Sept 02 -Sept 04, 2010, Kristiansand, Norway
Sept 02 -Sept 04, 2010, Kristiansand, Norway
In the anniversary year, Punkt will showcase the very best and most innovative Norwegian music, from new acquaintances to Punkt audiences like the experimentalists Kim Myhr/Sébastien Roux, the duo LabField (Ingar Zach/ Anders Stackenäs) and the seminal composer/singer 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 – to 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 with a band that represents the most lyrical, acoustic set this evening, which continues with British songsmiths extraordinaire Sweet Billy Pilgrim, the band that recently released the album Twice Born Men on David Sylvian’s Samadhisound label to great reviews and are now nominated for the prestigeous Mercury Prize in the UK.
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, 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 musicians like Bugge Wesseltoft, Arve Henriksen, Guy Sigsworth, Tim Motzer, BJ Cole, Anna Maria Friman, Eivind Aarset and Adam Rudolph. Lyrics by nationally acclaimed poet Nils Chr. 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.
Written by: Erik ,13.08.2009