Hamraborgin: An Ode to Noise
Hamraborgin - An ode to noise. A film by me and Patrik Ontkovic was premiered last month at the awesome Hamraborg festival, in the suburban town of Kópavogur. It was based on a work I created for 7 drummers, for Salurinn concert hall.
The idea came from a discussion about how many good drummers have come out of the town of Kópavogur, a town sometimes dubbed “the cradle of punk” in Iceland and also home to a plethora of death metal bands in the 90’s.
The work could be labelled as sound art or noise music, but to me it’s mainly a sound sculpture. A living sound sculpture made of seven drummers, their kits, lights and smoke. The film chronicles the sculpture and the magic that took place when these seven magnificent artists joined forces at Salurinn concert hall, at the seat of Hamraborgin, mixed with footage filmed by Patrik Ontkovic, whose keen eye captured the hidden urban beauty and different rhythms of the area - including footage from a mysterious underpass that has been sealed off from the public since the 90’s, and is literally a time capsule with perfectly preserved graffiti and cigarette butts from its last visitors.
CREDITS:
Drummers: Ari Steinarsson, Arnar Geir Ómarsson, Hannes Friðbjarnarson, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen, Sigtryggur Baldursson, Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir og Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir.
Directed and written by: Úlfur Eldjárn og Patrik Ontkovic.
Director of photography, editing, color grading and post production: Patrik Ontkovic.
Music and mix by Úlfur Eldjárn.
On site mixing, lights and engineering: Páll Einarsson.
Technical advisor: Owen Hindley.
The project was created in cooperation with Salurinn music hall, with support from the Culture- and Arts council of Kópavogur town. Special thanks to: Aino Freyja og Elísbet Indra, staff of Salurinn, Páll Einarsson and sons, the seven drummers along with Halldór Eldjárn and Helgi Svavar Helgason, who participated in the a live performance, the Culture and Arts council of Kópavogur and other staff of Kópavogur municipality.
