förnimmelser

The Swedish word förnimmelser translates to mean both sensations and perceptions. In the context of the music on this album, the word signifies the perception of other beings. The music on förnimmelser consists of eight pieces in two categories, with the core compositions denoted by Roman numerals I-V. Inserted between these are pieces called mellanrum 1-3. The Swedish word mellanrum translates roughly to a space in between. Consequently, these pieces use tension-filled silence punctuated by sparse activity to insert a space between the rest of the music.

let the pauses be longer
from time to time

When performing förnimmelser, the musicians choose between precisely notated fragments and phrases where the intensity and density of the sounds are repeated or altered. In addition, certain sections of the score consist of just a single note with instructions for adjusting the mental awareness and thoughts of the musicians. förnimmelser is not performed at a specific tempo. Instead, an approximate duration is provided to encourage the timing to develop from collective intuition. The musical score also includes instructions for the musicians to focus on the rhythm and strength of their breathing patterns by observing the breath's natural dynamic swells and accents. The collective observation of breath changes the mental state of each musician in a way that colors the character and timing of the music.

float freely, fill the room with your breathing

förnimmelser was developed through collective exercises and experiments, marking the collaborative space as a crucial foundation. For the musicians, Rakel Emhjellen Paulsen, Julija Morgan, and Tove Bagge, their involvement in the composition process was a way to renegotiate previous experiences of hierarchy in musical performance contexts. In their traditional musical training, they often found themselves striving for a controlled performance that would hide the physical human struggle of the performer. The exercises were explicitly developed to challenge and unlearn these bodily and musical expectations. To initiate this deconditioning, it was essential for the musicians to focus intensely on the listening process and maintain an awareness of the body as an entity of willpower, impulse, tension, and longing. However, in this music, they are encouraged to embrace the naturally occurring friction and resistance to create dynamic waves of musical energy. This method of working and communicating engages the musicians' influence over the music as the composition evolves in response to their breath, sound, and presence.

embracing and interrupting

Lo Kristenson takes a particular interest in the ways collective musical practices can be organized and facilitated. The foundational structures for her music lie in the personal conversations between composer and musician. In communication with the musicians, she uses simple written or spoken instructions to alter the musicians' listening states and perceptual awareness. For Lo, the act of listening is intimately tied to the physical experience of being present with others.

Focus on the spaces in between the circle;
the ensemble