Viktoria Søndergaard - Music of Secrets (2025) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

Debut release from award-winning Danish vibraphonist Viktoria Søndergaard. With wide ranging influences from jazz, chamber music, cabaret, pop, rap and Sukuma-inspired grooves, as well as the hymns and melodies of the Danish Højskolesangbog traditional/folk songbook, the music is grounded in collective expression and responsibility. The album's bold, boundary-pushing sound was built on a strong sense of musical community, as well as Søndergaard's desire to integrate spoken word and lyrics into her practice to convey her thoughts and feelings on the world around her on a deeper, more personal level. Composing with her four collaborators in mind, Viktoria imagined her quintet playing each note as she composed, making the music inseparable from their presence. The album integrates spoken word, rap, singing, screaming, and whispering - a shared sonic tapestry that expresses joy, wonder, questioning and celebration. "It's a band built on inspiration, joy, dreams and love," Viktoria says. "For me, one of the most beautiful things in art is that we have a platform to say something about the society and world around us. This album is an attempt to do just this." Balancing warmth and intimacy with tension and exploration, the music weaves rich instrumental textures and spacious soundscapes with intricate vocal arrangements - intertwining voices that move between comforting folk-like harmonies and angular, avant-garde expression. The quartet's deep listening and intuitive interplay are evident throughout, shifting fluidly from open, exploratory passages to tightly locked grooves. The result is a sound that feels both grounded and searching: a sonic conversation inviting the listener into a space of vulnerability, curiosity, and connection. With a sparkling tone, emotive improvisation and refined control over her instrument Viktoria is recognised as a fearless explorer and bold musical voice. A recipient of the Aarhus Jazz Talent Prize, Tivoli Jazz Prize and the 2025 Carl Prize Honorary Award presented by Marilyn Mazur, she balances adventurous writing and collective invention with melodic immediacy and emotional power.

"Viktoria Søndergaard unveils a genuinely triumphant debut - an album of inspired depth and character, 'Music of Secrets' solidifies the vibraphonist as a genuine visionary whose burgeoning story promises many, many more chapters still to come." (Imran Mirza, blueingreenradio com)

Viktoria Søndergaard, vibraphone, choir, rap
Elvira Skovsang, lead vocals, choir, rap
Frederik Blæsild Vuust, piano, choir, rap, lead vocals (track 5)
Ida Duelund, double bass, choir, rap
Siv Øyunn, drums, choir, rap

Tracklist:
01 MOR, MOR
02 THE HUMAN NOISE
03 I THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOON
04 BENITEZ
05 HER ABSENCE
06 VI LEGEDE I MARKEN
07 LE SOLEIL LE PAIN ET L'ÂME
08 IT'S SO NICE
09 AS DOTS
10 TO MARILYN


Thanks to the Original customer!