Mark Solborg - Guitar
T U N G E M Å L is concerned with the electrified 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.
How do you talk - alone and with others - when you are the only one that is being translated through a loudspeaker ? ..is it possible to play both acoustically and electrified - simultaneously ? ..and can you get closer to the intimate speaking voice of the creating musician.
The two volumes illustrates and documents the research, discoveries, attacks on the tongue of the guitar - and musical conversation in acoustic spaces. Vol I, focusing on solo works and Vol II that contains works for duo and trio
- both recorded in the studio and site-specific. The debut, on record, of Solborgs work with pianist par excellence Simon Toldam, mr. integrity reedman Lars Greve and a new duo-side of the ongoing collaboration with melodian Bigoni.
The two corresponding books contain a multitude of related process-material. From written reflections and notes to scores, footage, spatial diagrams and grafic illustrations. All created and compiled by Solborg himself with the ambition of mapping the topography and formulating the poetics of the work that along with the music contributes to the full understanding of T U N G E M Å L . Solborg views the entire release as a collection or dictionary that seeks to be experienced by specialist, student and layman alike.
Reviews
❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ “The melodies are beautiful, and behind them you sense an open door, straight out and up to the dark and unknown universe.. ..disturbingly beautiful and huge ambitious accomplishment.”
- Thomas Michelsen, Politiken.
★★★★☆
"Unique would be an understatement. .. It is intense, challenging, off the scale (quite literally sometimes), acoustically provocative and thought provoking. At times the music is delicately gentle, ephemeral and harmonious; and at other times it is fractured, tormented and troubled.
The project is beautifully crafted with passion, love and creativity and the listener is constantly rewarded by surprise and the unexpected juxtaposition of sounds, instruments and space. It is a work of art and would easily justify space in any contemporary art gallery as a “sound and visual” installation."
- Ian Lomax, JazzJournal, UK
"[Solborgs] nuancerede stoflighed og skønhed i tonen er unik. Simon Toldam er en alsidig troldmand, Lars Greve rå lyd på basklarinetten, rørblæst pludreluft, flossede klik-lyde og off-pitch, Bigoni og Solborg er nærmest telepatiske musik-tvillinger.
..en gigantisk og ambitiøs forskning i musikkens indre, mystiske og emotionelle ytringer. Men også vi lægmænd kan se os belønnede og samtidig anerkende Mark Solborgs pionerarbejde.
Mark Solborg leve længe; det kommer der godt ud af både for det lyttende menneske og den lyttende musikforsker."
- Bjarne Søltoft, Jazzspecial (DK)
4,5/5 “Extensive and profound artistic study […] rich and organic […] fascinating sonic koans”
- Eyal Hareuveni, The Free Jazz Collective
"It's refreshing when an artist dares to think so deeply about music and documents the process so others can be inspired ... a sprawling multimedia work of art that opens new vistas for the guitar and Solborg's own music."
- Jakob Bækgaard, All About Jazz
★★★★★ “This is convincing! Consistent! And quite obviously ambitious ... remarkable and admirable.”
- Ivan Rod
"Der udforskes og afprøves nye steder i musikken - det bliver ikke kedeligt eller forudsigeligt. Han sætter ord på musik, der ikke findes ord for. Mark Solborg er på mission for musikken og for lytteren. Der er liv og intensitet hele vejen. Jeg kan forestille mig, at Solborg har tømt sig selv med udgivelsen af dette vigtige værk. For os som lytter og læser, er der materiale til mange tanker og timer fremover.” - Niels Overgaard, jazznyt.blogspot.com
“Welcome to the wonderful world of a versatile creative for whom an end result is the step to the next challenge.”
- Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'Halo
“a highlight in Solborg’s career”
- Tor Hammerø, Nettavisen
This is persuasive! Consistent! And quite obviously ambitious and serious! For this reason alone - but also because we are talking professional gravity and attention to detail - this conceptual initiative is remarkable and admirable. *****
- Ivan Rod
Welcome to the wonderful world of a versatile creative for whom an end result is the step to the next challenge.
- Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'Halo
"..en gur ganerenser. Guitarpoetikken bliver poesi: frenetisk støjende, eksotisk free, og den stikker helt af på »Tokyo«."
- Seismograf, Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek