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Tone Ase / Thomas Stronen: Voxpheria

By Eyal Hareuveni
April 15, 2012
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The covers of Norwegian label Gigafon, designed by bassist Rune Nergaard, send an unsettling message. The cover of Voxpheria is no different, with its alien scenery and what looks like a homage to Norwegian thriller writer Jo Nesb?'s invented torture instrument, Leopold's apple, taken from his The Leopard (Harvill Secker, 2011).

And indeed, the highly personal, poetic soundscapes of vocal artist Tone ?se— known for her trio Bol and the experimental all-female vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices—and prolific drummer Thomas Str?nen were not created for casual, indifferent listening. Both succeed in defining a new, uncharted musical universe that marries sounds and texts through inventive, minimal use of voice, percussion and live electronics.

"Numb Street Cabaret," after "n/Umb a," by American poet e.e. cummings, stresses an imaginary, futuristic rhythm, the basis for ?se's expressive recitation of the poem. The smoky color of her voice and her phrasing reference the pioneering Norwegian vocal artist

Sidsel Endresen

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Sidsel Endresen, with whom Str?nen collaborated on Humcrush's Ha!, Rune Grammofon, 2011), but ?se has an assured, different vocal range of her own. The minimalist interpretation of "Problem," by Norwegian modernist poet Rolf Jacobsen, symbolizes the essence of this album:

whatever we do

the machines only move the hunger two stairs up;

now it sits in the heart.

On "Chson," the duo experiments with wordless vocals and electronic beats, while on the spare "Koloust," each of the dreamy vocal utterances are answered by echoing, soft touches of drum skins and bells. ?se's processed and detached vocals on "Mostly," after a poem by Jacobsen, bring to mind

Laurie Anderson

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Laurie Anderson's alter-ego character, but here ?se's nuanced reading and Str?nen's masterful fractured rhythms emphasized the poem's message about the fragility and passing of our lives.

The sensual "Heilaloo" rolls leisurely after an infectious drum beat but ends in a distorted electronic storm that morphs organically into the soft, distant intricate electronic texture of "Grains," which becomes darker and unsettling as it develops. On the most experimental piece, "Raised, Rave," ?se and Str?nen manage to set a powerful interplay between her monosyllabic gibberish vocals and distorted electronic noises, and his inventive rhythmic framework that encompasses the piece into a cohesive framework. The last piece, the minimalist straight-ahead recitation of "Dive for Dreams," after a poem by cummings, sums up ?se and Str?nen's inspiring musical journey:

trust your heart

if the seas catch fire.

A beautiful and inventive achievement.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Numb Street Cabaret; Problem; Chson; Koloust; Mostly; Heilaloo; Grains; Raised, Rave; Dive for Dreams.

Personnel

Thomas Str?nen

drums

Tone ?se: voice, live electronics; Thomas Str?nen: drums, live electronics.

Album information

Title: Voxpheria | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Gigafon

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