Tusmørke - Underjordisk Tusmørke FLAC

This is a great new discovery for me. Tusmørke is from Norway, and this is their first full release. They had quite a history. In 1994 when they formed, they were called Tusmørke, as they are today. Then they were called Elektrisk Tusmørke, then Les Fleurs de Mal, in which future Wobbler vocalist Andreas Prestmo was a member of. Then they broke up. Come 2009, with a lineup of BenediktatoR, Krizla, Hlewagastir, and Deadly Nightshade (not sure their real names) reverted to the Tusmørke name. In 2012 comes Underjordisk Tusmørke, released on Termo Records, which is where the last two Wobbler releases (Rites at Dawn, Afterglow) were released on. This is some truly amazing retro-psychedelic folk prog. Imagine if Jethro Tull was Nordic influenced, you'll get some idea what they're like, the music contains plenty of flute, in the Ian Anderson style. I also get reminded of a folk prog version of Wobbler's last release, Rites at Dawn, which helps that none other than Lars Fredrik Frøislie of White Willow and Wobbler makes an appearance, providing Moog, organ, Mellotron, and even the Chamberlin M1 (that he bought from an American seller on eBay making it the first Chamberlin in Norway, as far as anyone knows, Lars Fredrik Frøislie included). I've heard comparisons towards everything from the Incredible String Band, Caravan, Camel, the Moody Blues, even Krautrock like Can and Amon Düül II, as well, although I really can't understand the comparison to the Krautrock acts though. The lyrics seem to have a lot of that mysticism going on, which is what I really like. The Caravan comparisons probably due to the vocals sounding a bit like a nasally, Nordic version of Richard Sinclair, and Canterbury in general because electric piano and occasionally Canterbury type fuzz organ from Lars Fredrik Frøislie, although they never go full-on Hatfield and the North or even Caravan. All the songs are just nothing short of amazing, and you'll notice that right away with the opening cut "Fimbul". Other favorites of mine include "The Quintessence of Elements", "A Young Man and His Woman", and "Høstjevndøgn". The CD also includes three bonus cuts not on the LP, with "Salomonsens Hage", "Singers and Swallows" (these two from a single they released in 2012), and a very early Les Fleurs de Mal cut "Ode on Dawn" from 1998. All the songs are sung in English except for "Høstjevndøgn" and "Salomonsens Hage", which are sung in their native Norwegian. Even those bonus tracks are amazing, although "Ode on Dawn" is more complex and much more symphonic prog than the others. As stated, this is an early recording, not the best sound quality. Andreas Prestmo, now of Wobbler, sings and it certainly sounds like him. This here is a bit more in the King Crimson, Anekdoten and Yes vein, even Mellotron is present, which meant Les Fleurs de Mal had a member who owned a Mellotron at the time. It appears that no Les Fleurs de Mal material surfaced at the time and "Ode on Dawn" is the only surviving recording from that era, although if they did record an album at the time, they'd likely be hailed as another great retro-Scandinavian prog act, that is if the rest of the material matched or bettered "Ode on Dawn", maybe a notch below Änglagård, but above Sinkadus.

I really don't know why, but when I hear this music I get to thinking of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King". There is no classical influences in the music of Tusmørke, on the other hand, if you're from Norway, Grieg's name would be impossible to ignore, and same for that song. Update: since making this review, they finally did get around to quoting Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" off their 2016 release Ført Bak Lyset on the opening track, "Ekebergkongen", the famous melody played on a flute. I knew that would happen sooner or later.

This is the kind of music had they been British, they would have been easily at home on Rise Above Records. Rise Above, for years a metal label, has been including many retro-psych prog acts on their roster like Diagonal, Purson, and Astra (OK, so Astra is American). If anything, Purson comes to mind, had there been no female vocalist and a stronger Nordic vibe. Underjordisk Tusmørke might not appeal to the diehard symph heads (aside from "Ode on Dawn"), but those who enjoy proto-prog, the type of psychedelic on the cusp of prog (even thought this is a 2012 recording), you will love this CD. It simply blew me away.