SPUNK & Joëlle Léandre at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter

Only five minutes of the SPUNK & Joëlle Léandre All Ears concert at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in January, but enough to make me wish I was there!

You probably want to check out their "Live in Molde" album from 2014.

SPUNK: Adventura Botanica

You must not forget to get Spunk´s new album "Adventura Botanica" on Rune Grammofon (2014).
The limited vinyl versions were unfortunately gone in no time though.

The music is based on a commissioned work for choreographer and dancer Odd Johan Fritzøe. Fritzøe´s performance is inspired by the works of Charles Darwin, and here is what is written on his Vimeo: "In the same way as Darwin studied coevolution between plants and insects, Frtitzøe´s ensembly has been inspired by the Darwin ´s theories. The quartet SPUNK has created potent noise poetry provided from five sound sculptures".

The tracks are named after plants: White Water Lily, Mountain Clover and Common Hepatica. Quite an organic and evolutionary album from SPUNK this time.

Have a listen on Rune Grammofon´s Soundcloud, and watch the video from Fritzøe´s performance below.

SPUNK is: Kristin Andersen (trumpet, flutes), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (voice) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (french horn).

Cover: Kim Hiorthøy.

Also well worth checking out: Maja Ratkje´s "Adventura Anatomica" (Semishigure 2006) for another Odd Johan Fritzøe piece.

Adventura botanica from Odd Johan Fritzøe on Vimeo.

Hild Sofie Tafjord at Tusk

Harmonicrooms recently uploaded a video of Hild Sofie Tafjord (Spunk, Fe-mail, Lemur, ++) performing at Tusk Festival in 2012.

Tusk Festival also uploaded Hild Sofie Tafjord´s solo album "Kama" (Pica Disk 2007) on SoundCloud. About time for a new solo album now. Yes?

Das Wohltemperierte Spunk

Respect to Spunk! What a project!

It has taken them 12 years to play their way through the 12 notes of the equal tempered scale: one note each year, on a set day somewhere in Oslo!
The music was recorded and is being released by Rune Grammofon in a beautiful six CD box called "Das Wohltemperierte Spunk".

Spunk started at The Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum 20.01.2001 - 20:01 with B, and finished with the G 20.12.2012 - starting at 20:12 in the Physics building, University of Oslo.

I have played all of the CDs this weekend, and it´s massive! We get almost seven hours of droning improv, and you better listen! The music does not work very well as ambient music, at least not for me.

Several of the recordings were done outdoors (on an island, by a river, on the roof of the Ospera House) and C was recorded inside the Oslo City shopping mall.
The voices, the weather and the birds fit in just fine!

Spunk is Kristin Andersen (tp, fl), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (voc, viol, harmonica, accordion, theremin, + misc) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (french horn, + misc).

500 copies are for sale (300 NOK) from Rune Grammofon.

Liner notes: Anne Hilde Neset and Rob Young.
Cover design: Kim Hiorthøy.

I haven´t been able to locate lots of reviews on this box, but the Swedish paper Dagens Nyheter called it "deeply fascinating" (not online), and I agree on that.
I would really like to read an expert review on this one, so please comment if you have seen some.

And congrats to Maja Ratkje who has been nominated for The Nordic Council Music Prize 2013!

Added 25 February: A great review by Thomas Millroth in Sound of Music - "Vältempererad Spunk", in Swedish.

Hild Sofie Tafjord

Hild Sofie Tafjord is playing at London´s Cafe Oto Monday 8 October.
Take a listen to her album "Kama", that was released on Lasse Marhaug´s Pica Disk label in 2007, and tell me if you have heard another French horn piece like that one!

I seem to remember some rumors on a new solo album, but I really don´t know.
While you are waiting for it, check out the records (and concerts, if you can catch them!) by the bands Spunk and Lemur, where she is also playing.

Ny Musikk and Cafe Oto Presents

Norway´s "Ny Musikk" organization and Cafe Oto have programmed a concerts series, starting Friday 13th July with Minibus Pimps (Helge Sten and John Paul Jones).
Other artists sometimes seen in this blog, like Nude on Sand (Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden), Stian Westerhus, Hild Sofie Tafjord and Jazkamer, will follow.

Check out Cafe Oto´s programme here.

Hild Sofie Tafjord will also be playing at the Tusk Festival in October, and since the festival has posted her solo album "Kama" (Pica Disk 2007) on SoundCloud, I guess it´s OK to put it here too!
Fantastic noise for French Horn (!), and I seem to remember some talk about a new solo album too?

Stine Janvin Motland - Motsol

Will you please keep your ears and eyes open for the Norwegian singer (or more vocal artist I guess) Stine Janvin Motland? I heard her again Tuesday evening, performing a fantastic solo set at the Landmark club in Bergen. No words were used, but still stories were told and the sound effects were unbelievable. I swear I thought it was raining around her for a while. (Bergen is a rainy City, but Landmark is pretty dry).

Stine Janvin Motland and Ståle Liavik Solberg have joined forces for several years in the voice-drum-duo Motsol, and they recently released a new album with a little help from several friends, as S/S Motsol. "Parallel Pleasures" is out on Creative Sources (2011), with Motland, Solberg and the extras: Eivind Lønning (tp), Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (as, clar), Hild Sofie Tafjord (French horn), Børre Mølstad (tuba), Nils Henrik Asheim (p) and Per Zanussi (b).
Sounds great!

November festival

Lemur at Gråmølna from Lemur on Vimeo.

To kick off November, we are having a little festival today. The artists (top to bottom):

Michiyo Yagi Double Trio : Michiyo Yagi (21-string koto, vocal), Todd Nicholson (bass), Takashi Sugawa (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums), Noritaka Tanaka (drums) Live at Shinjuku Pit Inn, Tokyo (Japan), 2 September 2011.

Decoy: Steve Noble (drums), Alex Hawkins (piano), John Edwards (bass) + Joe McPhee (sax, trumpet). Cafe Oto (London) 29 October 2011.

Liarbird: Ola Kvernberg (violin), Bergmund Skaslien (viola), Håkon Kornstad (sax), Eirik Hegdal (sax), Ingebrikt Håker Flaten (bass) ,Ole Morten Vågan (bass), Torstein Lofthus (drums), Eirik Nylander (drums), Mathias Eick (trumpet). Bergen Jazzforum (Norway) 28 October 2011.

Lemur: Bjørnar Habbestad (flute), Michael Francis Duch (bass), Hild Sofie Tafjord (French horn) and Lene Grenager (cello). Gråmølna Art Gallery, Trondheim (Norway) (2011).

SPUNK in Nest

SPUNK in NEST from SPUNK on Vimeo.

SPUNK built their own nest during this year´s Ultima festival in Oslo.
SPUNK is Hild Sofie Tafjord, Lene Grenager, Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje and Kristin Andersen.

SPUNK with Joëlle Lëandre

Wednesday evening SPUNK and Joëlle Léandre invited to an improv party at the Molde Jazz Festival.
They started with an open and free set together, then Léandre had a fantastic solo set, where she talked and sang a story with the bass, SPUNK did a beautiful piece (yes beautiful improv is possible) and finally they all went into an energetic finale.
The audience more than happy, encore (video) and standing ovation - what a night!

The fine musicians of Spunk are: Kristin Andersen (tp), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (voc, misc) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn, misc).

Stian Westerhus and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra

I'm really looking forward to the Molde International Jazz Festival now (18 - 23 July). Here is a video with (most of) the gang Stian Westerhus will bring along to Molde, and several of them are playing other concerts during the festival too.

The Stian Westerhus gang:
Maja Ratkje - vocal, electronics
Mats Gustafsson – saxophones
Kjetil Møster – saxophones
Hild Sofie Tafjord - horn, electronics
Erik Johannesen – trombone
Bjørnar Habbestad - flute, electronics
Ola Kvernberg - violin, viola
Bergmund Waal Skaslien – viola
Michael Duch – bass
Øystein Moen – keyboards
Kenneth Kapstad – drums
Stian Westerhus – guitar
Kyrre Heldal Karlsen – lights
Tor Breivik – sound
Producer: Eirik Hegdal

Spunk live in Bergen

I own all their albums, but finally I got to hear Spunk live too! Unfortunately Hild Sofie Tafjord was not playing this evening, but Kristin Andersen (tp, fl), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (voice, electronics) played an intense, improvised and fine concert!
Just as important (?) as the music was videos (from cameras attached to the musicians) and live drawing by Asbjørn Flø and Andreas Paleologos. I really enjoy watching videos at concerts!
Perfect sound (but not on my videos I'm afraid) by John Hegre.

I'm really  looking forward to hear Spunk with Joëlle Léandre at Moldejazz this summer, and please note that Rune Grammofon just released the Spunk video "Light",  from a commissioned work for the Henie Onstad Museum (Oslo)  in 2008. I have just had quick view, but it's looking good!

More artists to Molde

I guess the program for  Molde International Jazz Festival is almost complete now, and I will probably not bother you any more with this until July (no, I won´t promise anything).
Today the festival announced several of this blog´s (more or less) regular visitors too: Kjetil Møster, Michael Duch, Karl Seglem, Eirik Hegdal and Spunk (Maja Ratkje, Hild Sofie Tafjord, Lene Grenager, Kristin Andersen) with Jöelle Léandre (announced by Wyatt and Stuff already in January).
This may be a nice festival once more,  so let´s just celebrate with Jöelle Léandre and Carlos Zingaro.

Marhaug: All Music At Once

Lasse Marhaug is at it again with "All music at once" (Smalltown Superjazzz 2011). This time using only the "Marhaug" name, and working with some of Norway´s finest noise makers (a new band perhaps?)
The gang: Jon Wesseltoft, Stian Westerhus, Hild Sofie Tafjord, Lasse Marhaug, Kevin Drumm and Maja S.K. Ratkje.

Marhaug has made a varied album. We get brutal metal ("Born cold"), electric storms hiding wild beasts ("Blood of the beast", "Don´t buy bread, buy dynamite", "All music at once") and deep, dark ambient noise ("Feed the earth and master it" and "Mountain of the seven vultures").

I know you seldom find me doing some deep analysis in this blog (OK, never then!), and I see no reason to try here. Just turn up the volume!
This works best when you really feel the noise.

All Music At Once!

I just realized that Lasse Marhaug released "All Music At Once" on Smalltown in December! This is his third album on that label ( following "Nothing But Sound From Now" and "The Shape of Rock To Come"), and this time he brings along a solid bunch of musicians too! How about Kevin Drumm, Jon Wesseltoft, Maja Ratkje, Stian Westerhus and Hild Sofie Tafjord? My guess is that you didn´t find this one under your Christmas tree, and like me you just have to get it yourselves. If you are in need of some noise, that is.


Read full review of All Music At Once - LASSE MARHAUG on Boomkat.com ©

Oh no! Another list!

I´m sorry, I made a list! The best records from 2010? Perhaps. It may be jazz, improv, noise, folk or soul, but at least they deserve some listening. Another day, and the list may have looked slightly different, but that´s life. No links to Spotify, but search my blog, and you will probably find some info on most of these releases.

Albatrosh "Mystery orchestra with Grenager & Tafjord" (Inner Ear)
Angles "Epileptical West, Live in Cumbria" (Clean Feed) (with Magnus Broo)
Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet + 1 "3 nights in Oslo" (Smalltown)
Jan Bang "And poppies from Kandahar" (Samadhisound)
Nels Cline "Dirty baby" (Cryptogramophone)
Lisa Dillan "Arousal" (AIM)
Dreams of tall buildings "Drowning the heart sounds” (MuseuM) (with Arve Henriksen)
Joanna Newsom "Have one on me" (Drag City)
Lean Left "Vol. 1" (Smalltown) (Vandermark, Nilssen-Love, Moor, Ex)
Mop Meuchiine plays Robert Wyatt (Le chant de Monde)

Phonophani: "Kreken" (Rune Grammofon)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings "I learned the hard way" (Daptone)
Supersilent "10" (Rune)
Stian Westerhus "Pitch black star spangled" (Rune)
Susanne Sundfør "The Brothel" (EMI)
Richard Thompson "Dream attic" (Proper)
Ultralyd. "Inertiadrone" (Rune) (Møster, Hana, Olsen, Brandsdal)
Ingar Zach "M.O.S." (Sofa)
Various artists: "Compendium Records - Norway´s First Progressive Record Store & Label 1974-1977" (Plastic Strip)
Robert Wyatt/Gilad Atzmon/Ros Stephen "For the ghosts within"(Domino)

3 new ones from +3dB

Just a reminder here, about the three newest releases from the Bergen record company +3dB, if you need something else than easy listening for Christmas. Not that this is too heavy, but the music will at least sound pretty fresh next year too. I have just started to dip into these three albums, but they sound fascinating, interesting and nice (make them sound boring, do I?).

You may even listen to them on Spotify if you have access. I must admit it´s pretty fun to get Mariah Carey on the ear, telling me about her Christmas album, while listening to some chamber-contemorary -impro! (Yes I still run the free version of Spotify, with advertising).

- Tilbury/Duch/Davies: "Cornelius Cardew Works 1960-1970". John Tilbury (p), Michael Francis Duch (b) and Rhodri Davis (harp).
- Lemur: "Aigéan". This is the second Lemur album on +3dB, and while Cardew´s composed music sound improvised (OK, some of it really is improvised), Lemur´s imrov sound composed.  The fine lemurs are: Bjørnar Habbestad (fl), Lene Grenager (cello), Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn) and Michael Francis Duch (b).
- Michael Francis Duch: "Edges". Duch´s first solo album.

Hild Sofie Tafjord

Hild Sofie Tafjord, well known from Spunk and Fe-mail, and mentioned several times in this blog, played at Krakow´s Unsound Festival last month. Here she is with Anna Zaradny.
I thought you all needed some noise now.

Mystery Orchestra

Albatrosh is André Roligheten (sax) and Eyolf Dale (p). They released the fine "Seagull Island" last year (Inner Ear 2009), and are now ready with "Mystery Orchestra with Grenager & Tafjord" (Inner Ear 2010). The two guest musicians (or maybe they are going steady now?) are of course the great Spunks Lene Grenager (cello) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (french horn), who also toured with Albatrosh in 2009. The new album is in the jazz/contemporary classical landscape, and I recommend it! No surprises in this blog.
They had a release concert at the Music Department of the Trondheim Public Library, and they even filmed a couple of tunes. Here they play "Derrick at P1", a nod to Germany´s best (?) police detective. Ich habe keine Angst.

Sekstett

Oh no, another Norwegian improv band for you all! I heard Sekstett live in Bergen on Tuesday. They did some nice improv stuff in front of far too few people. The band was  Frode Gjerstad (clarinets), Håvard Skaset (guitar), Bjørnar Rabbestad (flute), Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn), Børre Mølstad (tuba) and and Guro Skumsnes Moe (bass). 
I suggest you check out their new album "Sekstett" on Conrad Sound (2010). Lene Grenager plays cello here (and Rabbestad is not a regular band member).
Listen to the bass player Guro Skumsnes Moe, she´s tough enough.
Some photos over at Flickr.


Cover design: Lasse Marhaug.