So here I am in Kristiansand, Norway. This is one of those places that even though thousands of miles from home and the natives speaking a different language you do not feel out of place. The geography is striking and it is hard to believe a festival of this magnitude would be happening here.
Punkt's uniqueness stems from it's live remix concept. The main shows take place in the acoustically perfect 500 seat Agder theatre. Immediately after the audience relocates to a second venue in the building with approximately 220 seats (benches actually) named the Alfa Room where the just completed set has been recorded and is remixed live by a second group of musicians.
Punkt is not just a jazz festival but has become both an audio and visual festival. Thursday saw the unveiling of Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings for Punkt followed by a Q&A with the man himself.
Friday PM we have a "Conversation Remix" with Brian Eno and Jon Hassell followed by an evening of performances and remixes. The healiner this evening will be Nik Bartsh's Ronin "Zen Funk" music followed by a remix of Bartsch's set by Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset (shown below also with Arne Bang, the executive promoter of Punkt) and Audun Klieve (Molvaer's current touring group).
On a personal note I had breakfast Thursday morning with Jon Hassell and Peter Freeman (bass & loops, Maarifa Street). I also met John Kelman of All About Jazz who kindly supplied the picture of Kristiansand above.
More soon!
Nitya
Music from Jon Hassell
- The Moon Came Last Night Dropping Its Clothes In The Street [cd]
- Power Spot (ECM Touchstones) [cd]
- Maarifa Street: Magical Realism Vol. 2 [cd]
- Maarifa Street: Magical Realism Vol. 2 [mp3]
- Fascinoma [cd]
- Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics [cd]
- The Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things by the Power of Sound [cd]
- Fourth World, Vol. 2: Dream Theory in Malaya [cd]
- Flash of the Spirit [cd]
