Hild Sofie Tafjord — Kama
Hild Sofie Tafjord is one of the most respected female names in noise known for projects such as; SPUNK, Fe-Mail (her duo with Maja Ratkje), Agrare (Fe-Mail with dancer Lotta Melin), Trinacria (Fe-Mail with black metallers Enslaved), as well as numerous collaborations with the likes of Birchville Cat Motel, Wolf Eyes, Matmos, Ikue Mori, Otomo Yoshihide, Carlos Giffoni, Zeena Parkins, Fred Frith. Even though she’s prolific this is her first fully solo album & it’s also the second full lenghty release on Norwegian noise legends Lasse marhaug Pica Disk label after his superb tapes box set.
The forty minute piece goes from slow melodic drone unwinds, to atmospheric airs that take in elements of the blues, jazz and classical genres, to mean and moody noise boils, rhythmic stomps and bizarre alien like sound untangles. The noise attacks and swipes teem with many layers and elements of different texture and clever structure. The peicec moves along at an often breathtaking, sometimes atmospheric pace, with the building sound and falling of sound done in a most rewarding and often unpredictable way.
With such a large display of different sound,textures and genre traits on display it’s amazing to find out that most of this is derived alone from Hild Sofie Tafjord French horn playing, which I presume she then must have fed through peddles and manipulated the sound somehow. All in all a great example of highly creative and involving noise craft- that offers up new elements and angles with each new play. And proof positive that Lasse Marhaug really means business with his label.