Lynx Valley version 1 and 2
Lotta and Sol (15 years)
Producers forum is "Live concert production". The first show features the selected group/artist presenting their unfinished project. Afterwards, two music producers are introduced to help the group/artist develop the show and make it more complete. Between the first and second time they perform, they have 24 hours to fix and refine the show. It's a regular part of YAMsession and there are new artists and producers every time.
This time we have Johanne Adele Jüssi on fiddle, vocals and viola, Bendik Lund Haanshus on guitars and electronics, and finally we have Christo Stangness on bass. The producers this time were Cédric Van Caillie, who is a singer and guitarist and was trained in stage coaching at the studio des variétés in Paris.
The second producer was Venla Ilona Blom, an award-winning singer, composer and beatboxer from Finland.
The songs are based on Gaupdalen or Lynx valley. Rich Gaupdalen exists in a dream where Johanna Adele Jüssi imagines she is when she performs. She explains Gaupdalen as a very nice place where everyone takes care to eat enough vegetables and fruit.
"On the first day, we felt that the music wasn't always in sync and that maybe they needed a little more harmony. We also thought there was a bass solo that was a bit too long in relation to the rest of the song. The singing in the bass solo was a bit confusing because the people at the back couldn't hear it, while those sitting further forward could hear it well. Therefore, we were a little unsure if it was part of the performance. There was a lot of space on stage that they could have used more of, and the vocalist was a bit hidden behind the other two because they were taller and had bigger instruments. The talking was a bit confusing, with some derailment, and it took a bit long to get to the point. There was little eye contact and they didn't quite reach the audience.
On day two, we thought they told the story better, and it was more straight to the point. You understood the story behind the songs. The vocalist was shown better because she stood more in front of the others, and wore bright colors while the others had more neutrals. They had more contact with the audience, and it was fun that they got the audience to make heartbeats. We think it was more smooth and in sync than the day before. We also thought that the lighting was very good because the light matched the mood of the song. The lighting helped with the stage not feeling so big and that they took up more space. We got more of an impression of the emotions associated with the songs. We also liked that they included small details in the stories that you don't notice unless you know exactly what they were talking about, we thought that was cool.
The bass solo was a little shorter and fit more with the length of the song. The others also played along, but they stood on either side of the bassist, which meant that he came into focus. We thought the concert had a better overall atmosphere, and it was polished very well.
Producers' forum is a fixed part of YAMsession, and it has become a popular part of the Marked for Musikk program. In short terms, Producers' Forum is "live concert production". On Tuesday we get to experience the concert Slåtter fra Gaupdalen, a concert that has yet to be produced and adapted to a younger audience. After the screening on Tuesday, two experienced music producers are collaborating with the musicians to develop the production to suit the target audience. The result of their work will be shown Wednesday afternoon.
Performers:
Johanna-Adele Jüssi - fiddle, viola, vocals
Bendik Lund Haanshus - guitars, electronics
Christo Stangness - double bass
Photo: Eirik Heim