Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Improvised & Remixed, 12 May 2002
Norwegian all female quartet Spunk got together in 1995, coming from various backgrounds ranging from classical and contemporary to rock, jazz, techno and country. Kristin Andersen (trumpet), Hild Sofie Tafjord (French horn), Maja Solveig Kjeldstrup Ratkje (vocals, electronics) and Lene Grenager (cello) started experimenting with improvisations, resulting in the band performing live all over Norway in art galleries, clubs or festivals. 1999 saw the release of Det Eneste Jeg Vet Er At Det Ikke Er En Støvsuger (The Only Thing I Know Is That It Isn't A Vaccum Cleaner), their first album, on Norway's finest record label Rune Grammofon. Intriguing, disconcerting and challenging, this record subjugated the international press with its wild spirit, its unconventional treatment of music and its sincerity. Just a few weeks prior to the release of its follow up, Spunk are now introducing their music as seen and interpreted by a multitude of Scandinavian artists.
From the almost entirely acoustic original tracks to the noticeably more electronic context of most of the reworkings, the intricacy of Spunk's music prevails. Filtered Through Friends features remixes by one half of Alog Espen Sommer Eider aka Phonophani, Rune Grammofon graphic artist Kim Hiorthøy, Spunk's satellite electronic band (X,Y,Z), Andreas Meiland, Spunk's trumpeter Kristin Andersen and many more. In turn close to the original spirit of the compositions (Det Eneste Jeg Vet Er At Det Var Et Horn Engang, Trully Falling Slowly, Buljong) or completely reshaped (Fjernfjernkontrollkontroll, Feil Remix), the tracks on this album demonstrate and support the revolutionary character of the quartet's music. On Spunk's album, melodies are in essence scarce and, when discernable, disjointed. If most of the remixers tend to bring the melodic elements to the surface and make the music more accessible, it is with similar scarcity that they apply conventional structures, retaining the experimental fundamentals of the creations. The strangely atmospheric imprint of Det Eneste... transpires here as if uncompromissingly refracted through the distinct universes of the artists involved.
Not an album for every ear, Filtered Through Friends is definitely an interesting take on contemporary improvised music. Spunk have proved to be an exiting and disconcerting outfit, and this selection of variations builds on the quartet's excellence.
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