The Danish composer Anders Lauge Meldgaard works within a wide range of musical expressions, spanning from free improvisation to contemporary composition, over sound installations, experimental songwriting, orchestral collages, mixtapes and noisy compositions for electrical guitar sextet. His new work, his first album for the composer collective and label År & Dag (year & day in Danish), «At Synge Verden Ind I En Ny Og Mangefoldet tid», («Singing The World Into A New And Manifold Time» in Danish) is a short – only 25 minutes long – contemporary composition, but one that reflects elements from his earlier works.
«At Synge Verden Ind I En Ny Og Mangefoldet tid» was composed during Meldgaard’s period as composer in residence at the old Danish castle Rønnebæksholm on the south of Zealand. This composition is performed by eight young musicians from the Danish contemporary music scene, put together with the help of violinist Bettina Marie Ezaki from the string quartet Halvcirkel. The composition was premiered at Rønnebæksholm and has since been performed at the Click Festival and Jazzhouse, both are in Copenhagen.
«At Synge Verden Ind I En Ny Og Mangefoldet tid» is a sound experiment in eight different tempi, described as “crystals turning around on a string, where the light splits in every changing ways”. Each of the eight musician plays his/her own individual tempo, assisted by an Arduino mini computer. Meldgaard himself joins the ensemble for one piece, playing the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI). This chamber piece blends elements of Steve Reich school of minimalism, vocabulary of electronic music transcribed for this ensemble with strong emphasis on lyrical romanticism. The delicate, slow-shifting tempi allow the eight musicians to improvise briefly, but this light, chaotic element only deepens the intricate and colorful spirit of this impressive composition.
«At Synge Verden Ind I En Ny Og Mangefoldet tid», is released in a limited-edition of 300 vinyls with an engraving by Meldgaard and album cover cut out in paper with a silkscreen print by visual artist Kasper Lynge Jensen, plus download option.
Eyal Hareuveni
Elaine Ruby (cl), Adam Woer (fl), Sebastian Stevensson (bassoon), Bettina Marie Ezaki (vio), Mika Persdotter Svensson (viola), Nicole Hogstrand (c), Ysella Almqvist (harp), Mattias Branner (p), Anders Lauge Meldgaard (EWI)
