Nova, fm 99,3. They were soon joined by Reggie on keyboards and flute and played more concerts, including a performance at an old folks' home and several appearances at Sound of Mu and Volapük in Oslo. Svenno was then replaced by HlewagastiR on drums and Reggie passed organ duties to Deadly Nightshade. This is the current line-up.

The music is influenced by migratory birds and Mesozoic reptiles, hallucinations and hypnagogia, the phases of the moon and the international Bronze Age. Lyrically, the themes reflect our yearning towards perceiving the mysterious qualities of our surroundings and are inspired by motifs from Oslo’s local history and tales of the old gods. Our music promotes and requires the liberation of creativity from the clammy clutches of conformity. The sound is marked by the absence of traditional electric guitar for the benefit of other frequencies. Some of the songs are in Norwegian, others in English. Rhythms and melodies are inspired by kraut, hip hop, Norwegian folk and traditional music of the Middle East.

Their concerts are marked by suggestive grooves and improvised passages creating an ambience which draws the spectator unto the dance floor where the electrifying style of playing, insisting rhythm section and exaggerated stage outfits form the backdrop for sweaty, pseudo-ritualistic seances where the beat goes on into the beyond. The musicians and the audience combine in a shared experience of half-forgotten heathen holiness.

Discography:

Salomonsens Hage b/w Singers & Swllows 7" (freshtea002) The EP Salomonsens Hage/Singers and Swallows was their first release, available on 7" vinyl in a limited edition of 200 copies from April 2012. The tracks were recorded in LFF studio and were mastered by Jens Petter Nilsen (Xploding Plastix) at tinfoilaudio. Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Wobbler) plays Mellotron, Marxophon, Harpsichord and other vintage analogue keyboards on this release.

Underjordisk Tusmørke LP/CD (termolp011/termocd011) Tusmørkes first LP, Underjordisk Tusmørke ("Subterranean Twilight"/"Chtonic Dusk") is scheduled for release by Termo Records in November 2012.

Quote: "We yearn for the Middle Ages of the 70s and the Stone Age of the 80s; we all live in the Iron Age, but some of us still remember an era of softer weapons. Bomb us back to the Bronze Age! Our goal is informed innocence. Our ideal is pre-historic time."