Fra Lippo Lippi - In Silence LP

Reissue of "In Silence" the gloomy 1981 debut lp from this Norwegian post-punk band. Released in an edition of 500.

Fra Lippo Lippi was a gothic post-punk band founded in Nesodden, Norway in 1978. Band members were Rune Kristoffersen (guitar, bass, keyboards, piano) Per Oystein Sorensen (vocals, synthesizer, keyboards), and Morten Sjoberg (drums, keyboards). Their sound was heavily influenced by bands such as Joy Division and The Cure.

In 1981 the band recorded and released "In Silence”, a hard to grasp, dark album with ominous bass lines, death-march percussion, pensive keyboards, and sinister, indecipherable vocals. The band had installed a semi-professional 4-track recording studio in a small basement. The recording of the album started in June 1981 and was not completed until 4 months later. Rune Kristoffersen: "It took a long time. Our compositions were based on the drums and the bass, which we coloured with guitars, voices and keyboards. The sound was completely natural, both concrete and abstract."

On the record it was difficult to hear the vocals, as it was mixed far behind the instruments. So it was made impossible to understand the lyrics. Not unlike producer Martin Hannett did for Factory Records in the UK. Rune Kristoffersen: "It is made quite conscious: put the voices far back to create a mood music. I also look at 'In Silence' in a certain connection to what Brian Eno did with his ambient music."

In 1998, Rune started releasing experimental music on his very own label called Rune Grammofon, where he has highlighted many experimental Norwegian acts such as Arne Nordheim, Supersilent, and Motorpsycho.

Tiny Mix Tapes

..In Silence has a more unrefined sound and should have any fan of Joy Division wishing they’d heard of this band sooner. If I were to review Closer or Unknown Pleasures today, they’d obviously receive 5/5.  Therefore, since Fra Lippo Lippi is so strangely similar, and "In Silence" is almost like having a new Joy Division/New Order album, I’d be hard pressed to give it a anything less than a near perfect score. Find out for yourself what you’ve missed out on for the past twenty years. Wow!

Tracklist

A1 Out Of The Ruins 3:17
A2 A Moment Like This 3:34
A3 In Silence 4:37
A4 Recession 6:18
B1 The Inside Veil 4:24
B2 I Know 4:27
B3 Quiet 3:34
B4 Lost 7:30