Background
The Lokkur Project is an artistic exploration on music and identity, cultural heritage and traditions. This Fall, the project is culminating in the book Duet published by Icelandic publishing house Sæmundur, a self-released cassette featuring reworks by various composers made from the sounds of Hrokkur and Lokkur, and a CD featuring works for Lokkur. The CD is released by Backlash Music. Finally, The Origin of Things, a film by Berglind María Tómasdóttir, premiered at the Nordic House earlier this year. The film is yet another component of the project.
The project has evolved through Berglind’s creative efforts over the last decade. At its core is Tómasdóttir’s instrument building resulting in the invented historical instruments Hrokkur (a predecessor of Lokkur) and Lokkur. Both instruments have a fictional story attached to them as recently discovered instruments invented by Icelandic settlers in the United States of America in the early decades of the 20th century. Lokkur is a hybrid of the Icelandic musical instrument Langspil and a spinning wheel. It has, “historically speaking”, been considered a woman’s instrument perhaps due to its similarities to the latter. In the summer of 2015, the Lokkur was exhibited for the first time at Árbær Open Air Museum as a part of Reykjavík Arts Festival.
Duet
Dr. Berglind María Tómasdóttir and the worldly-wise Rockriver Mary share a body. Duet is their dialogue about music and tradition, the musical instruments the Hrokkur and the Lokkur, and what is true and what is a lie. The book interweaves artistic research with private musings and tales of personal feats in the musical realm. Fictional narratives on musical heritage are at the center of the the project which can also be described as a durational performance of sorts on cultural heritage, music and nation building, traditions and origin.
English translation: Sarah M. Brownsberger
Graphic design: Júlía Runólfsdóttir
Duet is an unusual and noteworthy mix of prose poem, philosophical and scholarly reflection, and also comedy.
Maríanna Clara Lúthersdóttir
The sense of going through the looking glass while reading this delightful book is not unlike how I felt reading Pale Fire by Nabokov. All together, the Lokkur Project reveals Tómasdóttir as an utter original. I will endeavor to be less surprised when she blows my mind again.
Tvísöngur reveals more and more how the ostensibly mischievous aspects of this project are also deeply personal and serious.
Tvísöngur
Bókin Tvísöngur kom út á dögunum á vegum bókaútgáfunnar Sæmundur. Í bókinni heyrum við á tal doktor Berglindar Maríu Tómasdóttur og hinnar veraldarvönu Rockriver Mary sem deila líkama. Tvísöngur er samtal þeirra um tónlist og hefðir, hljóðfærin Hrokk og Lokk og hvað er satt og hvað er logið. Í bókinni eru rannsóknir á fræðasviði lista ofnar saman við persónulegar pælingar og sögur af eigin afrekum á tónlistarsviðinu. Bókin er bæði á íslensku og ensku en um enska þýðingu sá Sarah M. Brownsberger. Grafísk hönnun var í höndum Júlíu Runólfsdóttur.
Tvísöngur er fyrsta bók Berglindar Maríu Tómasdóttur og segir meðal annars frá hljóðfærauppfinningum höfundar. Sögusvið hljóðfæranna Hrokkur og Lokkur er Íslendingaslóðir í Vesturheimi með kvenskörunginn Rockriver Mary í fararbroddi. Uppdiktaðar tónlistarhefðir sem tengjast hljóðfærunum eru í forgrunni og hefur verkefnið öðrum þræði verið langvarandi gjörningur um menningararfleifð, tengingar tónlistar og þjóðernis, hefða og uppruna.
Tvísöngur er óvenjuleg og áhugaverð blanda af prósaljóði, heimspekilegum og fræðilegum vangaveltum og líka kómík.
– Maríanna Clara Lúthersdóttir
Music for Lokkur
Music for Lokkur is an album featuring works for Lokkur, voice and electronics. The works are by Icelandic composers Karólína Eiríksdóttir, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, Þórunn Gréta Sigurðardóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir. They all received their premieres in 2015 when the instrument Lokkur was first presented in public, with the exception of Ásmundsdóttir’s work which was premiered at 2019 Dark Music Days in Reykjavík, Iceland. The music was recorded, mixed and mastered by Johann Günther. The CD is released by Backlash Music and will also be available through streaming services from November 26, 2021.
Tónlist fyrir lokk
Samhliða bókinni kemur út tónlist fyrir Lokk á geisladiski og stafrænum veitum. Geisladiskurinn kemur út á vegum þýsku útgáfunnar Backlash Music og inniheldur verk fyrir Lokk eftir Karólínu Eiríksdóttur, Lilju Maríu Ásmundsdóttur, Þórunni Grétu Sigurðardóttur og Berglindi Maríu Tómasdóttur. Verkin foru frumflutt á Listahátíð í Reykjavík 2015 utan verk Lilju Maríu sem var frumflutt á Myrkum músíkdögum 2019. Tónlistin var hljóðrituð, hljóðblönduð og tónjöfnuð af Johann Günther. Geisladiskurinn kemur út 26. nóvember 2021.
Lokkur Reworks
The cassette Lokkur Reworks features works by Berglind’s long-time friends and collaborators. They received a bank of sounds from Lokkur and Hrokkur with the request of making a piece using the sounds as a starting point. The project resulted in ten different works by composers Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir, Clint McCallum, Elín Gunnlaugsdóttir, Erik DeLuca, Hafdís Bjarnadóttir, Kurt Uenala, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, Rachel Beetz, Þóranna Björnsdóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir. The cassetted was mastered by Kurt Uenala. The cassette will be released on November 26 and will be available on Bandcamp.
lokkur Hljóðbréf
Þann 26. nóvember kemur út hljóðsnælda með hljóðbréfum (e. Reworks) frá tónskáldum sem unnin eru út frá hljóðum Lokks og Hrokks. Tónskáldin eru Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir, Clint McCallum, Elín Gunnlaugsdóttir, Erik DeLuca, Hafdís Bjarnadóttir, Kurt Uenala, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, Rachel Beetz, Þóranna Björnsdóttir og Berglind María Tómasdóttir. Kassettan var tónjöfnuð af Kurt Uenala. Hljóðsnældan verður einnig aðgengileg á Bandcamp.
The Origin of Things
The Origin of Things by Berglind María Tómasdóttir is a personal essay film on sound, memory and identity. Earlier this year the film was exhibited at the Nordic House as a part of the exhibition Nature in Transition, Shifting Identities. The film is available for streaming here.
Uppruni hlutanna
Uppruni hlutanna er videóesseyja um hljóð, minni og sjálfsmyndir. Myndin var hluti sýningarinnar Í síkvikri mótun: Vitund og náttúra í Norræna húsinu apríl-ágúst 2021. Hægt er að horfa á myndina hér að neðan.
