Orca

With an instrumental lineup that includes the Hydro Harp, Acid Jug, Grindstone, Bottle Organ, Hammer & Nails, Broom, Bow & Saw, Axe, and Cement Mixer, ORCA (which means “power” in Faroese) has the most original band concept seen.

Headed by Jens Thomsen, a staple in the Faroese music scene for years and former bassist of the influential band Clickhaze, ORCA makes primal, Nordic-saturated music on entirely homemade instruments.�

ORCA got its beginning over Christmas 2005 when Thomsen, along with family and friends, built all the band's instruments out of scrap material and power tools salvaged from the family farm.

After the instruments were finished, the group composed music for five days. The flurry of creativity culminated in recording their debut album “Livandi oyða”, and a live concert that remains the stuff of legend for young people here. (“You got invited to the ORCA concert? So cool.”)

One criticism heard repeatedly of ORCA is that their lyrics are highly cryptic, and that the postmodern Faroese flow detracts from the quality of the musicianship.
Fortunately for ORCA’s future plans for touring internationally, foreigners can blissfully ignore this fact, and focus their attention on the awesome sounds the instruments make at a live show, despite the challenge of transporting them and keeping everything tuned. A favorite is the Bottle Organ, which is a series of soda bottle with different levels of water in each, attached to air compressor nozzles.

With extensive performing experience, strong musicianship and those crazy instruments, ORCA offers a great live music experience. Hopefully their instruments can just hold together long enough for the world to hear it.