DEL (Norwegian band)

DEL is a Norwegian rock band formed in 1996 by Per Gisle Galåen, Lasse Marhaug and Kjell Runar "Killer" Jenssen. The band's music is mostly improvised and heavily influenced by drone music, space rock, psychedelic rock, noise music and obscure horror films.

Although the core of DEL is the aforementioned trio, they often invite guests on recordings and for live performances. Notable guests include Fredrik Ness Sevendal (who is an almost-official fourth member), Tore H. Bøe, Petter Flaten Eilertsen, Audun Eriksen, Campbell Kneale (Birchville Cat Motel), Kai Mikalsen, Antony Milton (A.M.), John Birger Wormdahl and Mr. Cosmonaut (Cosmonauts Hail Satan).

The band releases most of its recordings on labels run by the band members or their friends. Most of the artwork is done by Lasse.

History

DEL was formed in 1996 with the idea to create the perfect drone.

Kjell Runar "Killer" Jenssen had been a founding member of Norwegian rock band Motorpsycho and played drums on their first release, the cassette "Maiden Voyage" (1990), as well as their first album, "Lobotomizer" (1991). He had also been involved in numerous other bands, including Swamiis. Per Gisle Galåen was playing in Slowburn and lots of other bands. Lasse Marhaug had been doing solo noise music for many years and was also involved in the group Origami Replika.

1997 saw DEL's first release, a split with Green Monkey, the first in a still uncompleted five part series of 7" vinyl singles featuring covers of Sonic Youth songs, where DEL did a version of "Satan Is Boring". The record featured a DEL remake of a well-known Sonic Youth band photo on the cover, as well as liner notes by SY member Thurston Moore. This was followed in 1998 by DEL's debut album, "If You Got To Fight... Fight Dirty!" (one side live, one side studio) and "No Escape From The Valley of the Cannibals", their first movie themed 7" single, focusing on Italian cannibal films of the late '70s and early '80s by directors such as Sergio Martino and Umberto Lenzi.The "Polymorph" 7" lathe cut, themed on the Korean monster movie "Yongary" (1967), and the "Tremors / Screamers" cassette were issued the same year. "Ghost Bitch / 'Cross the Breeze", the second release in the Sonic Youth cover series, this time split with The Four, came out as a picture disc in 1999.

In 2000 the band released their second album, a CD called "Projectionist Please Focus", made up of reworked and remixed live recordings and featuring several guest musicians, as well as "Twilight Of The Dead", their second movie themed 7", inspired by the zombie cinema of George Romero, Umberto Lenzi and Lucio Fulci. The live recording "Blå, 10. December 1999" was issued as a CD-R in an edition of only 10 copies. DEL did a live recording as an alternative soundtrack to Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer's classic horror movie "Vampyr" (1932) in 2001. It was first released on Killer Records in an edition of only 10 copies and reissued the same year on Celebrate Psi Phenomenon. "The Dog & Mole Tape" was also released in 2001.

DEL's third album, "Der Lehnstuhl Sagt Alles", consisting of live recordings from 2001 and 2002, was released as an LP in 2002 and on CD-R the following year. The album was a tribute to exploitation goddess Doris Wishman, with all titles taken from her films. A CD-R reissue of the "Tremors / Screamers" tape followed in 2004. In February/March 2005 the band played their first concerts outside Norway; one performance in Singapore, followed by six shows during their "Sheep Tricks Tour" of New Zealand. Two new releases, the "NZ Tour 2005" 8" lathe cut and the "Flummm" CD-R card, were available exclusively at these shows. One concert took place at the New Zealand Film Institute, where the band played live to a screening of the Norwegian silent film "Café X" (1928). Some of the other performances featured NZ guests Campbell Kneale (Birchville Cat Motel) and Antony Milton (A.M.) plus fellow Norwegian Petter Flaten Eilertsen, and two of these shows were released as the cassette "Live at Cuba Street Carnival & Huttstock - 2005".

In May 2006 the band played live to a screening of Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic "Strike" (1925). The performance was recorded and is currently available as an [http://lassemarhaug.teks.no/mp3/del/strike_(live_soundtrack_to_eisenstein_film).mp3 MP3 download] .

DEL released their first proper studio album, "Five Dolls For An August Moon", on Norwegian label Synesthetic Recordings in August 2006. On these recordings, originally made in 2002, the band took on a slightly more subtle and subdued approach compared to their previous releases. The album title is taken from an early '70s giallo by Italian master of horror Mario Bava, a longtime favorite of the band. One of the songs is a Black Sabbath cover, stripped of its signature riff and with lyrics in Norwegian, disguised under the title "Sabbath Fucking Sabbath".

Discography

* "Satan Is Boring / Inhuman" (1997), Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers/Apartment Records/Jazzassin/Killer Records - 7" split with Green Monkey issued in a limited edition of 444 copies on black and lilac marbled vinyl
* "Tremors / Screamers" (1998), Freedom From - MC limited to about 50 copies, half of which came packaged in a paper bag
* "If You Got To Fight... Fight Dirty!" (1998), Apartment Records - LP issued in a limited edition of 210 copies; 150 copies with a photo glued to the black cover, 40 with xeroxes and 20 with transparent paper
* "No Escape From The Valley Of The Cannibals" (1998), Killer Records - 7" issued in a limited edition of 500 copies; 250 on heavy black, 200 on green-spotted and 50 on blue vinyl. 24 copies also included a stamped Bettie Page trading card
* "Polymorph" (1998), Dirtlove Records - 7" lathe cut issued in a limited edition of 50 copies
* "Ghost Bitch / 'Cross the Breeze" (1999), Killer Records - 7" picture disc split with The Four issued in a limited edition of 300 copies
* "Blå, 10. desember 1999" (2000), Brumm - CD-R issued in a limited edition of 10 numbered copies
* "Twilight Of The Dead" (2000), Killer Records - 7" issued in a limited edition of 300 copies; 100 on clear and 200 on black vinyl
* "Projectionist Please Focus" (2000), Apartment Records/OHM Records - CD issued in a limited edition of 500 copies
* "Dog & Mole Tape" (2001), Xerxes Records - MC
* "Vampyr" (2001), Killer Records - CD-R issued in a limited edition of about 10 copies
* "Vampyr" (2001), Celebrate Psi Phenomenon - CD-R
* "Der Lehnstuhl Sagt Alles" (2002), OHM Records - LP issued in a limited edition of 110 numbered copies with handpainted front covers, 8 copies packaged in a special box with other DEL artifacts
* "Der Lehnstuhl Sagt Alles" (2003), PseudoArcana, CD-R
* "Tremors / Screamers" (2004), Gold Soundz - CD-R
* "NZ Tour 2005" (2005), Killer Records - 8" lathe cut issued in a limited edition of 40 numbered copies
* "Flummm" (2005), Synesthetic Recordings - CD-R card issued in a limited edition of 50 copies
* "Live At Cuba Street Carnival & Huttstock - 2005" (2005), TWR Tapes - MC featuring Birchville Cat Motel and A.M.
* "Five Dolls For An August Moon" (2006), Synesthetic Recordings - LP issued in a limited edition of 528 copies
* "Five Dolls For An August Moon" (2006), Synesthetic Recordings - CD-R released for promo only
* "Five Dolls For An August Moon: DELirious & DELicious DELuxe Edition" (2006), Synesthetic Recordings - box set issued in a limited edition of 15 numbered copies; metal film canister containing test pressing of the LP, promotional CD-R of the album, exclusive CD-R with an outtake from the album sessions, t-shirt, button, keychain, A4 insert with credits, A4 poster made for the release party, press release and polaroid photo
* "Musical Pandemonium / Sabbath Fucking Sabbath" (2006), Synesthetic Recordings - CD-R released for promo only

Compilation contributions

* "Piece" on "We'll Sail Out Far... Maybe A Little Too Far..." (1998), Apartment Records - 2xLP + 7"
* "Piece 2" on "Artificial Nerve Part 2" (1998), Xerxes Records - MC
* "Bliss Miss Albatriss" on "Songs From The Loosing End v2.0" (1998), Krank Records - LP
* "35 mm Delerium" on "We Are Hello Vol. 1" (1998), Machine Machine Records - CD
* "Do You Wanna Dro?" on "To Jupiter And Beyond" (1999), Aporia Records - CD
* "Piece" on "We'll Sail Out Far... Maybe A Little Too Far..." (2000), Surefire - 2xCD
* "Sunset Cove" on "Le Jazz Non: A Compilation Of Norwegian Noise" (2000), Smalltown Supersound - CD
* "Jeg Er En Skikkelig Bra Fyr" ["I'm A Real Nice Fellow"] on "No Tribute: The Music of The Nihilist Spasm Band" (2002), Sunship/Little Mafia/Carbon/Breathmint - CD
* "Modern Woman" on "B.J. King: A Tribute To The Joel" (2005), Long Division - CD-R + comic book

External links

* [http://www.looop.no/del DEL's official website]
* [http://www.lassemarhaug.no/ Lasse Marhaug's official website]
* [http://www.apartmentrecords.com/crazyriver/ Per Gisle Galåen's official website]
* [http://www.apartmentrecords.com/fns/ Fredrik Ness Sevendal's official website]