A compositional investigation of musical languages and conversation.
Is the myth of BABEL about God creating communicative discord to control man, or was the intent to nurture fertile diversity?
A disruption of a self-perpetuating echo chamber, to stimulate a more varied and complex perspective of the world.
Maybe she wanted to show us that we will find strength to solve the problems of the planet in each other’s differences and multiple talents, not in uniformity and polarization?
With his multilingual Danish/Argentinian background, travels, work and studies all over the world Solborg has experienced how the words, our idioms and mother tongues are deeply connected with our view of ourselves and the way we resonate with the surrounding world. In BABEL he seeks to investigate, illustrate and raise awareness of the continuous cross-cultural inter humane debate. A conversation that becomes increasingly important if we are to solve the challenges of our society and species.
BABEL is based on Solborg’s TUNGEMÅL (meaning idiom or tongue) platform concerned with the guitar as a voice in contemporary chamber musical contexts. With this comprehensive project Solborg wishes to elaborate the intimate listening experience, and develop methods and tools for the creative work at hand. An extensive artistic study and qualifying awareness of the modern guitar in interplay with acoustic instruments, and the musical spaces they inhabit.
In this next adventure solborg’s music is handled by a wonderful and starry gathering of some of Scandinavia’s finest musicians.
18 additional interviewed voices, speaking in multiple languages, are integrated into the rich textures of the music, creating a warm and unique garden of fables.
Contemporary musical conversations like you’ve never heard it before.
BABEL was originally commissioned by KoncertKirken, Organ Sound Art Festival and Jazz i Trekanten, and premiered February 23rd and 24th 2022.
BABEL is released November 17th 2023, digitally and as a limited edition double vinyl with extended artwork.
Maja S. K. Ratkje is happy to have contributed with her reading in Norwegian.
Order info and more at Mark Solborgs website