Sounds of ice instruments
Worlds first serious recording of musical instruments made from ice!
ICE HARP
ICE TRUMPET
ICE PERCUSSION
Norwegian percussionist Terje Isungset has for years used a variety of organic sound
elements in creating music and instruments. He has incorporated the sound of naturally
found wood, stone, metal objects, and industrial machines and processes in the creation of
musical works. Utilizing ice as a source of sound has long been a dream of his, and in
year 2000 a serious opportinty came along to explore this possibility. He was commisioned
the create a performance piece and composition incorporating the live sound of water
beneath a natural frozen waterfall at the 2000 Lillehammer Winter Festival, at minus 15°C
degrees and with Palle Mikkelborg og Lena Willemark as participating musicians. (the
consert was televised in Norway). This was likely the first public concert ever combining
instruments of ice with traditional musical instruments. While making preparations for the
Lillehammer concert, Isungset was contacted to help create Swedens contribution to the
worldwide televised New Years Day Millenium Celebration . In cooperation with sculptor
Bengt Carling, Isungset created a set of ice percussion instruments that were played for
the whole world to see and hear.
The sonic qualities of ice turned out to be so fantastic that Terje decided to start
working on a CD recording with ice instruments. He wanted to expand beyond ice percussion,
and had ideas for ice "brass" and string instruments. Recording conditions would
have to be extreme, because the fragile ice instruments are very quiet and also prone to
temperature damage. The perfect location was found at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi , North
Sweden , and music for the CD "Iceman Is" was recorded the first two days of
February 2001.
The Ice Hotel is built every winter on a frozen lake, and the nearby frozen river was a
perfect source for the quality ice needed for the Iceman Is project. It is essential for
good sound that the ice be free of air bubbles, cracks, pollutants, or dirt. This area is
known to have large amounts of superior quality ice.
With special tools and machines, huge blocks of ice were harvested from the river and cut
to specific sizes. A 4x16m (13'x 52') recording studio room was built using 1 meter (3')
thick hard packed snow blocks, and a small window for natural light.
This room proved to be 100% sound proof. We built an adjacent control room for the audio
technician, and to separate the hum of hard drives from the recording room. The outdoor
temperature was -37°C , -8°C inside. (-34°F/17°F)
Ideal conditions for ice instruments, if not for musicians.
The ice changes character and density with different temperatures, and conditions are best
around -10°C.
Isungset and Carling worked for 3 days and nights prior to the recording, inventing and
developing new instruments made from ice, some building on previous experiences, others
completely from scratch. New inventions most certainly came to light. Ice harp, Ice horn,
Ice trumpet, ice bass drum, and other percussion instruments. New unknown timbres and
sonic adventures. The only parts not made from ice were the strings for the ice harp, and
the bass drum pedal. Also, horn player Arve Henriksen at times used a glass fiber mouth
piece, althought most of the time he'd blow with his lips directly onto the ice trumpet.
Two days of practice and performance featured Iro Haarla (iceharp), Arve Henriksen (ice
trumpet) and Terje Isungset (ice percussion). 3 hours of recorded ice music resulted from
this unique session.
During the following months, Isungset continued to work with this raw material, editing
and rearranging the sonic elements, selecting and creating a more unified progression of
musical elements, but without altering the original sound.
On some of the tracks on the final CD "Iceman Is", other instruments have been
added later, Lena Willemark - vocal, Palle Mikkelborg - trumpet, Hilmar Jensson and Skuli
Sverrison - electronics.
Still, the mood from the Jukkasjarvi session is preserved, and the ice instruments form
the foundation and inspiration for the other instruments that were added.
The sound of natural ice is the essence of the music on "Iceman Is".
About iceman is concerts
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