Premiered the new piece SKALA at the Piano Days Copenhagen festival on 25th of March. The concert took place in an old watertower and used a surround sound system with six speakers and three subs. I tried to let the enormity of the venue influence the music, so everything happens very slowly like an oil tanker trying to change course. Thanks to Kristian Hverring for lending me recording equipment.
Workshop with Jacob Juhl at Aros Art Museum
During january and february my good friend and artist Jacob Juhl has been artist in residence at Aros Art Museum in Aarhus. During his stay I have visited him twice and we´ve used the opportunity to work on our next installation. The installation combines small moving robots making acoustic sounds with small speakers making digital sounds. The robots and speakers seem as if trying to commuicate but having problems with a language barrier. There is still a lot of work to be done but we hope to have a finished piece within this year.
Ørkner i rasende udenfor – Woetmann / Almholt
Albummet blev udgivet som 300 stk. vinyl-LPer af forlaget Kronstork og som digital download via Bandcamp og diverse streamingtjenester. I forbindelse med udgivelsen blev vi interviewet i Kulturen på P1, hvor man kan høre uddybende om arbejdsprocessen, samspillet mellem musik og tekster og om samfunds-begivenheder som katalysator for kunst. Albummet fik desuden rosende anmeldelser af Jazznyt og Undertoner, som gav den 5 ud af 6 stjerner. Lyt til nummeret MAD MINUTE i nedenstående afspiller, eller stream hele albummet via Bandcamp.
TEKSTERNE
Albummet udnytter vinyl-LPens format ved at hver side tager udgangspunkt i to forskellige af Woetmanns værker og dermed repræsenterer to forskellige tematikker: side A tager udgangspunkt i tre tekster fra teaterstykket TIL MINE BRØDRE, som Woetmann skrev til Aarhus Teater. Teksterne beskæftiger sig med moderne krig og Danmarks deltagelse i Afghanistan. Side B består udelukkende af langdigtet Bag Bakkerne, Kysten, der er blevet til et 17 minutter langt værk, der langsomt går fra de danske sommerstrande til flygtningebåde fanget på et stormombrust Middelhav midt om natten.
MUSIKKEN
Al musikken tager udgangspunkt i klaverinstrument men i en meget manipuleret form. For det første er klaveret ofte præpareret, hvilket betyder at man sætter genstande som skruer, ledning, gummi og jernplader ind på strengene for at skabe helt nye klange. Disse klange er så yderligere manipuleret i computeren med en lang kæde af elektroniske effekter. Lydbilledet bliver dermed en sammensmeltning af organiske og kunstige lyde, hvorved musikken fremstår både genkendelig og fremmed.
SAMARBEJDET
Woetmann og Almholt mødtes første gang i forbindelse med indspilninger til et bestillingsværk som Almholt udførte til Lyd+Litteratur-festivalen i Aarhus i 2012. I 2017 var det så Define Festivalen i Sønderborg, der havde inviteret Peter-Clement Woetmann til optræde med en musiker han selv kunne vælge. Valget faldt på Almholt og de første versioner af albummets numre fik således premiere ved Define festivalen i 2017. Sidenhen har vi optrådt hos Kunsthal 44 på Møn, Kunsthallen Den Frie, Odense Lyrik Festival og Lyd+Litteratur Festivalen i 2019.
PETER-CLEMENT WOETMANN (f. 1985), modtager af Statens tre-årige arbejdslegat, uddannet ved Forfatterskolen 2006. Debut med digtsamlingen Heldigvis er skoven blevet væk (Forlaget Borgen, 2005). Aktuel med langdigtet Bag bakkerne, kysten(2017) og teaterstykket Lav sol(2018). Redaktør ved forlaget Kronstork. Husdramatiker ved Aarhus Teater.
MIKKEL ALMHOLT, pianist og komponist (f. 1977), uddannet i musikvidenskab ved Aarhus Universitet (2007). Udgivet tre studiealbums og et live-album. Turneret i USA (2012) og Tyskland (2015, 2016 og 2018), samt adskillige koncerter i Danmark.
Release 12. maj
Nyt album lavet i samarbejde med digteren Peter-Clement Woetmann udkommer som vinyl og digital download. Begge kan købes på bandcamp. Til både og vinyl og download medfølger teksthæfte med de fulde tekster. Den kan købes allerede nu via følgende link og ellers streames på de fleste platforme fra 12. maj.
New album out made in collaboration with the Danish poet Peter-Clement Woetmann. The album is being released via bandcamp as both vinyl and digital download. The album is already available for sale and will become streamable on all major platforms from May 12th.
https://ghostflutedice.bandcamp.com/
New Years Video
Here is a new video done at my rehearsal space. It was recorded on December 30th just before new year. Hope you like it.
CDs FOR SALE
The new Ghost Flute & Dice record “Kropsbygning” has now been officially released on Attenuation Circuit, Obsolete Media Objects and Bandcamp. You can stream it everywhere, and if you like it why not buy a download or even a CD with an outrageous homemade cover.
Ive collected some quotes from some of the reviews that have come in so far. I must admit I have been impressed with some of the imaginative language the album has set off. And I didn´t dare to post the really interesting stuff. You will have to follow the links and read yourselves.
“As the pianos plunge in deeper and darker, what sounded like the end before might have felt like the end, but no, it was clearly not the end. This is the end and it is wonderful. What a ride this has been.” – Raisedbygypsies
“There is quite some variation in these eight pieces, but that works very much in favour of the release. The diverse approaches is not a show off of what Almholt can do, but it is to present a most interesting musical release. Great cover too!” – VitalWeekly
“‘Kejser af Kina’ ruckt in metalloiden Ruckern voran, mechanisch mahlend, mit glitschenden Rutschern, gepitchtem Klingklang, körniger Verzerrung, ein kreisender chinesischer Drache, wie getroffen von einem Betäubungspfeil”. – Bad Alchemy #97
“The piano notes are twisted into new shapes in service to an unfamiliar structure. And yet it all works. Those who hunger for unusual geometries will find the right formulas here.” – acloserlisten
Mentions
The New Album: “Kropsbygning”
So a third Ghost Flute & Dice album is ready for release. This album is back to the more basic (in theory at least) piano-and-effects idea. Its a combination of prepared piano and electronic effects and akward rhythms. Its an exploration of the mechanical and dissonant sides of the instrument.
The music will be made available as CD or digital download. And also streaming. Im cooperating with two nice labels about this release. Attenuation Circuit in Germany and Obsolete Media Objects in the US. Start out by going to the bandcamp page and the rest is easy.
The CD comes in this great partly homemade (100% home-designed) cover by Connie Munch. It folds out into these strange abstract 3D figures. We feel it fits perfectly with the music.
The title is Danish for “the build of a person´s body”.
Thank you for listening.
Hello
Welcome to the new virtual harbour for Ghost Flute & Dice. Have a look-see. You should find info about the upcoming tour in Germany in November. A few teasers from the album that is almost ready for release. And and and also the new spoken word project with Peter-Clement Woetmann. Feel free to leave a comment. Haven´t tested the comment feature actually. 
ghostflutedice.com 