Charles Matthews, the organist from Spire, writes:

This recording marries together newer and older techniques and concepts. The beautiful organ of Oslo Cathedral dates from 1998, but clearly harks back to what might be described as traditional principles of organ construction. Moreover, Nils Henrik Asheim’s expert management of the instrument favours registrations well tried and tested by generations of organists. Many of Lasse Marhaug’s electronically generated sounds provide striking contrast, but he also uses digital and analogue oscillators to blend closely with the organ and so often blurs the boundary between the sound sources. The organ music appears to waver in frequency and a sort of blurring effect is created. Asheim himself also frequently bends pitch by half pulling or pushing stops; this effect can be heard, for example, at 19:30 on ‘Phoneuma’.

Generally the piece uses a tonally based language; rather than exploring the interaction between different harmonies, Asheim tends to settle for a long time on a single chord, with minimal deviations from it. For example, several minutes at the end of the recording are based closely around the chord of A flat, in either its minor or major form. The impression is akin to that of a beautiful view obscured from time to time by swirls of mist: a simple harmony slides in and out of focus, as it is masked by atmospheric electronic sound or as the pitch fluctuates.

The first thirty minutes or so gradually explore different chords; although the general mood is meditative, there are some loud and even energetic passages. Then comes a contrasting section, a sort of conversation between the performers, characterised by aggressive electronic noise, silences and, later on, low notes on reed stops. This more abrasive style appears to have a cathartic effect on the music; when the more harmonic idiom returns, the mood is more restful than before and the electronic sounds merge themselves more closely with those of the organ.

The nature of the harmonies and chord-voicing, as well as a certain modal influence, all recall aspects of some French music, perhaps particularly works by Jean Langlais. This French character is also suggested by Nils Henrik Asheim’s fondness for alternating two different notes or chords, as, for example, just after 03:39 on ‘Bordunal’. The close integration of the organ with the electronic input brings to mind some works of Jonathan Harvey, particularly Tombeau de Messiaen. The strongest parallel, however, seems to me that of the almost hypnotic later music of Giacinto Scelsi, the obvious point of comparison being his organ piece In Nomine Lucis.

A particular characteristic of organs in general is that they appear to be almost permanent fixtures of buildings in which they are situated. In one sense this can be limiting, but the combination of organ with other instruments can help, as it were, to coax the organ out of its usual setting. Perhaps paradoxically, here it is the electronic contribution that manages to transcend the physical restrictions of the organ, to transport us into wide open spaces and bracing gusts of wind. [Charles Matthews]

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