★Aurora (Norway)
Popofoni
This 2CD is a reissue of the holy grail of Norwegian free-jazz and electronic music, Popofoni, released by Sonet in 1973. It features compositions by Arne Nordheim, Terje Rypdal, Kåre Kolberg, Gunnar Sønstevold and Alfred Janson played by an extended Jan Garbarek Quintet.
The Popofoni-project was initiated after a heated debate on Haagen Ringnes’ TV-show Åpen Post in autumn 1969, which dealt with the subject popmusic. Standing on one side you found the defenders of pop, actress and singer Eli…
Kraftfelt
*2024 stock* CD + Dvd Audio edition. This first Surround 5.1 release for the Norwegian label Aurora contains three works by Natasha Barrett composed especially for an immerse environment. The composer has developed stereo versions of the pieces as well, which are found on the included CD-Audio. The pieces on Kraftfelt (Force Field) take place in the space between the abstract moving and the concrete descriptive. Natasha Barrett uses organic samples as a basis, and moulds her musical material fro…
The Nordheim Tapes
*2024 stock* Arne Nordheim might not be the best known early electronic music composer, but with this fabulously presented double disc of work it should help his music achieve at least a little wider recognition. He might be best known (at least outside his native Norway) for the discs on Rune Grammofon, but here we get some of his earliest tape work from the 1960s, possibly his most interesting period, at least to me. As a die hard Radiophonic Workshop enthusiast this collection seems to come f…
Puzzle Wood
*2024 stock* "A master in electroacoustic music and digital sound manipulation, English composer Natasha Barrett leaves few traces of familiar sounds or instruments in her music, although the audio sources often are acoustic. Here she performs five of her compositions composed between 1994 and 1997. The album's newest composition, 'Animalcules' is from 2010.
The title Puzzle Wood refers to a forest in Gloucestershire, where Barrett grew up, and also gives name to this album's key track, and olde…
Trade Winds
*2024 stock* In 2006 Natasha Barrett was awarded the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize for her work …fetters… released by Aurora. Her new album consists of one work only: “Trade Winds” is a fantastic voyage down to the mythical and physical depths of the wide oceans.
The piece is inspired by the vast expanse of sea – unleashing the musical potential of recordings from the 100-year-old sailing ship Dyrafjeld, from above and within harbour, shore and open oceans around the world, and the spok…