I KNOW THIS PLACE

 I Know This Place is a richly textured new release from Alpaca Ensemble, where contemporary chamber music, poetry, and spoken word merge into a vivid exploration of memory, landscape, and belonging. The album brings together a distinguished group of performers whose artistry shapes its distinctive sound world. 

The recording opens with Øyvind Mæland’s Tiled Air, featuring Jennifer Torrence on percussive tiles, creating a shimmering and shifting sonic architecture. From there, the album unfolds with the work «Eit underliggjande landskap drikk av himmelen», through a series of musical–poetic pairings by the composers Ellen Lindquist, Kristin Norderval, and Eva Holm Foosnæs, built around texts by Margrethe Aas, each illuminating a different facet of place and perception. 

These collaborations blend lyricism, intimacy, and atmospheric depth, with Aas’ texts serving as evocative thresholds into each musical landscape. 

The album concludes with Olga Neuwirth’s Quasare / Pulsare II, expanding the album’s horizon with its bold and exploratory language. With I Know This Place, Alpaca Ensemble reaffirms its reputation for innovative programming and interdisciplinary collaboration. The album offers a deeply felt encounter with sound, text, and place — a musical experience that lingers long after the final note.