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Upcoming shows
- 26/01/21 Nordic Voices in Oslo at Trefoldighetskirken
- 17/04/21 Ingvill Statle Skjørten and Oskar Halvorsen in Oslo at Majorstuen kirke
- 23/04/21 Maja S. K. Ratkje and Katarina Barruk in Oslo at Riksscenen
- 06/11/21 Maja S. K. Ratkje and Stian Westerhus in Oslo at Bruket
Category Archives: Record reviews
Echo Chamber 3.0 reviews

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 … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Echo Chamber 3.0/Ekkokammer 3.0
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Lekne melodier og beethovensk gestikk (NO)

av Magnus Andersson, Musikkritikk.no Trondheimsolistene med sin kunstneriske leder Geir Inge Lotsberg. Foto: Nikolaj Lund (…)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 … Continue reading
Posted in Works for String Orchestra
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Works for String Orchestra reviewed by Guy Rickards

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. Continue reading
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Sult album reviews (in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish)

“Det låter fantastisk bra, også ut av sin opprinnelige sammenheng, med en utpreget taktilitet” Continue reading
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Sult album reviews (in English, German and Italian)

The Quietus: Ratkje has produced a rare recording that balances beautiful, uncanny song, rich, acoustic composition and startling originality in equal measure. Continue reading
Will Not Split

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 … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Focus Foucault Foccachia, Malleus Maleficarum Maximum
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“And Sing…” reviews in Norwegian

Sangen er så sentral at en får inntrykk av at sangen selv tidvis tar bolig i instrumentariet i Oslo Sinfonietta. Og da synger alt! Continue reading
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Rum Music: The Best Of 2016 With Russell Cuzner at The Quietus

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, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crepuscular Hour
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Still Eating Ginger Bread for Breakfast reviews (in English, Norwegian, German)

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 … Continue reading
And sing… reviewed by Bad Alchemy (DE)

Wenn Maja singt, schläft niemand. Continue reading
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Crepuscular Hour reviewed by Nieuwe Noten (NL)

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, … Continue reading
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Ingen over ingen ved siden (NO)

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 … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crepuscular Hour, Kapital & Moral
Tagged with POING
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Crepuscular Hour reviewed by Ondarock (IT)

Delle due rappresentazioni dell’oratorio di un’ora scarsa “Crepuscular Hour” – la prima è avvenuta nella sua Oslo nel 2010 – la norvegese Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (classe 1973) ha scelto, per l’incisione su disco, la seconda in Uk del 2012, … Continue reading
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Voz humana, música electrónica (ESP)

La de Maja S. K. Ratke es una obra de escucha atenta, de colores y matices infinitos El Pais 6 JUN 2016 La compositora y cantante noruega Maja S. K. Ratkje trabaja principalmente desde tres frentes: la voz humana, la … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crepuscular Hour
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And sing… reviewed by Dagens Nyheter (SE)

Med de två nya verken på albumet ”And sing…”, komponerade för sin egen röst, Cikadaensemblen och Oslo Sinfonietta under ledning av Christian Eggen, bidrar tonsättaren Maja SK Ratkje på ett överraskande sätt till årets Shakespearefirande. Det första är en avantgardistisk … Continue reading
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Crepuscular Hour DVD reviewed by The Quietus

“When I was young, I was really quite scared of the dark. I think my parents taught me to be and I remember the deciding thing was, I turned around and said: I’m going to go to the woods at … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crepuscular Hour
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Crepuscular Hour DVD reviewed by ATTN: Magazine

By positioning the musicians at the perimeter and the audience at the centre, Crepuscular Hour becomes an act of materialisation. Instead of bursting outward and dispelling into the open air, sound funnels inward and solidifies – guitars react effervescently with … Continue reading
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Crepuscular Hour DVD reviewed by Boomkat

Crepuscular Hour is a foreboding, toweringly ambitious and arresting new work by celebrated Norwegian composer Maja SK Ratkje, bringing the worlds of Choral music and Noise together in a way that will leave you gasping for breath. Its her first … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Crepuscular Hour
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Creouscular Hour DVD reviewed by Bad Alchemy (DE)

Wo soll man bei der Trondheimerin mit dem Staunen anfangen? Bei Fe-mail, ihrem radikalen Duo mit Hild Sofie Tafjord? Beim Miteinander mit Lasse Marhaug oder Phantom Orchard? Ihren Brecht-Songs mit Poing? Bei Spunk, gipfelnd im 12-jährigen Zyklus “Das Wohltemperierte Spunk”? … Continue reading
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Mektig skumringstime (NO)

Maja S.K. Ratkje lager musikk slik jeg vil ha det, bortenfor det lettvinte, opplagte og sleipe. Arild Andersen, Aftenposten 05.04.2016 Maja S.K. Ratkje er vanskelig å møte med likegyldighet. Hun formidler alvor gjennom ukonvensjonell form og vekker interesse gjennom det … Continue reading
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