Hanna Schörken: Luma

German voice artist Hanna Schörken covers so many activities that reading them can easily make one feel exhausted. A published writer and poet, she developed a personal, idiosyncratic approach to sound poetry and experimental voice. Having studied Jazz Singing and Musicology, she is both a jazz vocalist and a free improviser, involved in several projects in the field of improvised and experimental music. As she has lived in France, South America, Germany and the Netherlands, with longer stays in different parts of the world, her music has been influenced by an array of literature and different languages.

Although she was born in 1985, Luma is only the fifth album to feature Schörken, and the second on which she performs alone, the first being You Told Me How To Dance (Creative Sources, 2018). Recorded at LOFT, Cologne, in June 2020, Luma comprises eleven tracks ranging in length from just over two minutes to just over six, thirty-seven minutes altogether. Ten of the tracks were improvised by Schörken; on the other track, "Objects I can not touch," she recites lyrics by the equally talented Sophie Seita, an Associate Professor at Boston University, imbuing them with emotion.

Together, the ten improvised pieces showcase the flexibility of Schörken's vocal skills as she investigates her voice's full range of frequencies and volumes without any noticeable signs of strain. Whether adopting a low growl, a high-pitched trill or a soaring ululation, she sounds comfortable and exploratory throughout. In addition to recognizable pure-toned notes, she also produces a spectrum of sounds, taking in breaths, screeches, hissing, panting and much more besides. One is left with the clear impression that she does not acknowledge any boundaries to the sounds and noises she can bring forth. Altogether, the album is an impressive tour de force.

If one were looking for comparable vocalists, Phil Minton, Maggie Nichols, Jean Michel van Schouwburg, Ute Wassermann and even Björk would give some idea of the territory. Ultimately, though, Schörken (just like those in that list) is her own person, owing no debt to any other artist. It will be fascinating fun to watch her development in coming years.

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