Nils Frykdahl

Nils Frykdahl has perused music and its applications in continuous bursts of public activity since his boyhood in the 1970’s, when he studied the flute and music theroy with childlike intensity. The 80’s saw the transferring of this devotion to the guitar, which by the 90’s had been superceded by the voice. All of these loves (and numerous affairs with percussion and winds) were united in the realization of the Great Work: composition, in which he received a Bachelors Degree from UC Berkely in 1989, studying with venerable Andrew Imbrie.

He then turned to the world, falling headlong into a love that has at times threatened to eclipse all else: the show, an empty moment shared with the almost possible. All manner of possibles announced themselves in the years to come under the flowering auspices of a show called Idiot Flesh, a difficult and viceral rock band which embraced intrusions of theater, puppetry, and dance, collaborations which have led to inkBoat.

The 90’s saw many tours of a portable Idiot Flesh around the US and work with a related ethnomusicalogical group: Charming Hostess. Nils performed in Europe in ’97 and ’99, the latter as a musician and “dancer” in the Ex-it! 99 International Butoh Festival. He has also worked with the Berkeley Reperatory Theater and the Underworld Opera. His compositions have been performed at UC Berkeley and Stonybrook. The close of the millenium saw the founding of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and the music/theater duo – The Faun Fables.