MUMBAI :  Celebrated composer, techno producer, sound artist and one half of ORKA, Jens L. Thomsen unveils groundbreaking EP ÆÐR, landing 2nd of February via Kervið.

ÆÐR (meaning ‘vein’ in English) is a uniquely atmospheric two-track EP, exploring modernity and post-war freedom through a Faroese lens. Commissioned for Eysturoyartunnil, a 12km subsea tunnel - the largest of its kind - in Jens’ native Faroe Islands, a structural marvel with striking art that has both a voice and aesthetic identity of its own. The EP currently lives as a live audio installation, broadcast around the clock on FM radio for anyone travelling through the tunnel. This is the first time a soundscape has been permanently installed and broadcast via this kind of technical solution allowing the sound to become part of the experience of the space itself.

As one half of revered techno duo, ORKA, twice nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize, who recently released their sixth album, All At Once, and an integral part of Yann Tiersen’s live band, Thomsen has already made a significant impact in electronic music. ÆÐR is an expansion of his work as a composer, which includes several site-specific soundscapes, including 2017’s NORD at the Royal Festival Hall.

On ÆÐR, Thomsen brings his talent for one-of-a-kind environmental sonic experiences to a wider audience. A paean to human endeavour and the developmental history of humanity, the tunnel is at once progressive and ancient: a liminal setting where late-modern and pre-modern longings somehow seem to rub off on each other. These intersecting ideas are translated into a striking soundscape of dark drones, creeping frequencies, bleeping ambience, groaning masses of sound, and pulsating echoes from the hidden world beneath us. The underworld that we somehow are able to move through temporarily in our car under the sea, giving the tunnel and the islands a voice of their own, while exploring the parallels between the tunnel and Faroese society today.

This uniquely immersive and compelling work, previously existing only as a transitory experience for users of the Eysturoyartunnil, is now available on vinyl for the first time to be considered and enjoyed in all its fascinating detail. A thought-provoking and groundbreaking piece from one of Europe’s most exceptional composers and sound artists today.

Jens says:

"With Æðr I wanted to create a soundscape that was not only informed by the subsea tunnel but was dependent on it. I wanted them to exist in symbiosis. A copper wire carrying FM radio signals runs through the tunnel and the soundscape is transmitted via the cable and reaches the listener through the car stereo. As it is illegal to stop in the tunnel, you can only experience the soundscape while moving through the tunnel and therefore I chose to print the album on a vinyl record which too needs physical movement in order for the audio to be heard. Movement is therefore a necessity in order to hear the soundscape.

I wanted to somehow give the tunnel a voice and therefore all aspects of the soundscape are intrinsically connected to the actual tunnel. The structure and timings are based on the anatomy of the tunnel and the tempo is derived from the distance between the tunnel lights. When you drive through the tunnel it therefore looks like the lights are accompanying the soundscape as you pass them. Also the sounds I used were recorded in the tunnel. I recorded while work was being done on the tunnel but I also recorded the silence at night when the tunnel was empty. "