Lys / Mørke
Elvesang (2 CDs, 80 mins)
Avant-garde bassist Sigurd Hole recorded Lys/Mørke on the island of Sørværet in the Norwegian Arctic. If it was recorded anywhere else, it would sound completely different, such is its connection to the ground from which it grew. Using only his double bass, Hole has made improvised acoustic sound-art that is intimately inspired by the sounds, colours and landscape of Sørværet. By recording out in the open, the ambient sounds of birds, rain and wind in grass become integral to the music and meanings of the album.
Dividing the double album into light (Lys) and darkness (Mørke), Hole explores the ever-important themes of ecology and the philosophical unity of humanity and nature through the language of sound. He uses the whistling sounds of the bass’s harmonics to form mimesis and mimicry, stirring reminiscences of throat-singing and Sámi joik alongside more traditional jazz and Scandinavian folk.
The atmosphere here is sparse and calm, if occasionally unsettling in its vastness. Even moments of musical turmoil are appropriate and magical elements of the sonic ecosystem. The result is so personal and introspective as to feel perhaps a little intrusive, but it serves perfectly to allow our ears to visit the cold scenery of Sørværet and to hear Hole’s soul.