JENS L. THOMSEN is a composer, artist, and producer based in the Faroe Islands. He holds an MSc in Environmental and Architectural Acoustics from London South Bank University and a BA in Music Technology from the University of West London. His work explores the intersection of art, technology, and the environment. Through his moniker ORKA, Jens has been nominated twice for the Nordic Council Music Prize.
The work is an ambient representation of the stunning and diverse Nordic landscapes. Thomsen collected the different sounds, via an open call for sample sounds taken from Nordic countries and arranged them to create this composition. Many of the submissions had links with water in different forms: ice (arctic), running brooks and rivers, boiling (Icelandic geysers), air, vapour, rain, and the sea, which connects all Nordic countries. The piece references current issues such as global warming and is a reflection on the fragile ecology of the coastal regions.
This immersive soundscape was installed across Level 5 of Royal Festival Hall in the form of several separate sound pieces played out by a total of 24 speakers.
NORÐ was part of Summertime, Southbank Centre as well as Nordic Matters – a year-long programme of Nordic arts and culture at Southbank Centre.
Concept & Composition: Jens L. Thomsen
With thanks to sound contributions from: Kristian Blak, Katrine Grønlund, Helgi Jacobsen, Urd Johannesen, Nina K. Jørgensen, Høgni Lisberg, Dávur Juul Magnussen, Frida Malmø, Amirabbas Mohammadi, Varna M. Nielsen, Ólafur B. Ólafsson, Riccardo Pes, Ræppen, Torkil Tórgarð, Ryck Valli, David Webb, Jon Wesseltoft, Peter S. Wich, Matthew Workman