Windbells by Hugi Gudmundsson

The title piece, Equilibrium IV: Windbells, was the seed this whole album grew from. It was premièred under rather unusual circumstances at the 2005 World Expo in Japan in a venue that more closely resembled a stadium than a concert stage for classical music. I was an integral part of the performance due to the interactive electronics in the piece. We had practiced that I would maintain eye contact with the musicians during performances, just a few meters from the stage. However, the mixer I was operating at the concert was housed in something that resembled an air traffic control tower some 100 meters away from the stage. Or at least it felt that way. From my perspective, the musicians were like tiny ants in one corner of the enormous stage and they could not see me at all. Despite these outlandish circumstances, we somehow managed to perform the piece. It has since become one of my most performed chamber pieces and has received several awards and recognitions. It has never been recorded in a studio up until now. So, after a recent performance with Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra, where it received very warm reviews, we decid- ed it was time to do something about it. That snowballed into what is now this album.

Equilibrium IV: Windbells is the oldest piece on the album, which spans seventeen years of my career. Looking back at this composition now, I almost feel like I’m again in that surreal air traffic control tower in Japan. I can also see early patterns emerging in this relatively early piece. Pat- terns that echo throughout the album. There are the contrasts of Crumb, the meditativeness of Messiaen and the atmospheric dramaturgy of my uncle and great musical influence Hafliði Hallgrímsson. There are plenty of other influences, and I have long since given up on hiding them or being ashamed of them. On the contrary, I find it fascinating how one composer can plant a seed that germinates within another composer. It is a process as organic and natural as life itself.

Tracklist

1.	Entropy I. Arrow of Time	2:53

2.	Entropy II. Assemmetry of Time	6:31

3.	Lux	10:34

4.	Equilibrium IV Windbells I. Agitated	4:52

5.	Equilibrium IV Windbells II. Funeral in a Deserted Church	3:01

6.	Equilibrium IV Windbells III. Wind Interrupt	3:16

7.	Equilibrium IV Windbells IV. Foreign	3:51

8.	Brot I. Ostinato	1:45

9.	Brot II. Intermezzo	1:32

10.	Brot III. Chorale	2:50

11.	Brot IV. Intermezzo II	1:56

12.	Brot V. Danse Macabre	2:42

13.	Songs from Havamal II I. Ungur var eg fordum	2:30

14.	Songs from Havamal II Mildir, fraeknir	2:01

15.	Songs from Havamal II III. Vodir minar	2:20

16.	Songs from Havamal II IV. Hrornar floll	3:56

17.	Songs from Havamal II V. Litilla sanda	4:37

Credits

released August 28, 2022

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