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Group history
Insomnia performs music at the crosspoint of noise, free jazz and contemporary music.
All sound (and silence) - vocal and instrumental - are created spontaniously, in the spirit of the moment.
The band was originally formed in the spring of 1982 by musicians with backgrounds in a number of Oslo's rock bands.
Musically, the band represented a break with the rock at the time. The group performed songs not in the usual sense, all music was improvised. Even with its very peculiar expression, at this early time, the band played several sold-out concerts at Oslo's venues.
Having been around for two years the band went into hibernation until June 2009. Bassist and mentor Arild Kristoffersen died in 1991. He is now replaced by multi-artist John Eirik Sandli. John Eirik is the son of singer Knut Erik Sandli.
Bass clarinet player Peter Lerstad fills the space of previous guitarist Kaare Berntzen. Lerstad has extensive experience from the Norwegian Opera, and is as a musician perhaps better known abroad than in Norway. He has played with Cikada and is a member of the Norwegian Association of Composers (since 1980).
Since 1984, Espen Ursin and Øyvind Hellner have been active in the noise environment of Norway. Hellner has a solid background in sound and synthesizers, and may be regarded as one of the pioneers in this field in Norway. Ursin has previously played with the Norwegian Broadcasting Radio Orchestra, and has been a teacher of several famous violinists. Drummer Oddvar Karlsmyr has explored various musical expressions of the early origins of music , poetry and performance. He's been involved in several bands and projects, among them PVC and Ym: Stammen.
The emphasis of Insomnia, in todays environment, is all about the noise, free jazz and contemporary music far more than than rock in its traditional sense. Each performance is a new, unique experience for both band and audience.
All sound (and silence) - vocal and instrumental - are created spontaniously, in the spirit of the moment.
The band was originally formed in the spring of 1982 by musicians with backgrounds in a number of Oslo's rock bands.
Musically, the band represented a break with the rock at the time. The group performed songs not in the usual sense, all music was improvised. Even with its very peculiar expression, at this early time, the band played several sold-out concerts at Oslo's venues.
Having been around for two years the band went into hibernation until June 2009. Bassist and mentor Arild Kristoffersen died in 1991. He is now replaced by multi-artist John Eirik Sandli. John Eirik is the son of singer Knut Erik Sandli.
Bass clarinet player Peter Lerstad fills the space of previous guitarist Kaare Berntzen. Lerstad has extensive experience from the Norwegian Opera, and is as a musician perhaps better known abroad than in Norway. He has played with Cikada and is a member of the Norwegian Association of Composers (since 1980).
Since 1984, Espen Ursin and Øyvind Hellner have been active in the noise environment of Norway. Hellner has a solid background in sound and synthesizers, and may be regarded as one of the pioneers in this field in Norway. Ursin has previously played with the Norwegian Broadcasting Radio Orchestra, and has been a teacher of several famous violinists. Drummer Oddvar Karlsmyr has explored various musical expressions of the early origins of music , poetry and performance. He's been involved in several bands and projects, among them PVC and Ym: Stammen.
The emphasis of Insomnia, in todays environment, is all about the noise, free jazz and contemporary music far more than than rock in its traditional sense. Each performance is a new, unique experience for both band and audience.
Copyright Insomnia 2011
