There are some places and moments that tie people together forever, whether it be a place, a song or something you can’t quite define through words. The origins of Orions Belte stemmed from one of those mystical moments in time, which spawned a lasting creative connection. Øyvind Blomstrøm (guitar) and Chris Holm (bass) first met while playing in a touring band for another Norwegian artist. During that time, they bonded over their love for instrumental music and began talking about trying their hand at it themselves. After their work as touring band ended, they recruited drummer Kim Åge Furuhaug, one of Holm’s longtime friend and collaborators, to join their new project.
The three met in Bergen, located along the west coast of Norway, to start working on ideas and demos. Instead, within just a few days, they ended up recording their entire first album, «Mint». From there, the universe propelled them forward, resulting in a record deal, their live debut as a band at Norway’s biggest pop festival Øyafestivalen and the release of their debut record all happening within the following year. «Mint» drew international interest and praise, driving the band to continue releasing music at a rapid pace.
Amidst the unexpected chaos of 2020, Orions Belte streamed live shows from the Norwegian wilderness attracting views from all over the world with their scenic videos from spectacular spots. The streaming shows resulted in two live albums, and quickly followed by their second studio album, «Villa Amorini» in 2021.
A continuous flow of music has been released including several EP’s, sessions for renowned journal Aquarium Drunkard and three separate (!) solo albums from all band members under the band moniker.
In 2023 the band released their third studio album as a band named «Women», once again to international praise supported by two US tours and shows in Europe and Norway the following year.
New music is expected before heading to North America once again in the spring of 2025.