Biography
Lumen Drones formed as a Norwegian trio devoted to psychedelic drone rock, uniting hardanger fiddle virtuoso Nils Økland with guitarist Per Steinar Lie and drummer Ørjan Haaland. The latter pair also serve in the post-rock quintet the Low Frequency in Stereo. Their music weaves hypnotic rhythms, spontaneous improvisation, and sweeping cinematic tension into a single, immersive fabric.
The musicians first crossed paths when Økland contributed to the Low Frequency in Stereo’s 2009 release Futuro. That encounter sparked an immediate connection, and the three kept corresponding afterward. In 2010 they appeared separately at a regional fundraiser for Haitian earthquake relief, yet their joint performance proved so compelling that they soon convened regular rehearsals inside a local church hall. There they captured informal, freely improvised sketches across several months, gradually shaping a cohesive approach. Økland’s hardanger fiddle, fitted with four or sometimes five sympathetic strings, opened fresh harmonic avenues, prompting the group to explore shifting functions between the two stringed instruments while folding folk, psychedelic, and rock motifs into a thematic, collective momentum. Among the reference points they shared were Sonic Youth, Durutti Column, the Velvet Underground, the Doors, and the psych-era Dave Pike Set.
Once the rehearsal phase concluded, the trio tracked their self-titled debut album in Oslo during 2011 under the guidance of recording and mixing engineer Ketil Ulland. ECM issued the record in the fall of 2014.
The musicians first crossed paths when Økland contributed to the Low Frequency in Stereo’s 2009 release Futuro. That encounter sparked an immediate connection, and the three kept corresponding afterward. In 2010 they appeared separately at a regional fundraiser for Haitian earthquake relief, yet their joint performance proved so compelling that they soon convened regular rehearsals inside a local church hall. There they captured informal, freely improvised sketches across several months, gradually shaping a cohesive approach. Økland’s hardanger fiddle, fitted with four or sometimes five sympathetic strings, opened fresh harmonic avenues, prompting the group to explore shifting functions between the two stringed instruments while folding folk, psychedelic, and rock motifs into a thematic, collective momentum. Among the reference points they shared were Sonic Youth, Durutti Column, the Velvet Underground, the Doors, and the psych-era Dave Pike Set.
Once the rehearsal phase concluded, the trio tracked their self-titled debut album in Oslo during 2011 under the guidance of recording and mixing engineer Ketil Ulland. ECM issued the record in the fall of 2014.
Albums
Singles
