Fanfarra Recreativa Improvisada Colher de Sopa (F.R.I.C.S.)

F.R.I.C.S. brings together ten musicians from backgrounds as diverse as death metal, classical Indian music, salsa and symphony orchestras, on a mission to fuse popular and psychedelic approaches to music making. 
Influenced by the alcohol-fuelled martial thrust of Portuguese marching bands, and by the cosmic surges of Sun Ra & His Arkestra and Magma, this self-styled “mini-big band” improvises its way along a galactic path of brass, percussion and sci-fi electronics, under the guidance of Dr. Hostilino, a mysterious conductor and spiritual leader who manifests within a TV set.

F.R.I.C.S.'s engagement with the street-level aspect of marching bands has led them to perform in various outdoor and indoor settings, while Dr. Hostilino's preoccupation with statistics and geography as symbols of hidden realities has driven the band into a tour of Portugal's 18 district capital cities in alphabetical order, spanning over 18 months during 2007 and 2008.
They also collaborate on an occasional basis with Fanfarra S. Bernardo, a traditional Portuguese bugle and percussion marching band.

LINE-UP:

Álvaro Almeida – trumpet, percussion

Gustavo Costa – drums, percussion

Henrique Fernandes – electric double bass

João Filipe – percussion

João Martins – saxophones

João Ricardo – synthesizers  

André Rocha – trumpet, percussion, melodica
Jonathan Saldanha – euphonium, percussion


Filipe Silva – keyboards, percussion


João Tiago – trombone, percussion

Dr. Hostilino - conductor