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Curious Voice Duo

Two voices in childlike and unified exploration

About Me

In March 2007 released our debut album "At the Tip and the Root of the Tongue" - wehey! It comes in a beautiful cardboard cover, and really looks, sounds and feels like a gift made with care and love. Feel free to get in touch if you're interested in purchasing a copy.
Also, for your information; the tracks that are here on our player are from this release and you are hearing Elisabeth in your left ear and Maria in your right. (That is if you have plugged your playback device correctly:))
The two Norwegian voice musicians Elisabeth Nygaard and Maria Jardardottir began working together as a duo in September 2004 when they both commenced their Master Degree studies in advanced jazz and contemporary music in Leeds, England. Nygaard and Jardardottir have incredibly varied backgrounds as performing and composing musicians, but their common ground is their mutual enormous and childlike curiosity for their instrument; the voice. Reflected in the music they create, either with the means of improvisation, composition or both, the listener will hopefully detect a richness of details in regards to sound production, timbre, technique, creativity and team work. Additionally the listener will also expectantly notice the unique level of energy and tensions happening in the music of this duo. In their efforts, the two voice musicians strive to explore their instrument in ways that cross the limits of the traditional role of the voice; as a melodic instrument. What they aim for is to put equal weight and challenge to aspects such as rhythm, harmony and the vast possibilities of sonic attributes that the voice potentially can produce. They see the voice as an ever lasting mystery, and through playing with it musically, as in a childs playing, they are in company continuously astonished to discover new, secret depths and surfaces of its being and behaviour.
Curious Voice Duos material is largely based around music wherein improvisation becomes the main device for creation and performance. In addition to entirely free improvisation they operate with original composed material and semi-composed material, meaning loosely guided compositions where the guideline or pre-talked idea for instance may be a structure of emotions in sequence, an ostinato or a groove, a particular voice technique, a visual imagery put short; anything aspiring musical exploration and play. As in childrens quest to try out boundaries and restrictions, anything can happen and everything is allowed. The trick is to make it all work within the moment and to serve the idea decided on, in whatever shape or nature, justice. The duo as a collaboration format is in a particular requirement of a strong shared set of musical communication tools; an intimate musical language. Nygaard and Jardardottir feel, with constantly increasing fascination and gratefulness, that they have successfully developed such a shared musical intuition and that the presence of it is widely apparent to the listener in both their live and recorded performances.
We edited your soul with Thomas Myspace Editor V3.6 !
Curious Voice Duo heartily supports National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children " and Royal Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - children and animals need your voice.
Sign NSPCC's campaign against child pornography here .

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/7/2006
Band Website: maria-jardardottir.com
Band Members: Elisabeth Nygaard and Maria Jardardottir
Influences: As to stylistic influences it is most likely audible in their interplay that Nygaard and Jardardottir have no fears or prejudices and are students and consumers of an eclectic collection of music styles: jazz and contemporary, Indian classical, country and western, freely improvised music, Norwegian folk and other world musics and electronically and/or groove based music, to name a few. Whatever piece of music speaks with conviction and soul, regardless of style, will be wholeheartedly embraced by the two as listeners and consequently influence their musical creations.
Sounds Like: Two spoons of freshly collected heather honey, or two people who knows a great deal about what to do with their voices, - yet who desires to know and taste more.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

the NCM room presents Curious Voice Duo ++ more at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds

the NCM room... THURSDAY - FEBRUARY 7th - 2008 @ The BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB - LS6 1NY Doors 8pm - £4 Kling Klang I totally buzz off Kling Klang. Fat electro krautrock riffs and landscapes get channel...
Posted by Curious Voice Duo on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:53:00 PST

Review of the debut album At the Tip and the Root of the Tongue

Review of the debut album "At the Tip and the Root of the Tongue":   "And it a substantial repertoire of sounds that the duo are in charge of whereby they change between fragile unison , like i...
Posted by Curious Voice Duo on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:49:00 PST

Curious Voice Duo at Gobsmack March 16th 2007 - event featuring explorative voice work

16th of March 2006. Doors: 6: 30 and 8:00 pm. Tix: £5- at The Spitz, 109 Commercial St, E1 6BG, London: - Gobsmack brings together an array of artists who take the human voice to the limits, re...
Posted by Curious Voice Duo on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 06:26:00 PST

Exciting collaboration track + our Oct gig

Next Curious Voice Duo gig:   We've been invited to contribute with a set of our madness and vulnerability to the celebration of Paul Hession's 50th birthday party down at The Wardrobe in Leeds ...
Posted by Curious Voice Duo on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:54:00 PST