Collage by Erlend Apneseth Trio with Maja Ratkje

Remarkable improvisations in Erlend Apneseth Trio's new album 'Collage' are a rush of creative excess.

The latest album release by acclaimed Norwegian band Erlend Apneseth Trio is made in collaboration with renowned experimental composer and vocalist Maja Ratkje. Their impromptu concert together in 2022 was a glorious kick-off for a five-day festival and was luckily put on tape. After reworking and reimagining the recorded material with their steady collaborator Jørgen Træen, the result is a refreshing take on improvisations-turned-compositions. Featuring innovative soundscapes with archival material and an engaging transitory state.

The variety of sounds that make up this glorious and aptly named 'Collage' is astounding. Elemental sounds range from the howling wind and soft-bright ringing of sheep-bells to the timeless trickling of a small stream of water. Strings of many timbres soar over animated croaks and quacks, assembling into a swampy symphony. The well-balanced diversity of acoustic and electric sounds has become the band's trademark. It is ever-present, complementing and creating new improvisatory trails to follow.

The vocal work is of particular interest and acts as our vessel and guide along the journey, sometimes transforming seamlessly from and into other non-human noises with its chants and intonations. The meeting with Ratkje has clearly influenced Erlend Apneseth Trio to explore new musical areas, leaning into noise, contemporary classical music, and beyond. It shows how the trio is brimming with the ability and will to continually push themselves into new areas and be curious. It is the reason they have been nominated for a Norwegian Grammy in the "open category" for all their previous four albums, where "Salika, Molika" won and became runner-up for the Nordic Music Prize.

The shifting nature of the work is its most prominent and compelling aspect, as well as an ever-present state of transition that remains unpredictable throughout the journey. Building tensions keep you on the edge of the experience; even in the most intense moments, sounds are well-spaced and balanced, never collapsing into chaos. The result is a remarkable album beyond genres, where a spontaneous meeting has uncovered the music of our time.


The album is supported by Norsk Komponistforening.

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