Tape to Zero is very proud to present a new and unique collaboration between Splashgirl and Stian Westerhus
Splashgirl is one of the most exciting instrumental bands to emerge from Norway in recent years. With drone jazz and minimalism - Splashgirl creates a catchy, lyrical, subtle, mysterious, and exploratory musical universe. Although the line-up is piano, bass, and drums, they differ from other traditional piano trios. Along with Stian Westerhus’ intense, contrasting, dark, and beautiful soundscapes, performed on electric guitar with violin bows and effects,
Splashgirl with Stian Westerhus is set to perform music that has been specially written for Tape to Zero 2013.
About Splashgirl
Splashgirl was founded in 2004 by Andreas Stensland Løwe, Jo Berger Myhre, and Andreas Lønmo Knudsrød. Their latest album Field Day Rituals was recorded in Seattle with producer Randall Dunn (Earth, Björk, Akron/Family, and more). Splashgirl has previously worked with such legends as Eyvind Kang, Erik Honoré, Jan Bang, Sidsel Endresen, Lasse Passage, Timothy Mason, and Alexander Kloster-Jensen. The trio has toured Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, the USA and Iceland extensively. The musicians in Splashgirl play in a variety of other contexts such as Philco Fiction, Susanna, Lama, JÆ, Ingrid Olava, Solveig Slettahjell, Hilde Marie Kjersem, Lasse Passage, Randi Tytingvåg, Block 5, and Sacred Harp, to name a few.
Discography:
Field Day Rituals (HUBRO 2013)
Pressure (HUBRO 2011)
Splashgirl / Huntsville Split LP (HUBRO 2011)
Arbor (HUBRO 2009)
Doors. Keys. (AIM Records 2007)
From the press: “Splashgirl was an exciting discovery and one of Punkt 08’s best shows, ranking as the surprise of the year— and not just at the festival (…) Splashgirl is a group that deserves a wider audience and, if it can get some proper exposure, no doubt will.” Allaboutjazz.com
Stian Westerhus is one of the most exciting instrumentalists Norway has today. Stian’s unorthodox use of the guitar is exciting and effective, full of rounded, warm, and unfamiliar sounds. He basically sounds like a whole band by himself, solely with his guitar and his effect boxes.
Stian usually plays with Nils Petter Molvaer trio, Sidsel Endresen, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Puma, Monolithic, etc. Stian`s latest solo album - The matriarch and The Wrong Kind Of Flowers ( 2012) - received very good reviews in a number of Norwegian and foreign publications.
* Andreas Stensland Løwe (Grand piano, lo-fi electronics)
* Jo Berger Myhre (Upright bass)
* Andreas Lønmo Knudsrød (Drums)
* Stian Westerhus (Electric guitar, fx)
Supported by the Arts Council, Norway
Pd conception was established in 2001. Pianist Ingvo Clauder and drummer Terje Evensen met in London during their studies abroad. After a series of concerts at London’s clubs as a duo, they debuted as a trio in 2004 with the double album Phrased Silence. Consisting of acoustic duo improvisations and the electronic re-compositions of Anders Tveit, the album received good reviews in publications such as The Wire and Jazzwise. Phrased Silence created fertile ground for the trio format that pd conception is today.
Their second album Mishka was released in 2006, and was instrumental in staking out the direction that the trio has taken within improvisation since then.
With open ears, they focus on phrasing, form, and tone. Their expression is unique.
Pd conception has, besides England, toured to Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Norway. They have received radio time on the BBC and German SWR2.
* Ingvo Clauder (Grand piano)
* Terje Evensen (Perc)
* Anders Tveit (Live electronics)
Pd conception webpage
YouTube
Ingvo Clauder
Terje Evensen
Anders Tveit
Kjetil Husebø (solo) - pianist, live-electronics engineer, producer, and composer.
Here, Kjetil will be developing upon his own particular style and concept from his previous solo album Contradictions. All About Jazz had this to say about Contradictions: ” (…) the success of this album is based on the cumulative effect of his disarming, innocent and highly melodic ambiance, which lingers long after the album has finished. (…) An intriguing musical journey.”
Kjetil is originally from Bergen and has played with many musicians from Norway and abroad. He has composed commissioned works and has released three albums. He has a background in jazz, classical, folk, electronica, and pop / rock.
In recent years, Kjetil has worked mainly with the jazz-electronica project Optical Substance. Unlike his solo project - which is totally improvised - the music of Optical Substance is composed and produced. The newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (journalist Asbjørn Rinsnes JR) wrote the following about OS’s most recent album - Adaptation (2010): “Minimalist and funky jazz electronica like virgin powder snow on a mountain (…) The album Adaptation is one of the year’s most unfairly overlooked albums”. Kjetil is currently in the planning phase of a new solo album, and a new OS album. This evening though, it’s all about solo improvisations on the grand piano, with live electronics and sampling.
* Kjetil Husebø (Grand piano, live electronics)
Photo: Fridtjof Wesseltoft.
One girl is what makes Sea Change what it is.
The norwegian born girl now living in Berlin, makes this her one and only electronic pop project. She was born with an supernatural fascination for tiny instruments, improvised music and synth pop. Finally she has gathered the courage to come out of her home studio to show her strong songs, melodies and emotions.
All by herself she creates an amazing and beautiful sound. A loopingstation uncovers beats, harmonies and 80s sounds.
Still there is a wide range within her sound, which can be massive like a wall of sound or gentle, almost like the wonderfull nature of silence. All of this put another dimension in the well known loop-genre.
- Ellen A. W. Sunde (vocal, live electronics)
Bendik is a 21 year old drummer, live-electronics engineer, producer and composer from Horten in Norway. Bendik is currently studying composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and is currently one of the producers of Synne Sanden´s upcoming album - Climbing the Rainbow. Bendik has also composed music for the opening of the Vestfold International Festival (2012), and various theater and dance performances. He has previously released albums under the name of Shimmering , playing together with guest musicians such as Mathias Eick and Hanne Hukkelberg. Bendik also plays with Mathias Stubø / Proviant Audio. At Tape to Zero Bendik plans to perform newly composed music that borders between ambient, minimal house, electro, and beats, with a lot of sampling thrown into the mix.
Bendik Hovik Kjeldsberg (live electronics/sampling, drums/perc)
Yorkshire come London lad, John Burton has graced the planet with his remarkable contributions to electronic, folk and experimental music since his primary explorations with an old computer, originally bought to write his Art School dissertation in 1998. Since then he has released 5 critically acclaimed albums which combine elements of music-concrete and electro-acoustic music with voice and guitar work more commonly found in folk music. He has performed his award winning work extensively throughout Europe and Australasia and has performed on television and radio.
Currently John is in the Leaf-lab developing a Light controlled music interface, which opens up new avenues for laptop performers. Currently on it’s third prototype the system offers expressive and very responsive gestural control over sound generation.
Recently John composed the music for a major new production by Handspring, the pioneering puppetry company responsible for Warhorse which ran at the National Theatre before going on to the West End and Broadway. ‘Crow’ combines puppetry, dance, and music. It is based on the Crow poems by Ted Hughes and premiered at the 2012 London festival in May.
John is also a full time member of the Mercury Music Award nominated contemporary Jazz band Polar Bear, providing electronics, guitar, and vocals.
Web
YouTube
Spotify
Soundcloud
* Leafcutter John (live electronics)
Stian Westerhus/Jan Bang/Erik Honoré is a completely new and exciting collaboration. Despite having worked with many of the same people, as far as TtZ is aware, this will be the first time Westerhus is working together with Bang/Honoré. They offer, in each their own way, something of the most exciting music within their genre in Norway, and Tape to Zero is extremely proud to be able to present this new collaboration.
Jan Bang is most well known for his particular brand of live sampling. He’s also a prominent figure on the Norwegian music scene as a musician and as a producer with a wide musical horizon. The ground-breaking work he did together with Bugge Wesseltoft in the 90s when club jazz came into being, and the work he did as a producer for Bertine Zetlitz, Bel Canto and D’sound (et al.) are testimony to this.
Erik Honoré is a very respected musician, producer and writer. He often collaborates with Norway`s best jazz musicians. He has produced for artists such as Velvet Belly, Anne Grethe Preus, Savoy, and more. In 2012 he released the fantastic album Year of the Bullet, together with Greta Aagre. Bang/Honoré have played together in bands such as Woodlands and Room, in the scene round the legendary record company T23, which was based in Kristiansand in the 80s.
In 2005, Bang/Honoré started up the Punkt Festival in Kristiansand. Through their live-remixing concept, and their close collaboration with artists such as David Sylvian, Arve Henriksen, Sidsel Endresen, Audun Kleive, Nils Petter Molvær, Jon Hassell, Eivind Aarset, they have created a unique and respected festival that has reached far beyond the country’s borders. Bang/Honoré have also collaborated on a host of albums including, but not limited to Birth Wish, Uncommon Deities, and Poppies from Kandahar, Cartography, Crime Scenes, Live Remixes vol 1.
Stian Westerhus is one of Norway’s most exciting instrumentalists today. Stian’s unorthodox use of the guitar is thrilling and effective, full of round and warm noises and unknown sound images. He can sound like a whole band on his own, just with his guitar and his effect boxes. Westerhus usually plays with Nils Petter Molvær’s trio, Sidsel Endresen, The Trondheim Jazz orchester, Puma, Monlithic, and more. Stian’s latest solo album – The Matriarch and The Wrong Kind Of Flowers (2012) received very good reviews in a host of Norwegian and foreign publications.
We are really looking forward to this new Stian Westerhus/Jan Bang/Erik Honoré collaboration!
* Stian Westerhus (El-guitar, fx/electronics)
* Jan Bang (Live sampling/electronics)
* Erik Honoré (Live sampling/electronics)
Tape to Zero will be presenting not only existing projects and bands, but also entirely new combinations, tailor-made for the occasion. TtZ provides a meeting point for musical exploration where musicians with different musical experiences are placed together in unique constellations. Hofseth / Husebø / Johnsen is a trio specially created for TtZ 2012, and represents an encounter between three generations of musicians with a focus on improvisation and composition, combined with a mixture of an acoustic and an electronic sound.
About the musicians:
Bendik Hofseth is an internationally established musician (saxophone / vocals) and composer / producer with eight solo releases behind him. When he was just 26 years old, he played with the famous American jazz band, Steps Ahead. Bendik has also composed several commissioned works (Vossajazz, Rikskonsertene, etc.). He has played with many musicians, including top names such as Mike Mainieri, Django Bates, John McLaughlin, Andy Summers, Tony Levin, Helge Iberg, Eivind Aarseth, Øystein Sevåg, Audun Kleive, Kenneth Sivertsen, Arild Andersen, etc.
Bendik Hofseth is now a central figure in the music industry. He is president of the International Council of Creators of Music (CIAM) where he represents 2.6 million composers and lyricists worldwide. Bendik is also a professor and teacher; he is employed at the University of Agder where he is central to the development of a new study in Music Management.
Kjetil Husebø: Piano and live electronics / sampling. Kjetil has collaborated with many musicians, released several albums, and has also written commissioned works. In recent years, Kjetil has mainly worked on the project Optical Substance; on the album Adaptation, released in 2010, he made use of live samples from various improvisational and collaborative concerts to form the basis for the creation of the compositions. The business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv described the album as “minimalistic, funky jazz-electronica like unto virgin powder on a mountain side.” In addition to producing and composing, Kjetil is really focused on improvisation – whether it’s on the piano or live electronics / sampling. Kjetil just released his solo album Contradictions
Jonas Barsten Johnson: Drums, percussion, and live electronics / sampling. Jonas studied at the Conservatory in Kristiansand and is currently a graduate student at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Jonas usually plays with musicians / projects such as the Bjorn Charles Dreyer Group and Hanne Kolstø, and has also collaborated with Jan Bang, Jono El Grande, I Ate My Pony, and others. Jonas combines drums and live electronics / sampling in a unique way by processing the sound of his drums though his laptop / controllers, via contact microphones mounted inside the drums.
- Bendik Hofseth (saxophone)
- Kjetil Husebø (piano/electronics/sampling)
- Jonas Barsten Johnsen (drums/electronics/sampling)
Martin France has been the rhythmic foundation of over 60 albums and has worked with musicians such as Django Bates, John Taylor, Elvis Costello, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). France has also played with a number of Norwegian musicians like Nils Petter Molvaer and saxophonist Marius Neset. France is one of Europe’s most sought after drummers. In Spin Marvel, he invites key musicians to explore new electronic landscapes in the studio and in concerts. Spin Marvel mixes acoustic and electronic drums, keyboards, programming and sequensers and often builds the musical expression at a meeting of electronics and bass – and drums foundation. (text from Side2)
Bassist Tim Harries has been central in Spin Marvel since the beginning and has a background from Bill Bruford Earthworks and collaboration with Brian Eno, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Katie Melua, etc.
Norwegian Terje Evensen (drummer, producer / recording engineer, live electronics, technician) is the band’s producer and plays with electronic sounds/live electronics/laptop.
France / Harries with Evensen at the heart of Spin Marvel, and this evening is the first time they play together as a trio.
On the Spin Marvel’s latest release The Reluctantly Politiciced Mr. James is Nils Petter Molvaer a central guest. Molvaer was so excited about this project that he wanted to present the project at the MoldeJazz Festival 2010. The project was described by BBC as “fresh, imaginative and visionary, Providing a bracing reminder of the persistence of creative energy in jazz. This is jazz of our time. “
In April 2011 Spin Marvel played with the legendary musician John Paul Jones (Led Zepplin) at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in London. In February this year, Spin Marvel played again with John Paul Jones and Nils Petter Molvaer at the National Jazz Scene, in conjunction with the concert series Conexions (Fiona Talkington). Spin Marvel has just visited the BBC and recorded a concert that was broadcasted on BBC Radio 6th of March.
- Martin France (drums/wavedrum)
- Terje Evensen (electronics)
- Tim Harries (bass)
