in brief
05.09.2023

Godt nyt fra krøllede finner

Paavoharju: »Yön mustia kukkia«
© PR
© PR

Med Yön mustia kukkia har finske Lauri Ainala og hans altid foranderlige mytisk-mystiske orkester Paavoharju udgivet, hvad de selv kalder tredje kapitel i en serie af albums, hvoraf de to foregående blev udgivet helt tilbage i 2005 og 2008. Der er altså løbet en anselig mængde vand under broen, siden man sidst kunne lytte til Paavoharju i denne type konstellation. 

Som tidligere lyder musikken, som er den hjemsøgt af venlige spøgelser. Man kan høre, at lydene kommer fra et land højt mod nord, hvor man lærer at være på god fod med mørket. Skurrende båndstøj, dirrende strenge, virrende samples og helt og halvt hviskede sangstemmer skaber en kalejdoskopisk melankolsk atmosfære. Som brudstykker af folkemusik fra flere forskellige verdner på én gang, der alle kæmper imod hinanden for at trænge igennem den kakofoni, de tilsammen skaber. Dette kan opleves i nummeret »Haihtuu« med Teemu Eerolas violin, der summer i stereo som en bi omkring lytterens hoved, mens rytmiske samples og Anniina Saksas vemodige sangstemme skaber en fremdrift, der tilnærmer sig en popsang. Mindre poppede er numre som »Marian kierto«, hvor en operaagtig vokal bølger frem og tilbage over en fugtigt skovbund af synths og samples. 

Lauri Ainala har stadig et helt særligt talent for at bakse lyde sammen, som i andres hænder bare ikke ville kunne fungere. Sammen med sine medsammensvorne har han med Yön mustia kukkia formået at skabe ikke bare et kærkomment genhør med fortidens spøgelser, men også et spændende nyt kapitel i Paavoharjus krøllede historie.

© Paw Ager

»For me, music is about curiosity and surprises – yet it’s also something in which you can feel right at home. Music resides within us all, in a physical way that sets it apart from any other art form. To me, music is something greater than the individual – something that will always outlive the individual. The good stuff, in other words ;) « 

Kaspar Kaae is an award-winning film composer, music producer, and songwriter, known for his work with bands such as CODY and Bug Chaser. He holds a Master’s degree in film composition from SDMK.  He has previously been a guitarist in a number of bands on the Danish indie scene, such as CODY, Broken Twin, and Bug Chaser. The latter is releasing the album My First Crippled Love in November. He was born in 1983 on Bornholm, but has lived in Copenhagen and Berlin throughout his adult life.

© PR

»Music is like a black hole that sucks you in and shoots you out on the other side of the universe.«

Francesco Rista is a guitarist working across classical and electric guitar. His recordings have been reviewed by international music magazines and broadcast on BBC and RAI Radio 3. After studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Lund University, he focused on studio recordings, exploring guitar repertoire from the Baroque and Romantic periods to contemporary music, as well as the instrument’s varied tonal possibilities. Rista is currently based in Iceland, where he teaches guitar, composes music, and collaborates with contemporary composers.

 

© Villads Hoffmann
© Villads Hoffmann

Percussionist and composer David Hildebrandt is honoured for his virtuosic work with new music and his efforts to push the boundaries of what rhythm can be.

David Hildebrandt is among the recipients of this year’s honorary awards from the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation. He receives DKK 200,000 in recognition of his uncompromising work with new music and multi-percussion, as well as his ability to challenge conventional ideas about rhythm.

© Thor Brødreskift
© Thor Brødreskift
The 2026 Nordic Council Music Prize goes to Norwegian composers Kristine Tjøgersen and Benedicte Maurseth for Elja, a suite for the Kronos Quartet and Hardanger fiddle.
 
Rationale
© Carsten Seidel

»Who ever said that music is ‘just’ music? To me, it is anything but that: an urge to understand and explain it all. A piece of jewelry I wear every single day. A joy that can, at times, run deep. An ever-changing imprint of millions of stitches in my heart. A longing to disappear.«

Henrik Marstal is a musician, author, and music researcher. He holds a PhD in musicology, is a senior lecturer at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and frequently appears in the media as an expert source on music. His areas of interest include contemporary music, such as electronic music. This winter, he will release both a new album with the pop group ibens and a book about Else Marie Pade, published by the British publishing house Bloomsbury.