Trondheim Voices and Asle Karstad – ROOMS & RITUALS

In Rooms & Rituals each singer’s extended vocal techniques, individuality and timbre results in a unique quality to the groups collective tone. Through the use of their unique effect controllers “Maccatrols”, they create wide electroacoustic soundscapes, subtle noise, hauntingly beautiful chorales, and ambient beats. Free improvisation plays a vital part in their concerts, but also incorporating original compositions from the group members and music written for the ensemble by composers such as Jon Balke, Ståle Storløkken and Christian Wallumrød.

About the artistic collaboration with Asle Karstad
Norways leading sound designer Asle Karstad has exclusively developed and designed the effect controller ”Maccatrol” for the ensemble: a small wireless box carried on the body, enabling each singer to move freely, individually processing themselves in the room, using effects and loops. The singers perform within a surround setup, sharing space with the audience and breaking down the barrier of the conventional stage setting. This gives the audience a unique listening experience.

Richard Williams, music publicist, about Trondheim Voices and Asle Karstad: Rooms & Rituals
These voices are like no choir you ever heard. They can form pale clouds of sound, or pools of glowing light, or bright shafts of pure sound. Phrases can soar before suddenly reversing direction and travelling backwards, but along a different tangent. Rising from the luminous sound beds — sometimes lush, sometimes austere – float a disembodied melody from an ancient world, an overheard conversation, a whisper from the past, the rumblings of a distant storm, the babble of children, or something that sounds like the ambient chatter of an asteroid belt.

For both the singers and their audience, this is music in a constant state of discovery.

-This is art. Auralaggravation.com, GB

-Founded on creativity, bravery and great vocal skills – it makes up a triumph of true originality. Terje Mosnes, NO

-Dramatic, theatrical, daring. Musikkultur, DE

-A hurricane of creativity.. A real rough diamond Chromatique.net, FR

-Extremely good listeners discover ways to new worlds, Morgenbladet, NO


Rooms & Rituals
Costume design: Henrik Vibskov
Photo: Martynas Milkevicius


Rooms & Rituals
Costume design: Henrik Vibskov
Photo: Martynas Milkevicius


Rooms & Rituals
Costume design: Henrik Vibskov
Photo: Martynas Milkevicius

Trondheim VoicesPhoto: Peter Adamik
Jazzfest Berlin 2017, Berlin Festspiele

Photo: Thor Egil Leirtrø
Dokkhuset, Trondheim. Fall 2017

Asle Karstad
Photo: Hanne Hvattum

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