Philco Fiction

Norwegian electro-pop outfit Philco Fiction developed its layered sound amid the urban setting of Oslo. The three members—Turid Solberg, Bjarne Gustaven, and Andreas Knudsrød—first crossed paths in 2009 and promptly started shaping material that merged accessible pop structures with experimental edges. Echoes of Prince, Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, and especially Björk surface throughout the group’s catalog, coloring both its aching ballads and its soaring synth-driven passages. The band’s uncommon name stems from an affection for vintage radio hardware, particularly the Philadelphia-based Philco Radio Company, while the second word nods to narrative sparks drawn from literature, cinema, and other creators’ invented worlds. Solberg decided to assemble a group only after her sister questioned her vocal ability; subsequent confidence and innate skill propelled her distinctive, melancholic delivery to the center of Philco Fiction’s atmospheric aesthetic.

Blog acclaim propelled the trio into wider view during 2010, while their inventive, engaging performances quickly drew bookings that took them through both Europe and the United States in 2011. Gustaven and Knudsrød’s precise recreation of the recorded textures supported Solberg’s striking, dramatic presence onstage. The band issued its first full-length record, Take It Personal, near the close of 2012; the set included the meticulously arranged track “Help!”