The Lokkur Project is an artistic exploration on music and identity, cultural heritage and traditions. This Fall, the project is culminating in the book Duet published by Icelandic publishing house Sæmundur, a self-released cassette featuring reworks by various composers made from the sounds of Hrokkur and Lokkur, and a CD featuring works for Lokkur. The CD is released by Backlash Music. Finally, The Origin of Things, a film by Berglind María Tómasdóttir, premiered at the Nordic House earlier this year. The film is yet another component of the project.

The project has evolved through Berglind’s creative efforts over the last decade. At its core is Tómasdóttir’s instrument building resulting in the invented historical instruments Hrokkur (a predecessor of Lokkur) and Lokkur. Both instruments have a fictional story attached to them as recently discovered instruments invented by Icelandic settlers in the United States of America in the early decades of the 20th century. Lokkur is a hybrid of the Icelandic musical instrument Langspil and a spinning wheel. It has, “historically speaking”, been considered a woman’s instrument perhaps due to its similarities to the latter. In the summer of 2015, the Lokkur was exhibited for the first time at Árbær Open Air Museum as a part of Reykjavík Arts Festival. 

Duet

Dr. Berglind María Tómasdóttir and the worldly-wise Rockriver Mary share a body. Duet is their dialogue about music and tradition, the musical instruments the Hrokkur and the Lokkur, and what is true and what is a lie. The book interweaves artistic research with private musings and tales of personal feats in the musical realm. Fictional narratives on musical heritage are at the center of the the project which can also be described as a durational performance of sorts on cultural heritage, music and nation building, traditions and origin.

Duet is Berglind María Tómasdóttir’s first book.

Duet is an unusual and noteworthy mix of prose poem, philosophical and scholarly reflection, and also comedy. 

Maríanna Clara Lúthersdóttir 

Music for Lokkur 

Music for Lokkur is an album featuring works for Lokkur, voice and electronics. The works are by Icelandic composers Karólína Eiríksdóttir, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, Þórunn Gréta Sigurðardóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir. They all received their premieres in 2015 when the instrument Lokkur was first presented in public, with the exception of Ásmundsdóttir’s work which was premiered at 2019 Dark Music Days in Reykjavík, Iceland. The CD is released by Backlash Music and will also be available through streaming services from November 26.

Lokkur Reworks

The self-released cassette Lokkur Reworks features works by Tómasdóttir’s long-time friends and collaborators. They received a bank of sounds from Lokkur and Hrokkur with the request of making a piece using the sounds as a starting point. The project resulted in ten different works by composers Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir, Clint McCallum, Elín Gunnlaugsdóttir,  Erik DeLuca, Hafdís Bjarnadóttir, Kurt Uenala, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir, Rachel Beetz, Þóranna Björnsdóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir. The cassette is available through Bandcamp and will be released on November 26.

The Origin of Things 

The Origin of Things by Berglind María Tómasdóttir  is a personal essay film on sound, memory and identity. Earlier this year the film was exhibited at the Nordic House as a part of the exhibition Nature in Transition, Shifting Identities. The film is available for streaming here: http://berglindtomasdottir.com/#/the-origin-of-things/

 

Berglind Tómasdóttir is a flutist and interdisciplinary artist living in Reykjavík, Iceland. In her work she frequently explores identity and archetypes, as well as music as a social phenomenon. Berglind has worked with composers such as Björk, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Peter Ablinger, Nicholas Deyoe, Clinton McCallum and Carolyn Chen and received commissions from The Dark Music Days Festival, The National Flute Association, Reykjavík Arts Festival, Nordic Music Days and Cycle Music and Art Festival to name a few.

Berglind Tómasdóttir holds degrees in flute playing from Reykjavik College of Music, The Royal Danish Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and a D.M.A. in contemporary music performance from University of California, San Diego. Berglind is a professor at Iceland University of the Arts.

More info can be found here: http://berglindtomasdottir.com/#/tvsngur-duet/ 

X