Spunk

Spunk entered the Norwegian music scene during 1999 as a quartet of young female improvisers who brought a fresh approach to free improvisation. Their core lineup of cello, trumpet, French horn, and vocals was regularly expanded with toys, small percussion instruments, and electronics. Continental European appearances followed by 2001, and their second album reached listeners in April 2002.

Four music students established the group in 1995, each bringing a distinct background that collectively spanned classical, jazz, rock, techno, and country. Singer Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje joined Lene Grenager, Kristin Andersen, and Hild Sofie Tafjord in forming Spunk specifically to pursue areas beyond their formal studies and prior projects, selecting free improvisation as the central method from the outset. The quartet made its initial broadcast on Norwegian national radio in March 1996 and held its debut concert that October. Progress remained gradual during the first two years while Ratkje and Tafjord finished their degrees. In 1998 the ensemble undertook its first tour, which extended to Copenhagen, and began collaborating with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and bassist Ingebrigt Flaten, whose free-rock rhythm section augmented the quartet during multiple live engagements.

The album Det Eneste Jeg Vet, er at det Ikke er en Støvsuger appeared on the then-new Norwegian label Rune Grammofon in February 1999; The Wire soon praised the imprint’s output. Positive critical response led to concerts, intermedia presentations in art galleries, and specially developed performances for school children. Late 2001 saw the release of the remix collection Filtered Through Friends, which featured contributions from several prominent Norwegian electronica and noise artists. Appearances in Köln and at Switzerland’s Taktlos Festival preceded the April 2002 issuance of Øverste Toppen Pa en Blamalt Flaggstang, a marked advance over the debut recording.