Artist: GAHLMM
Tilte: Break a leg
Format: CD
Label: Geiger Grammofon
Cat nr: GGCD012
Genre: Contemporary classical
Tracklist:
1. Measurings: part 1 (Tony Blomdahl) 02:07
2. Measurings: part 2 (Tony Blomdahl) 02:40
3. Measurings: part 3 (Tony Blomdahl) 04:19
4. Friktion (Henrik Olsson, Lisa Ullén) 12:02
5. Luminescent Seas (Mirjam Tally) 10:33
6. unRaveled (there are no more four seasons) 09:41
7. Break a Leg (Vinyl -terror & -horror) 09:50
No, it’s not GOLLUM. It’s not GOLEM. It’s an even nastier creature. In a way, I feel inhibited speaking about GAHLMM, since I was a witness to the moment of their conception, perhaps a wild thing in a Freudian position, yet a very sound thing in a practical sense. Born a few months later, into this monster sextet, with the ability, just like Transformers, to break down into modules of duo-, trio-, quarto formats, this ensemble had the perfect disposition and adaptability to attack a broader program of contemporary music.
There are many fine ensembles of contemporary repertoire in Scandinavia, but this one sticks out; not only as the amalgamation of top-notch performers (who are equally superb improvisers), they, wholeheartedly, embrace the music of absolute resistance to exquisite or delicate practice of timbre, or enthralling space, that still haunts contemporary composers. They have had enough of the academic take on acoustic mindfulness. There is silence in the immense statement of a volcano, anyway. Burn the suits, while you are there. The same goes for order – never let mathematics, or symmetry, or attractive series be that fifth column that ruins a perfect and promising relationship with chaos. At the end of the day, you should be worried that your instrument might have gone through some domestic violence, or that some pieces might need an extra checkup call to the insurance company before the rehearsal.
This is an ensemble devoted to the straightforward nature of challenge; and by challenge, this does not mean the endless practice of tricky parts, or quantum mechanical scores; rather, it is the excitement of bringing it down to the wreck, to the prehistoric swamps of sound, sharing the sonic beauty of collapse and circumstance.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Linus Andersson at Elementstudion december 2021.
Cover design: Vinyl -terror & -horror
Additional design: Barrie James Sutcliffe
Photo: Lisa Ullén
George Kentros: violin
Mattias Petersson: electronics
My Hellgren: cello
Anna Svensdotter: flutes
Lisa Ullén: piano
Henrik Olsson: percussion, friction, piezo elements
