Chattermark

“…a very daring, courageous and shocking piece of new music, visionary and coherent, and an incredible listening experience” Stef Gijssels, Free Jazz Collective
Norwegian noise-drone duo Chattermark creates soundscapes and walls of sound. The duo consists of John Lilja – electric bass and effects, and Gunhild Seim – trumpet and effects. Their self-titled first album came out on Drollehålå Records in September 2022. Inspirations for the music come from such diverse sources as Sunn 0))), Anthony Pateras and Franz Hautzinger.
After having worked together in other bands for many years, Lilja and Seim formed Chattermark out of a desire to extend and transform their sound with the use of effects and extended techniques, and create something both massive and minimalistic.
Chattermark's next performances are in Switzerland and Germany in April 2023.
They play at PANDA in Berlin April 26th. Address: PANDA platforma e. V. (im kleinen Hof der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstrasse 97, 10435 Berlin) panda-platforma.berlin
Their performance includes videos by visual artists Signe Christine Urdal and Jon Garcia DePresno, for instance the a.v. piece "Mycelium", a meditation on the forest, a collaboration with Urdal, commissioned by Dave Douglas's Festival of New Trumpet Music in New York 2021. "Mycelium" had its Norwegian premiere in 2022 at Orgelnatt in Stavanger Concert House with live music by Chattermark + guest Nils Henrik Asheim on organ. It was also Official Selection by Nature Without Borders International Film Festival (US) 2022 “I was catapulted back to what I might call, a primeval imagination” Erol Tamerman (Festival of New Trumpet Music) "In this piece, Urdal and Seim investigate the relationship between nature and humans" Arvid Skancke-Knutsen (Ballade magazine)
“Chattermark’s music is liberated and courageous. It has twists and turns inspired by the duo’s sense of savagely beautiful ugliness and slow-moving power” Arild R. Andersen, Jazz i Norge
“Lilja and Seim structured seven distinct pieces that move between minimalist to massive and intense soundscapes, using drones, distortion, repetitive structures and slow burning noise. Their dense sonic compounds make it almost impossible to know which sound – acoustic, electronic, mutated, or processed, is coming from which instrument. All the pieces have a strong cinematic quality, and often evoke an unsettling sensibility, as if imagining and anticipating a coming apocalypse.” Eyal Hareuveni, Salt Peanuts.
About the duo:
John Lilja is a Norwegian-American bassist and composer/arranger. He is a versatile performer who has appeared on over 30 releases, from free jazz with Frode Gjerstad to «Outlaw Country» with Deathbarrel. He has released two albums as a leader, Robblerobble1 og Robblerobble2, with music that combines contemporary improvised music, stoner rock and chamber jazz. After graduating with a degree in jazz composition from Berklee College of Music, his focus turned towards freer forms of improvisation and exploring the bass’s sonic possibilities.
«Lilja was especially noteworthy – as lithe and flexible as the music demanded; at times he was a firm anchor, but elsewhere a contrapuntal arco partner…» allaboutjazz.com
Gunhild Seim is a Norwegian composer and trumpet player. Through an interest in slow and gradual transformations she is aiming to create music that holds the listener’s attention. She seeks both gravity and playfullness in her work and has a fondness for the slightly disrupted. She has worked with artists such as Marilyn Crispell and Kitchen Orchestra. Her music has been performed at Ultima, Nordic Music Days, Festival of New Trumpet Music, Borealis Festival, as well as in jazz- and improv clubs and festivals internationally. Her output involves chamber music and electroacoustic music as well as several releases with improvisation groups such as Gunhild Seim and Time Jungle.
“An uncanningly expressive player” Jazztimes Magazine
https://www.gunhildseim.com/project/chattermark/
https://chattermark.bandcamp.com/album/chattermark