Susana Santos Silva · trumpet & tape
Francesco Bigoni · clarinet & tape
Anders Banke · bass clarinet, clarinet, alto flute & tape
Mark Solborg · guitar & electronics
Simon Toldam · piano, keys & tape
Peter Bruun · drums, percussion & tape
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.
Mixed by August Wanngren and Mark Solborg, Valby, December 2022 - January 2023Mastered by Stockholm Mastering. Thomas Eberger & Sofia von Hage, Stockholm, March 2023
Artwork and layout: Mark Solborg
Live Photos from Trapholt Museum: David Robertson, thecosmicsupplyco.com
Vinyl handling: Handle with care
Vinyl cover print & production: Eks-Skolens Grafisk Design & Tryk
Label and promotion: Laura Dalgaard, ILK, www.ILKmusic.com
Thank you:
Susana, Francesco, Anders, Simon, Peter, Thomas, August,
Thomas & Sofia for your commitment, patience and great work with this music.
Björn Ross, Jan Stricker and everybody at koncertkirken for inviting us in.
Karsten Bech, Jazz I Trekanten, Maria Vallø Strauss and Trapholt Museum for warm hospitality.
Laura and the ILK’s, David, Etsuko at Handle with care, Lis and Christina at Eks-Skolens Grafisk Design & Tryk. Jomi, Christian, Maja, Bodil, Hosein, Francesco, Claes, Rui, Gift and Ditte for help, translations and proofreading.
Also a special thanks to Jeppe Sixten Thrane and Danish Radio P8 Jazz, for listening and asking the right questions. Lisbeth, Elinor and Alma for input, ears and patience.
A very special thanks to the babel choir:
Alma, Arash, Beppe, Dan, Elinor, Eyal, Jo, Johanna, Lena, Maja, Maria, Misao, Peter, Poul, Ronja, Stella, Sunnuva, Yasser.
Reviews
❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ “ Danish master guitar player reminds us that all hope is not lost .. Here the emotions are not just on the outside, they are blown out through the instruments and encloses the listener.”
– David Dyrholm, Politiken (DK)
Best Jazz on Bandcamp, November 2023
” I have been unable to stop listening to BABEL. It has its hooks in me deep.”
– Dave Sumner, Bandcamp
“..a beautiful work that challenges simplistic, binary narratives of social media and demands more complex and thoughtful attention and sensitivity to the sonic details, languages and perspectives of these gifted musicians, as well as of the others around us. It certainly guarantees a powerful healing effect.” - Eyal Hareuveni (IL), Free Jazz Blog.
★★★★★☆ “..a timeless work that will continue talking to new generetations. ..totally uncompromising and original view on the world.” - Tor Hammerø, Nettavisen (NO).
“…the sheer variety of tones and timbres is utterly breathtaking.
..human and instrumental voices blend in perfect equilibrium.”
- Fred Grand, Jazz Journal.uk
“..the most beautiful vinyl i have seen for years. ..the music holds images of a possible interhumane conversation”.
- Niels Overgård, Jazznyt.blogspot.com (DK)
★★★★★ “Masterpiece. Musically awesome, visually over the top. ..Ambitious Mark Solborg builds his own BABEL
– a fully extraordinary work. - Ivan Rod, Gaffa (DK)