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Music by Mark Hamilton Recent years have brought about a new-found international interest in Iceland as a musical hotbed of unique ideas and artistic freedom. Artists such as Bjork and Sigur Rós have demonstrated a national disregard for convention and a striking embrace of experimentation within the realm of pop music, resulting in a somewhat surprising acceptance on the world stage. Boasting a miniscule population of slightly over a quarter million people, Iceland’s influence and recent musical accomplishments are staggering. Glacial cheerleader Damon Albarn of Blur traded in London for Reykjavik and came out with the frame for last year’s "experimental" 13 album, a work which many credited to the Icelandic landscape and culture. Artistic sojourns to the island are becoming regular retreats for a growing list of innovative musicians, with the results uniformly groundbreaking. Longtime experimentalists CAPUT, performing in Calgary on Wednesday as part of the New Works series at the Rosza Centre’s Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall, have watched the musical development in their homeland closely. "We have noticed a change in people’s perceptions of Iceland and the music being produced here in recent years," reflects co-founder and artistic director Gudni Franzson. "By believing in her own ideas, Bjork has managed to create her own personal style and give us all hope in the process." Formed in a fast food outlet in Reykjavik, in 1987, as a quartet accompanied by two singers, CAPUT has grown to include a membership of over 20 musicians, vocalists and dancers. The composition of the group is always fluid and continually changing. A CAPUT performance can range from a solo set from a single member to a full orchestral improvisation with over 30 guests barely corralled by the attempts of a conductor, ensuring every show is a unique experience. For the Calgary performance, only seven members are making the intercontinental trip, a decision based on concerns practical, motional, and financial. On reflection, Franzson can barely recall an instance in which all registered members of the collective have performed together at once. "First and foremost, the aim is to make a good concert with as fresh a piece of music as possible. We try to work inside of whatever frame we’re given, but never lose sight of our aim of a quality music creation." CAPUT recordings run the gamut from quiet solitudes to raging collisions of sound. The collective’s early interpretations of 20th century composers has led to the regular composition of pieces specifically for CAPUT by an international roster of musicians. All members of CAPUT are strong supporters of the neo-classical scene, "existing to encourage both Icelandic and international composers to write new pieces and take an active part in new music making worldwide." This week’s show, however, is unique in containing an all Icelandic playlist including a brand new piece from Thorsteinn Hauksson receiving its international debut. In CAPUT’s own compositions, Franzson acknowledges the use of new technology in the creation of more classical pieces. "Many of us use the computer more and more, and the material output exists as more of a suggestion for what to play than how it should actually sound." There is a loose core of principal songwriters for CAPUT, including regulars Haukur Tómasson and Atli Ingolfsson, but no one else is turned away regardless of their location on the globe. The many side-projects for the members of CAPUT range from spots in the Ensemble Modern, the Icelandic Symphony, the Stockholm Philharmonic, and Bjork’s string ensemble. When not performing on clarinet, Franzson is currently acting in the role of a dog in Independent People, a six hour long play produced by the Icelandic National Theatre. True innovators and a national institution in their homeland, CAPUT’s Calgary performance is sure to be a memorable experience.

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