Oslo, Norway based Art Rock band Dim Gray has unveiled the video for the track “Mare” recorded live at live at The Boerderij, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands in September 2022. The track is taken from their new album “Firmament” released on September 02, 2022. Watch the video through the YouTube player below:
Following in the wake of their critically acclaimed 2020 debut album Flown, Norwegian art rockers Dim Gray return with its follow-up, Firmament. Consisting of twelve direct, vivid and melody-driven songs, it is a record bursting with life and colour, making for an engaging and constantly surprising journey as it weaves a route from strings-infused chamber pop, through evocative indie-folk and lush electronics and into grandiose art rock.
An ambitious artistic statement, Firmament will appeal to fans of artists such as Radiohead, Susanne Sundfør, Steven Wilson, Beach Boys and Agnes Obel. Thematically, Dim Gray further explore the landscape of loneliness and melancholy that was introduced on Flown, but this time those sensations are contextualised in the depressions of the modern world juxtaposed against romanticised ideas of “simpler times” through childhood memories interspersed with myths and superstition.
The trio who comprise Dim Gray come from different places, both musically and geographically, with all three â guitarist HĂĽkon Høiberg, singer/keyboardist Oskar Holldorff and drummer Tom Ian Klungland â moving from different parts of Norway to Oslo a decade ago to study. Having found each other, they soon began playing together. The three members have contrasting musical backgrounds in genres as diverse as black metal, progressive rock, blues, folk and film music, but in fusing these together they began to develop their own distinctive sound.
The outset of the global pandemic saw the band issue several singles prior to the digital release of Flown. A concept record with intertwining songs structured like one continuous story, it relates a vivid tale of loss and loneliness that constantly twists and turns, with intimate and spatial moments offset with massive and colourful soundscapes. It was issued on 2xLP and CD formats in 2021 to rave reviews.
Having issued Flown via their own Grim Day label, Firmament will be released on English Electric Recordings, the label run by UK prog titans Big Big Train. Greg Spawton of BBT states that âwe are delighted to announce that we have signed Dim Gray. Until now, the label has just been a vehicle for Big Big Train and BBT band membersâ outside projects. Weâve been interested in expanding the labelâs activities for some time but only wanted to do so when we came across a truly exciting band that we felt had something new to offer musically. When we were introduced to Dim Gray, we saw that the band has enormous potential and were very keen to sign them.ââ¨
Dim Gray supported Marillion in Stockholm in May, and went on tour as support for Big Big Train this September.
DIM GRAY | LIVE 2023
05.05.23-07.05.23 OSLO (NO) â COPENHAGEN (DK) Prog At Sea Cruise
27.05.23 LEICESTER (UK) De Montfort Hall (Marillion Weekend)
26.08.23 ZOETERMEER (NL) Cultuurpodium Boerdereij *
27.08.23 HAMBURG (DE) Markthalle *
28.08.23 GOTHENBURG (SE) Stora Teatern *
29.08.23 OSLO (NO) Cosmopolite *
30.08.23 STOCKHOLM (SE) Fryshuset Klubben *
31.08.23 COPENHAGEN (DK) Viften *
02.09.23 VERUNO (IT) 2Days Prog + 1 Festival
03.09.23 BASEL (CH) Z7, Pratteln *
05.09.23 REICHENBACH (DE) Neuberinhaus *
06.09.23 COLOGNE (DE) Carlswerk Victoria *
07.09.23 ASCHAFFENBURG (DE) Colos-Saal *
08.09.23 STUTTGART (DE) Mozart-Saal *
10.09.23 EDINBURGH (UK) Queenâs Hall *
11.09.23 BIRMINGHAM (UK) Town Hall *
12.09.23 LONDON (UK) Cadogan Hall *
* as special guests of Big Big Train
tickets available via Dim Gray Official Website
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Presenting twelve vivid, direct and melody-driven songs âFirmamentâ is bursting with life and colour and leads listeners through an intricate recipe of lush electronics, strings-infused chamber Pop, evocative Indie-Folk and grandiose Art Rock. An ambitious artistic statement, the album will appeal to fans of artists such as Radiohead, Steven Wilson, Beach Boys and Agnes Obel.
Dim Gray is comprised of guitarist Hükon Høiberg, singer/keyboardist Oskar Holldorff and drummer Tom Ian Klungland. Formed in Oslo when all were studying, all three members have contrasting musical backgrounds in genres as diverse as Black Metal, Rock, Blues, Folk and Film Music, but the fusion of all these influences has created their own distinctive sound.
Their debut album, âFlown,â was released digitally in 2020. A concept work that intertwined song narratives to deliver a continuous story relating a vivid tale of loss and loneliness so relevant to that time, it offered beautifully quiet, intimate moments offset by huge, colourful soundscapes. It was subsequently released on 2xLP and CD formats in 2021, receiving rave reviews.
Tracklist:
01. Mare 03:58
02. Ashes 03:13
03. Undertow 02:48
04. Avalon | The Tide 04:11
05. 52~ 04:19
06. Abalus | In Time 03:54
07. Long Ago 04:07
08. My Barren Road 03:17
09. Cannons 03:42
10. Iron Henry 03:20
11. Firmament 02:45
12. Meridian 04:56
Lineup:
Hükon Høiberg / Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Mandolins, Lead Vocals on 9 and parts of 1, 6 and 7, Backing Vocals
Oskar Holldorff / Vocals, Keyboards, Electronic Percussion, Programming, Orchestration
Tom Ian Klungland / Drums, Acoustic and Electronic Percussion, Backing Vocals
With:
Ellen-Martine Gismervik / Cello
Hanna Nicoline Krohn Moland / Violin
Halvor Rollag / Electric Bass
Guro Røvik Marstad / Flute on Avalon | The Tide
GrĂŠgoire Blanc / Saw and Theremin on Iron Henry
