Released in Room40's collection of short albums packaged in CD shells, Norberg features the final 20 minutes of a set performed by Tim Hecker inside a mine shaft in Norberg, Sweden, on the 30th of July 2005.
A quick fade-in leads us straight into "The Drone," a typical Hecker texture spread all across the stereo spectrum.
An introductory vibraphone theme gives the impression that the proceedings will remain quiet and pretty, but soon the vibes disappear and the vibe of the mine shaft takes over.
Oppressive swashes of gritty noise and rumbling bass tones control an otherwise peaceful, almost new-agey piece.
The music turns into a tug-of-war between light and darkness, as quiet chords and sonic grit battle for dominance, disembodied radio voices seeping in through them.
Norberg is nothing new for Hecker -- some might even find it predictable -- but there is no denying the mastery and craftsmanship going into it.
That, and how befitting it must have been for this unlikely venue.
Not an essential item, but surely not a dud either.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norberg | Tim Hecker | Play | 20:25 | 46 MB | 0 MB |
| 20 mins | 46 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Hecker | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |