Sept 02 -Sept 04, 2010, Kristiansand, Norway
Sept 02 -Sept 04, 2010, Kristiansand, Norway
The Punkt 09 festival offers three days at the Agder Teater filled with exciting musical and visual experiences, plus Punkt Elope (Punkt’s stage for young talent) at Kick Scene, Punkt Seminar at Musikkens Hus with six prominent lecturers, a new collaboration with Kristiansand Cinematek and an expanded Punkt Club.
But the five year anniversary also marks a return to Punkt’s conceptual roots: Focus on the most innovative Norwegian music, interspersed with equally exciting international artists, an uncompromising focous on high quality sound, set design and visuals, and of course Punkt’s “trademark”: the Live Remix concept (all Main Stage concerts are immediately remixed in a stage / studio hybrid called the Alfa Room).
Agder Teater, Main Stage concerts (3-5 September):
In the anniversary year, Punkt will showcase the very best and most innovative Norwegian music, from new acquaintances to Punkt audiences like experimentalists Kim Myhr / Sébastien Roux, LabField and Maja Ratkje, to singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jarle Bernhoft, via the internationally celebrated improvisers Helge Lien Trio, the brilliant young duo Albatrosh extended with Lene Grenager and Hild Sofie Tafjord – and old Punkt friends like Arve Henriksen, nominated for this year’s Nordic Council Music award, and Sidsel Endresen, the first lady of Norwegian improvised music.
Even though there is an emphasis on instrumental and improvised music at Punkt 09, Friday 4th September is all about ”words and music” on the Main Stage, although in very different disguises: The evening starts with Kristiansand’s own Anne Marie Almedal, formerly of Norwegian art pop band Velvet Belly, a breathtaking vocalist who represents the most lyrical, acoustic set this evening, which continues with British songsmiths extraordinaire Sweet Billy Pilgrim who recently released the album Twice Born Men on David Sylvian’s Samadhisound label to rave reviews in the British music press. Then follows the release concert of Susanna & the Magical Orchestra’s much anticipated new album on the Rune Gammofon label – Susanna Wallumrød and Morten Qvenild’s music is low key, emotionally forceful, intensely emotional and very electronic at the same time. Friday night ends with language and rhythm used with both subtlety and force by American spoken word / hip-hop legend Ursula Rucker, famous for, among other things, her collaboration with The Roots.
Both the opening and closing concerts on Agder Teater’s Main Stage promise to be spectacular events. Adam Rudolph opens on Thursday 3rd, conducting his Go: Organic Orchestra, featuring students from the University of Agder and special guests. The festival is closed on Saturday 5th by this year’s Punkt Kunst.project, “Exits”, a multimedia concert consisting of new music written by Jan Bang and Erik Honoré, featuring profiled soloists, lyrics by nationally acclaimed poet Nils Chrs. Moe-Repstad, specially commissioned video by Russell Mills (painter and installation artist, cover designer and video producer for artists like Nine Inch Nails, Eno and Sylvian), and set-designs by Tord Knudsen.
Punkt 09’s Main Stage presenter is Fiona Talkington of BBC Radio 3’s award winning program Late Junction.
Agder Teater, Live Remixes (3-5 September):
The second stage at Agder Teater – the Alfa Room – will as always be a laboratory for musical experimentation and innovation. The Live Remixes are based on sound samples and inspiration from the preceding Main Stage concerts, and are Punkt’s trademark, the idea that the festival was built around five years ago. Among the guests joining musicians, producers and festival founders Jan Bang and Erik Honoré for these improvised sessions, are steel guitarist BJ Cole (Sylvian, Eno, Hector Zazou, Elvis Costello), Norwegian guitar innovator Eivind Aarset, German drummer, producer and composer J. Peter Schwalm, Splashgirl pianist Andreas Stensland Løwe, the american live-sampler J.A. Deane (Jon Hassell etc), members of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Tornqvist, and drummer Erland Dahlen.
Punkt Elope at Kick Scene (2 September):
Punkt Elope, Punkt’s stage for young, up-and-coming artists, build on the success of last year, when Brian Eno and other prominent Punkt guests witnessed tomorrow’s music together with an enthusiastic audience at the crowded Charlie’s Bar. This year, Punkt Elope is arranged at Kick Scene on Wednesday 2nd, featuring Mattis Myrland & The Grand Trunk Road Ensemble, Metamorphic, Philco Fiction and Navyelectre.
Punkt Seminar at Musikkens Hus (4-5 September):
Punkt Seminar deserves special mention. Topped last year by a conversation between Brian Eno and Jon Hassell, this year’s program is just as strong and versatile: Seminars by British record producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Madonna, Imogen Heap, Alanis Morisette etc); Ingmar Bergman’s long-time collaborator, film editor Sylvia Ingemarsson, famous for her work on classics like Fanny & Alexander and The Autumn Sonata; Anders Jormin, Swedish star bassist and Professor of music at the University of Gothenburg, Norwegian composer Peter Tornqvist, and Sidsel Endresen, who needs no introduction to the Punkt audience – or to an international improvised music audience, for that matter.
Punkt Film at Kristiansand Cinematek (4-5 September):
A new feature this year is Punkt’s collaboration with the Kristiansand Cinematek, the cinema / film club right next door to the Agder Teater. In connection with Sylvia Ingemarsson’s lecture at Punkt Seminar, one of her most famous works with director Ingmar Bergman, The Autumn Sonata, will be shown at Cinemateket after her lecture. And on Saturday 5th, Per Martinsen, Aggie Peterson and Sergey Suokas will perform their original, electronic soundtrack for the Russian silent movie The Mother by Vsevolod Pudovkin, made in 1926.
Punkt Club (4-5 September, venues to be announced):
This year, Punkt will also expand the club part of the festival, with artists / DJs like DJ Strangefruit, Mungolian JetSet, Nicholas Sillitoe, Per Martinsen and Aggie Peterson.
For program, ticket info and more info, see Tickets. New this year is student prices for festival and day passes, Punkt Elope and seminar tickets. Student passes / tickets cannot be ordered online, but must be purchased at the Agder Teater ticket office or at the door (at Punkt Elope and Punkt Seminars), since valid student ID is required.
Written by: erik,08.07.2009