Browse by Artist: SPUNK

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Det Eneste Jeg Vet, Er at Det Ikke Er En Stovsuger
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2010CD

"Spunk is a young, all-girl improvquartet with backgrounds from classical, jazz, rock, contemporary and country (!?). The group has been going since 1995 and in spite of their young age, they have built a solid reputation in both jazz and classical circles (three of the members are studying composition). With their unusual line up they are hard to categorize, with soundscapes and musical material from all genres being used in a non-dogmatic and unprejudiced way. The title translates like this: The Only Thing I Know, Is That It Isn't A Vacuum Cleaner. (check your Pippi Longstocking references!)." Kristin Andersen (trumpet), Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn), Maja Solveig Kjeldstrup Ratkje (vocals), Lene Grenager (cello). Another out-of-nowhere, bewildering and idiosyncratic recording from the increasingly faithful Rune Grammofon label.

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Filtered Through Friends
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2022CD

"Central artists from Norway´s flowering electronica and noise scene join forces to remix female chamber anarchist quartet Spunk, the source being the group´s debut album from 1999, Det eneste jeg vet er at det ikke er en støvsuger (RCD 2010). Contributions from Martin Horntveth, Kim Hiorthøy, Upper Rooms, Phonophani, Svalastog, Kristin Andersen, (X, Y, Z), Andreas Meland, Jørgen Træen, Sun Demon, Risto Holopainen, Lasse Marhaug and Andreas Mjøs."

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	Den øverste toppen på en blåmalt flaggstang
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2026CD

"The new studio album from this increasingly exciting and colourful quartet boasts yet another Pippi Longstocking related title. This free spirited and anti authoritarian character is one of the most loved and wellknown from the late, great Swedish author of children's books, Astrid Lindgren. It translates 'The very top of a bluepainted flagpole' and on reflection it gets clearer and clearer why the four young women (all still in their twenties) in Spunk so easily will identify with this character, going their own pathways and relentlessly breaking most rules in the book. In many ways both more accessible, varied and distinct than their debut from 1999."

Artist:	SPUNK
Title:	En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom
Label:	RUNE GRAMMOFON (NORWAY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RCD 2048CD

Spunk's third studio album marks the 10th anniversary of this playful and ever experimenting Norwegian quartet. Members Maja Ratkje (voice, Theremin, electronics), Kristin Andersen (trumpet, violin, flute), Lene Grenager (cello) and Hild Sofie Tafjord (French horn, flute, electronics) have been involved in various musical activities since their debut release in 1999, and they remain four musicians with very different backgrounds -- classical, contemporary, jazz, pop, rock, techno, even country -- that makes a musical landscape which is new for most people, even to well-trained musicians. En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom also boasts yet another Pippi Longstocking-related title. The title translates as "'An Absolutely Terrible Disease" and on reflection it gets clearer and clearer why the four young women in Spunk so easily identify with such a character. Coming from a formal, academic music education, it hasn't always been so easy to break almost every rule in the book, and this is exactly what they relentlessly have been doing since forming back in 1995. Free collective improvising is one of the most demanding ways of making music: the pitfalls are many -- self-absorption, incoherence, certain standardized "gestures" of free jazz, lack of dynamics, humourlessness -- but Spunk are alert to the dangers. Bold, sometimes witty, always alert, they make engaging music, and keep the sound of surprise alive. They have no fear of bringing the music to the brink of anarchy -- they are interested in extremes as well as subtleties -- but their instincts as composers-in-action also serve them well. Most of all, perhaps, Spunk convince by the force of their own convictions.

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