Flunk
Encyclopedia
Flunk is a Norwegian
electronic
band consisting of producer Ulf Nygaard, guitarist Jo Bakke, drummer Erik Ruud, and vocalist Anja Oyen Vister.
in winter 2001. On hearing the finished track, label manager Vidar Hanssen
signed the unnamed band for a full album.
During early summer 2001, Ulf and Jo recorded most of the album and Anja improvised the vocals. After their vocals, Jo layered the guitars, but it would be a year before the album would be completed and released.
In spring 2002, the band was known as Flunk and they released their first single, a cover of New Order
's Blue Monday
in April. The track was well received in the UK and was included on numerous compilations in North America and Europe. Later in April, their debut album For Sleepyheads Only
was released which garnered great reviews in Norway. With the success of their album, BBC
invited them to do a recording session for the Radio 1
show The Blue Room in London. Shortly after Notting Hill Art's Club would become the location of their live debut. In the United States, they signed with Guidance Recordings
.
By summer 2002, the band was getting rave reviews from British electronica magazines and in July they played Norway's finest rock festival. In October For Sleepyheads Only was released in the US through Guidance Recordings. In November they played the London Jazz Festival.
Throughout 2003 their debut, For Sleepyheads Only was still being echoed across the globe in staggered releases with special editions released to Russia and Greece. Beatservice Records then went on to release Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only Remixed
in June. While their debut continued to make its way around, the band wasted no time and began work on their second album for the majority of the year, which was recorded in Paris in October.
Their second album, Morning Star
was finished in March 2004 and saw a Norwegian release in May while it was released in the rest of the world in June. In 2005, Play America
was released on Beatservice Records which included bonus tracks from the US version of Morning Star along with remixes.
In 2007 Flunk released their next album, Personal Stereo
, while May 2009 saw the release of This Is What You Get, which includes a cover version of Radiohead
's Karma Police
.
called "The Risky Business" and later appeared on Music from the OC: Mix 4. In April 2008, the track appeared in Episode 5 of the PBS series "Carrier", during the swimming scene (swim call).
The song "Spring To Kingdom Come" (from the album Morning Star) was featured in an episode (Season 2 Episode 20) of the television series Numb3rs
.
The song "See Thru You" (from the album For Sleepyheads Only) was featured in the fourth episode of the television series Big Love
, "Eclipse".
The song "Blue Monday" can be heard in the movie, Walking Tall
, starring The Rock.
The song "Honey's In Love" is heard briefly in an episode of The L Word
in 2005.
The song "Blue Monday" can be heard in the movie "Nancy Drew" (2007 film)
The song "On My Balcony" is featured in the new Timotei advert as of May, 2008
The songs "Morning Star" and "Six Seven Times" are currently being played in Victoria's Secret stores in the United States.
The song "Personal Stereo" appears in a Norwegian commercial for the Volkswagen Tiguan 2011 model.
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...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band consisting of producer Ulf Nygaard, guitarist Jo Bakke, drummer Erik Ruud, and vocalist Anja Oyen Vister.
Biography
The band began as a project between Ulf, and Jo in Oslo, Norway in winter 2000 and 2001. Beginning as an instrumental and sampled vocal project, they were signed for a track on a compilation by Beatservice RecordsBeatservice Records
Beatservice Records is a Tromsø, Norway based record label which releases electronic music. It was started by Vidar Hanssen in 1995, who was dj'ing for a local student radio with the program The Beatservice Radio Show at the time. Beatservice Records have released music ranging from minimalistic...
in winter 2001. On hearing the finished track, label manager Vidar Hanssen
Vidar Hanssen
Vidar Hanssen is the founder of Beatservice Records, a record label for electronic music based in Tromsø, Norway.Hanssen is also involved in the Insomnia Festival.-Notes:...
signed the unnamed band for a full album.
During early summer 2001, Ulf and Jo recorded most of the album and Anja improvised the vocals. After their vocals, Jo layered the guitars, but it would be a year before the album would be completed and released.
In spring 2002, the band was known as Flunk and they released their first single, a cover of New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
's Blue Monday
Blue Monday (New Order song)
"Blue Monday" is a single released in 1983 by British band New Order, and later remixed in 1988 and 1995. The song has been widely remixed and covered since its original release, and became a popular anthem in the dance club scene.-Background:...
in April. The track was well received in the UK and was included on numerous compilations in North America and Europe. Later in April, their debut album For Sleepyheads Only
For Sleepyheads Only
For Sleepyheads Only is the 2002 debut album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Beatservice Records. The original pressing was on CD and vinyl while a later revised version was released only on CD in the US from Guidance Recordings....
was released which garnered great reviews in Norway. With the success of their album, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
invited them to do a recording session for the Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show The Blue Room in London. Shortly after Notting Hill Art's Club would become the location of their live debut. In the United States, they signed with Guidance Recordings
Guidance Recordings
Guidance Recordings is a House record label based in Chicago, IllinoisThe record label was founded in 1996 by Ivan Pavlovich, Rob Kouchoukos, and Sid Stary....
.
By summer 2002, the band was getting rave reviews from British electronica magazines and in July they played Norway's finest rock festival. In October For Sleepyheads Only was released in the US through Guidance Recordings. In November they played the London Jazz Festival.
Throughout 2003 their debut, For Sleepyheads Only was still being echoed across the globe in staggered releases with special editions released to Russia and Greece. Beatservice Records then went on to release Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only Remixed
Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only Remixed
Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only Remixed is the 2003 remix release of the debut album For Sleepyheads Only by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Beatservice Records...
in June. While their debut continued to make its way around, the band wasted no time and began work on their second album for the majority of the year, which was recorded in Paris in October.
Their second album, Morning Star
Morning Star (Flunk album)
Morning Star is the third album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2004 on Beatservice Records. A later version with a revised tracklisting featured additional songs and was released in the United States by Kriztal Entertainment. The additional songs included "Play" which was used in an...
was finished in March 2004 and saw a Norwegian release in May while it was released in the rest of the world in June. In 2005, Play America
Play America
Play America is the fourth album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2005 on Beatservice Records. The album features new songs, a selection of songs from Morning Star as well as remixes.-Track listing:# Play# Skysong...
was released on Beatservice Records which included bonus tracks from the US version of Morning Star along with remixes.
In 2007 Flunk released their next album, Personal Stereo
Personal Stereo
Personal Stereo is the fifth album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2007 on Beatservice Records.-Track listing:TRACKS:# Personal Stereo# Heavenly# If We Kiss# Haldi# Sit Down# See You# Two Icicles# Change My Ways# Keep On...
, while May 2009 saw the release of This Is What You Get, which includes a cover version of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's Karma Police
Karma Police
"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The song's title and lyrics derive from an in-joke among the band, referring to the Hindu theory of retributive enforcement, known as karma....
.
Albums
- For Sleepyheads OnlyFor Sleepyheads OnlyFor Sleepyheads Only is the 2002 debut album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Beatservice Records. The original pressing was on CD and vinyl while a later revised version was released only on CD in the US from Guidance Recordings....
(2002) - Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only RemixedTreat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only RemixedTreat Me Like You Do - For Sleepyheads Only Remixed is the 2003 remix release of the debut album For Sleepyheads Only by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Beatservice Records...
(2003) - Morning StarMorning Star (Flunk album)Morning Star is the third album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2004 on Beatservice Records. A later version with a revised tracklisting featured additional songs and was released in the United States by Kriztal Entertainment. The additional songs included "Play" which was used in an...
(2004) - Play AmericaPlay AmericaPlay America is the fourth album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2005 on Beatservice Records. The album features new songs, a selection of songs from Morning Star as well as remixes.-Track listing:# Play# Skysong...
(2005) - Personal StereoPersonal StereoPersonal Stereo is the fifth album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2007 on Beatservice Records.-Track listing:TRACKS:# Personal Stereo# Heavenly# If We Kiss# Haldi# Sit Down# See You# Two Icicles# Change My Ways# Keep On...
(2007) - This Is What You GetThis Is What You Get (Flunk album)This Is What You Get is the sixth album by Norwegian electronic band Flunk released in 2009 on Beatservice Records.-Track listing:TRACKS:# Dying To See You# Common Sense# Cigarette Burns# Ride# Love Hearts# Speedskating# Stain# Cardboard Rebel...
(2009)
EP
- Miss WorldMiss World (Flunk album)Miss World is a 2002 EP released by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Beatservice Records. The EP was only released on vinyl.-B Side:# Kebab Shop 3 Am # Kebab Shop 3 Am # Kebab Shop 3 Am...
(2002) - Blue Monday (2002)
- Blue Monday RemixesBlue Monday RemixesBlue Monday Remixes is a 2002 vinyl EP released by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Guidance Recordings. The title track is a cover of New Order's track Blue Monday...
(2002) - All Day and All of the Night RemixesAll Day And All Of The Night RemixesAll Day And All Of The Night Remixes is a 2005 EP released by Norwegian electronic band Flunk on Kriztal Entertainment. The title track is a cover of The Kinks' track "All Day And All Of The Night".-Track listing:...
(2005)
Appearances
In January 2005, Flunk's track "Play" off Morning Star appeared on an episode of The O.C.The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
called "The Risky Business" and later appeared on Music from the OC: Mix 4. In April 2008, the track appeared in Episode 5 of the PBS series "Carrier", during the swimming scene (swim call).
The song "Spring To Kingdom Come" (from the album Morning Star) was featured in an episode (Season 2 Episode 20) of the television series Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
.
The song "See Thru You" (from the album For Sleepyheads Only) was featured in the fourth episode of the television series Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
, "Eclipse".
The song "Blue Monday" can be heard in the movie, Walking Tall
Walking Tall (2004 film)
Walking Tall is a 2004 remake of the 1973 film of the same name. It stars Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Like the original film, it was based on real-life Sheriff Buford Pusser, however, the main character's name was changed to "Chris Vaughn"...
, starring The Rock.
The song "Honey's In Love" is heard briefly in an episode of The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
in 2005.
The song "Blue Monday" can be heard in the movie "Nancy Drew" (2007 film)
The song "On My Balcony" is featured in the new Timotei advert as of May, 2008
The songs "Morning Star" and "Six Seven Times" are currently being played in Victoria's Secret stores in the United States.
The song "Personal Stereo" appears in a Norwegian commercial for the Volkswagen Tiguan 2011 model.
External links
- Official Flunk Website
- [ Flunk on allmusic.com]