photo by Ola Vatn and Voldseth “…Le jeu de guitare de Stian Westerhus révèle une subtilité que ses habituelles incursions noisy peinent à dévoiler de façon aussi nue, alors que les atonales cordes des violons ne cessent de poser des tentures effondrées. Beau, solaire et sensible plus que tout autre, ce disque n’est pas de […]
“Each piece in the magical Rökkur journey reveals more brilliant and imaginative sonic marvels.”
Rökkur reviews (in English, German, French, Italian, Norwegian) Read More »
Loop: Avant Joik is the collaborative project of Norwegian Maja S. K. Ratkje on vocals and live electronics, Swedish Katarina Barruk on vocals and joik, and Finn Matti Aikio on live visuals. At first I thought that joik was an instrument, although Barruk uses it as such through the type of singing it is. The
Avant Joik: Live in Bergen reviews (in English and Chilean) Read More »
Loop: (…) In Norway, as in other countries, the sea level has risen as a result of climate change. Ratkje declares: “Sometimes you find yourself playing something that grows stronger and stronger, or sounds bigger and bigger. Sea levels may rise significantly, or just a bit, but they WILL rise.” (…) This eight-piece album is
Vannstand reviews (in English, Czech, Chilean) Read More »
Ukens anbefaling (Spellemann spesial): Maja S.K. Ratkje – Works for String Orchestra av Ola Nordahl 13.02.21, Musikkskriverier Det pågår noe så sjeldent som en liten estetisk debatt (eller krangel om du vil) i det norske samtidsmusikkmiljøet for tiden. (…) I anmeldelsen lar Emil Bernhardt det tydelig komme fram at plata stryker ham mothårs, og han
Works for String Orchestra, other reviews in Norwegian Read More »
by Rory Carr, TQ38/39/40, a TUSK Virtual special triple issue, published Jan 2021 “There’s a clichéd joke about watching live electronic music shows which says you might as well be watching someone read their emails. The physical gestures required to make music with laptops and other digital devices are the same as those for office
Corona lockdown concert for TUSK Festival 2020 reviewed in TQ Zine Read More »
5/5 (…) I händerna på denna stråkorkester blir det en allvarsam lek där det destruktiva – verket är inspirerat av såväl myten om Atlantis, översvämningarna i Venedig och den rådande klimatkrisen – är en förutsätting för det konstruktiva. En mirakulös musik som tjuraktigt stångar sig igenom vår tids dystopier och pessimism. Bästa spår: hela albumet.”
Works for String Orchestra reviewed by Dagens Nyheter (SE) Read More »
(…)Verket til Ratkje er, på mange måter, en collage av hennes egne erfaringer som kunstner, satt sammen med hva de ni vokalistene har erfart. Og satt sammen er dette aldeles nydelig gjennomført. (…)Vi får gospel i form av «Working on a building», og musikken er med på å få oss til å sitte ytterst på
Echo Chamber 3.0/Ekkokammer 3.0 reviews in Norwegian Read More »
Julian Cowley, The Wire: Echochamber is all about what it means to have a voice, metaphorically as well as physically,” explains Maja Ratkje at the outset. Composing this intricate work she interviewed members of Trondheim Voices, and made exact transcriptions to serve as spoken text. The all-female ensemble weave a choral continuum from an astonishing
Echo Chamber 3.0 reviewed by The Wire and The Free Jazz Collective Read More »
av Magnus Andersson, Musikkritikk.no (…)musikerne spiller som om har musikken under huden, som om relasjonen til den er nær, og frasene veller ut av dem med like deler naturlighet som nødvendighet. (…) Platen består av to verk som hvert varer i cirka atten minutter. Først ut er Pictures From a Sinking City. Det aller første
Lekne melodier og beethovensk gestikk (NO) Read More »
Rarely has the notion of the collapse of everything we know been expressed so compellingly. Trondheim Solistene’s performances of both works are impeccable in their precision and musical understanding. They sound as if they have been playing both works for decades not a few years or, in the case of Pictures, weeks.
Works for String Orchestra reviewed by Guy Rickards Read More »
“Det låter fantastisk bra, også ut av sin opprinnelige sammenheng, med en utpreget taktilitet”
Sult album reviews in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish Read More »
The Quietus: Ratkje has produced a rare recording that balances beautiful, uncanny song, rich, acoustic composition and startling originality in equal measure.
Sult album reviews in English, German and Italian Read More »
The Sound Projector: Two more cassettes from Kassettkultur are by Maja Ratkje and Bjørn Hatterud, both made at the same time and only ever sold together as a pair; “will not split” is the familiar rallying cry of antique dealers who hold a fine pair of ancient jugs. With the jury’s permission, we will mention
Sangen er så sentral at en får inntrykk av at sangen selv tidvis tar bolig i instrumentariet i Oslo Sinfonietta. Og da synger alt!
“And Sing…” reviews in Norwegian Read More »
It was another prolific year for Maja Ratkje, the polymathic Norwegian artist, that saw the release of several albums from And Sing’s matching of her extraordinary vocals with contemporary classical ensembles, through a collaboration with the modern jazz band Poing, to an album commemorating the 20th anniversary of Spunk, the notoriously experimental quartet she forms
Rum Music: The Best Of 2016 With Russell Cuzner at The Quietus Read More »
Boomkat: Pre-eminent free improv unit SPUNK offer a feast of uncanny, otherworldly sound in Still Eating Gingerbread For Breakfast, which is a recording of both sets from their 20th anniversary concert at Nasjonal Jazzscene in Oslo, December 2015. It forms their 9th album together, and evidently demonstrates that Maja S.K. Ratkje, Hild Sofie Tafjord, Kristin
Still Eating Ginger Bread for Breakfast reviews (in English, Norwegian, German) Read More »
Wenn Maja singt, schläft niemand.
And sing… reviewed by Bad Alchemy (DE) Read More »
De Noorse componiste en elektronica producer Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje schreef ‘Crepuscular Hour’ in 2010 in opdracht van het Ultima Festival in Oslo. Het werk heeft een markante bezetting, bestaande uit drie koren, drie instrumentalisten – gitaar, tenorsaxofoon en hoorn, die bedieners van elektronica en een kerkorgel. In 2012 beleefde het stuk zijn tweede en
Crepuscular Hour reviewed by Nieuwe Noten (NL) Read More »
Tor Hammerø blogg: Maja S.K. Ratkje er en artist som har et helt unikt uttrykk. Her gir hun oss flere eksempler på det – både som komponist og sammen med gruppa Poing. Maja S.K. Ratkje har noe helt spesielt å fare med. Med disse to utgivelsene forteller Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje at hun er i
Ingen over ingen ved siden (NO) Read More »