_{Photo: Sigurd Ytre-Arne / Ultima}

Ultima’s annual Remake project encourages young people to engage with contemporary music in practical ways. In 2019, Remake focused on transforming Lasse Thoresen’s piece Sound of the Arctic, which opened the festival (12/9). With its environmental theme and strong focus on sounds in nature, Sound of the Arctic was an ideal material for the students of VG1 sixth form college in Oslo to get their hands on, and they explored it in connection with the idea of rituals.

_{Photo: Sigurd Ytre-Arne / Ultima}

_{Photo: Sigurd Ytre-Arne / Ultima}

During a workshop period between March and June, supervised by composer and field recordist Bjarne Kvinnsland, students had been collecting, analysing and reprocessing sounds of snow, ice and flowing water (using a special mobile app designed specifically for this project). In the process they learned about spectromorphology and the art of virtuoso listening.

_{Photo: Sigurd Ytre-Arne / Ultima}

_{Photo: Sigurd Ytre-Arne / Ultima}

The final production was completed at Notam studio in Oslo, and the result was a new sound art piece in its own right which was presented at an exhibition and series of performances in the crypt underneath Kulturkirken Jakob during the Ultima Festival.

Watch the video to hear how the young creators talk about their experience.