Per Øystein Sørensen
Encyclopedia
Per Øystein Sørensen is a Norwegian
singer and songwriter, best known as the vocalist of the New Wave
/synth pop band Fra Lippo Lippi
.
to cross from desolate goth rock to a piano-laden amalgam of new wave
and light jazz
.
When Fra Lippo Lippi formed in Norway
in the late '70s, the group seemed obsessed with the droning rhythms and morose lyrics of Joy Division
. In fact, Fra Lippo Lippi's debut album In Silence
was so bleak that it could have been mistaken for a Joy Division record. However, by Fra Lippo Lippi's second LP, Small Mercies
, Sørensen's sweet tooth for pop began to brighten the band's somber mood. While Small Mercies was still a sad album, hooks and melodies started to penetrate the group's initially impermeable wall of gloom.
On Songs
, Sørensen found his voice - and so did the band. No longer limiting himself to the ominous tones of Joy Division's Ian Curtis
and Bauhaus' Peter Murphy
, Sørensen's vocals became more soulful on Songs, equally capable of expressing joy ("Come Summer") or emotional resignation ("Coming Home"). The lyrics gained clarity as well.
Fra Lippo Lippi ceased recording in the early '90s. However, in 2000, Fra Lippo Lippi performed in the Philippines
, a country where the band landed numerous hits during the '80s.
Aside from Fra Lippo Lippi, Sørensen has also worked with Trine Rein. In 2009, Sørensen launched his official MySpace profile, featuring songs from Fra Lippo Lippi and his solo works. His first solo album Våge was released in Norway on September 28. The album is completely in Norwegian
- a first in Sørensen's career. An English version of the album is currently in the works.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
singer and songwriter, best known as the vocalist of the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
/synth pop band Fra Lippo Lippi
Fra Lippo Lippi (band)
Fra Lippo Lippi is a New Wave band from Norway. They had several hits in the 1980s, such as "Shouldn't Have to Be Like That", "Everytime I See You" and "Light and Shade", and recorded a new album as late as 2002...
.
Biography
Per Øystein Sørensen raised the bridge for Fra Lippo LippiFra Lippo Lippi (band)
Fra Lippo Lippi is a New Wave band from Norway. They had several hits in the 1980s, such as "Shouldn't Have to Be Like That", "Everytime I See You" and "Light and Shade", and recorded a new album as late as 2002...
to cross from desolate goth rock to a piano-laden amalgam of new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and light jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
When Fra Lippo Lippi formed in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in the late '70s, the group seemed obsessed with the droning rhythms and morose lyrics of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
. In fact, Fra Lippo Lippi's debut album In Silence
In Silence
In Silence is the 1981 debut album by Norwegian group Fra Lippo Lippi. The dark punk sound of the album was heavily influenced by bands such as Joy Division and The Cure....
was so bleak that it could have been mistaken for a Joy Division record. However, by Fra Lippo Lippi's second LP, Small Mercies
Small Mercies (album)
Small Mercies is the second album by Norwegian group Fra Lippo Lippi and the first to feature new lead vocalist Per Øystein Sørensen. In contrast to the New Wave sound of the band's debut album In Silence, the addition of Sørensen gave Small Mercies and the band's further recordings a more...
, Sørensen's sweet tooth for pop began to brighten the band's somber mood. While Small Mercies was still a sad album, hooks and melodies started to penetrate the group's initially impermeable wall of gloom.
On Songs
Songs (Fra Lippo Lippi album)
Songs is the third studio album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. Originally released in 1985 by the band's own label, Easter Productions, Songs received favorable reviews and sold around 5,000 copies without any means of promotion....
, Sørensen found his voice - and so did the band. No longer limiting himself to the ominous tones of Joy Division's Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
and Bauhaus' Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (musician)
Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
, Sørensen's vocals became more soulful on Songs, equally capable of expressing joy ("Come Summer") or emotional resignation ("Coming Home"). The lyrics gained clarity as well.
Fra Lippo Lippi ceased recording in the early '90s. However, in 2000, Fra Lippo Lippi performed in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, a country where the band landed numerous hits during the '80s.
Aside from Fra Lippo Lippi, Sørensen has also worked with Trine Rein. In 2009, Sørensen launched his official MySpace profile, featuring songs from Fra Lippo Lippi and his solo works. His first solo album Våge was released in Norway on September 28. The album is completely in Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
- a first in Sørensen's career. An English version of the album is currently in the works.
Fra Lippo Lippi
- Small MerciesSmall Mercies (album)Small Mercies is the second album by Norwegian group Fra Lippo Lippi and the first to feature new lead vocalist Per Øystein Sørensen. In contrast to the New Wave sound of the band's debut album In Silence, the addition of Sørensen gave Small Mercies and the band's further recordings a more...
(1983) - SongsSongs (Fra Lippo Lippi album)Songs is the third studio album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. Originally released in 1985 by the band's own label, Easter Productions, Songs received favorable reviews and sold around 5,000 copies without any means of promotion....
(1985) - Light and ShadeLight and Shade (Fra Lippo Lippi album)Light and Shade is the fourth studio album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. It was recorded in Los Angeles, California and produced by Walter Becker ....
(1987) - The Colour AlbumThe Colour AlbumThe Colour Album is the fifth studio album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi and the first release after the band severed their ties with Virgin Records....
(1989) - Crash of LightCrash of Light (album)Crash of Light is a live album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. It was originally prepared for the band's revived record label Uniton Records, but was never released in Norway due to legal problems with their distributor...
(1990) - DreamsDreams (Fra Lippo Lippi album)Dreams is the sixth studio album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi.When their 1989 album The Colour Album generated mediocre sales , the band parted ways with their Swedish label The Record Station and were considering breaking up. Instead, they decided to write songs for a new album...
(1992) - The Best of Fra Lippo Lippi '85-'95The Best of Fra Lippo Lippi '85-'95The Best of Fra Lippo Lippi '85-'95 is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. It covers the band's musical career from their 1985 album Songs to their 1992 album Dreams, plus the new songs "Everybody Everywhere" and "If You Were in My Shoes".Many of the songs were...
(1995) - The Virgin Years - Greatest HitsThe Virgin Years - Greatest HitsThe Virgin Years - Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi released exclusively in the Philippines. Unlike the 1995 compilation The Best of Fra Lippo Lippi '85-'95 , this album contains the original recordings of songs from the band's albums Songs The Virgin...
(1997) - In a Brilliant WhiteIn A Brilliant WhiteIn a Brilliant White is the seventh studio album by Norwegian group Fra Lippo Lippi; this time, with vocalist Per Øystein Sørensen as the sole member...
(2002) - The Early YearsThe Early Years (Fra Lippo Lippi album)The Early Years is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi, consisting of the band's first two albums - In Silence and Small Mercies ....
(2005) - Re-release of In Silence and Small Mercies - The Best of Fra Lippo LippiThe Best of Fra Lippo LippiThe Best of Fra Lippo Lippi is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi. This album is basically a reissue of the band's 85-'95 compilation, but with a slightly different track order, the song "Angel" replacing "If You Were in My Shoes" and the addition of the live version of...
(2005) - The Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & RareThe Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & RareThe Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & Rare is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi released in the Philippines by EMI.-Track listing:# "Angel"# "Crash of Light"# "Home"# "Light and Shade"# "Crazy Wisdom"...
(2005) - The Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & RareThe Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & RareThe Essential Fra Lippo Lippi: Essence & Rare is a compilation album by Norwegian pop rock group Fra Lippo Lippi released in the Philippines by EMI.-Track listing:# "Angel"# "Crash of Light"# "Home"# "Light and Shade"# "Crazy Wisdom"...
(2005)