Mittlivsomerik.no - Erik Valebrokk
There are many ways to stumble across a new artist. You might receive a recommendation from a friend, you might see a warm-up act for one of your favourite bands whom you had never even heard of, you might be exposed to algorithms on Spotify or Amazon or any other online shop, you might read about an artist who grabs your attention in a magazine or on a blog (maybe even in an actual newspaper, as doubtful as that may seem in 2016), you might fall in love with a song you hear in a clothes store or dance to at a party, or you might listen to the excellent radio show Stjernepose on P13 where Toto Mjelde and Kjartan Ericsson sit every day, play records and chat. They somehow stumbled across this band with the rather unusual name Familieforetaket, which is then where I stumbled across them. And my hope now is that many more will discover Familieforetaket by me writing about their debut album Going North, for that really is a record that people need to listen to.
Given that this is a rather introverted and quiet record, entirely self-funded, with band members from a small island called Stord, off the west coast of Norway, it hasn’t exactly been easy to reach the masses. The fact that FAMILIEFORETAKET exists at all is an indication of the cultural vibrancy that’s out there, and which has a need to spread its wings and get out into the world. You wouldn’t think that such a small western Norwegian town (or island?), with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, would have the most active and vibrant music scene (I don’t mean this in a derogatory way, but let’s be honest – this is a really small place). However, music, art, literature, film or any other form of artistic expression, for that matter, ultimately doesn’t really require anything other than a willingness to create. If art wants out, it will reveal itself.
CECILIE ANNA Rønhovde probably has something to say about that. She is the architect behind the 11 tracks which make up the record Going North, a collection of songs which are performed by three different vocalists, spanning across several musical genres and sub-genres. And yet, these songs are connected through a lyrical and musical melancholy in a landscape populated by, amongst others, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Patti Smith. In itself this is nothing extraordinary. However, CECILIE ANNA’s songs are extraordinarily well written and utterly original in themselves. Helge Martin Framnes and his alter ego Wholy Martin (his band) do something a bit similar to FAMILIEFORETAKET, in the same sense as Familieforetaket also can be seen as Rønhovde’s alter ego. However, the fact that she passes the microphone to her band members Endre Olsen and Vidar Vedå makes it easier to see this as a truly collaborative project. All arrangements were made collectively, something which I believe Framnes also puts a lot of emphasis on in his band.
This isn’t an article about Wholy Martin, but I thought it was a natural and useful comparison. FAMILIEFORETAKET is also reminicent of Goldfrapp and Bat For Lashes, with the former being a somewhat more democratic entity as it is a duo, whereas the latter is really only the stage name of artist Natasha Khan. These are also artists who, just like CECILIE ANNA, embrace the realm of “poetic darkness”. It is an artistically interesting project to write songs which for the most part are deeply personal stories and then distribute them more or less democratically amongst band members, who can then put their own stamp on them. Of course, this isn’t a unique way of working, but I would have thought it probably required a number of smaller and larger sacrifices, in the sense that you, as a composer, give up total control of the artistic process by putting your trust in your band members. It isn’t a process that would work equally well for everyone.
Going North is for the most part a melancholy, dark and very beautiful album, with the piano at its main instrument. Ballads like the title track and the last track “In a Tree” (both sung by CECILIE ANNA herself) are full of pain and longing, with lyrics such as “Through your wild Apache dreams, in the green lands of your soul” (how cool is that?), “My heart breaks like a cloud, let it drown in your water as it goes ’round and ’round” and “Remember how it felt to climb and leave the earth for a while” – images which often find themselves in the realm between sleep and consciousness, dream and reality, and where nature also plays a big part.
The music of FAMILIEFORETAKET almost has an etheral quality, and maybe that is why I can see similarities with Goldfrapp, whose first and as of yet last albums Felt Mountain (2000) and Tales Of Us (2013) have a similar feel to Going North, a somewhat intangible, floating feeling of discourse combined with an unquestionable beauty. But you constantly have the feeling that something is just beyond reach, just out of sight, slipping away, creating a tension which lifts the music up and out of the ordinary. The songs of Going North are succinct, but with a real depth.
If I were to pick out one criticism, it would be the use of multiple vocalists. Both male vocalists have very good voices, but CECILIE ANNA’s voice has such an interesting quality that I feel confident it could have easily carried the entire album by itself. On the other hand, using two male vocalists also creates a beautiful contrast and makes the record more dynamic. I expect that a lot of consideration went into the choice of going down this route, and of course it is extremely effective and at times full of surprises. Once you have listened to this album often enough to really give it a chance to get under your skin, it doesn’t actually seem like a wrong choice anymore, but quite the opposite. Two of the most beautiful songs are “If You Leave Me Now”, which has a kind of 1950s quality to it, making you feel like you are in a David Lynch film, a complete contract to previous tracks, and “Call For Me”, a slow and quiet song vocals, gentle guitar and flute. The vocalist on “If You Leave Me Now” is Vidar, and Endre has the vocals on “Call for Me”, supported by discrete vocal harmonies from Cecilie Anna. And it really doesn’t matter that she hasn’t got more of a presence on these two tacks.
Going North isn’t a noisy album, but some songs are little more up tempo, like the opening track “Horses”, which slowly builds, and the beautiful single “Can You Feel My Heart”, where CECILIE ANNA’s piano playing is very reminiscent of Nick Cave, with a dark “postpunk bass” dominating the musical landscape, and then a gorgeous guitar solo lifts the song right up into heaven. The bassist is Knut Heggdal, who was also credited for his guitar contributions and “good hair”. Drummer Lars Håvard Birkenes completes this quintet.
Since the release of Going North in June there has been a small band member change. Endre decided to focus on his family and already busy life and has been replaced by Trond Leon Onarheim. This is what Cecilie Anna has to say about the matter: “Trond brings with him other and new impulses, and although we haven’t consciously thought about this, this does of course also have an impact on us in terms of how the music is created in this environment which we all contribute to. New songs are in the making, and we plan to eventually release another album.”
So the future holds some optimism. Let’s just all hope that Familieforetaket will succeed in reaching a much larger audience. This is music for head and soul, full of nuances and beautiful detail, and a lyrical landscape which really challenges you and makes you think. Right now, Familieforetaket is a tiny little secret, but I sincerely hope that it doesn’t stay that way. It’s high time that you listen to this album. Enjoy!